I’ve had a passion for fitness for as long as I can remember and I always knew that I wanted to work in the industry. However, I had no idea the path that my life would take or the events I’d endure that would lead to the creation of Fortis Life…
As I was in recovery from my second surgery, I received a call notifying me that the cancer had returned and that I needed to immediately start another round of chemotherapy. I had to drop out of school and put my dreams on hold. Again, this was an opportunity to learn and grow. I committed to keep moving forward, even if it was at a slow pace. Armed with my new perspective and motivation, I was able to see this setback as an obstacle, but not as a dead end. I saw this as an opportunity to dig deep and work hard and overcome.
I was in and out of Roswell Park Cancer Institute for the next several months; inpatient for a week and then home for a bit and back inpatient again. It was exhausting and I honestly don’t know how I would have made it through this time without my incredible support system. My family, close friends and my girlfriend at the time (now wife) were absolutely incredible: spending time at Roswell with me, taking care of me when I was at home and surrounding me with love and hope when I needed it most. It was because of their support that I was able to get back on the path towards my goals after my treatment was over.
A month and a half after I completed nine weeks of chemotherapy, I unfortunately had to schedule my third surgery. Recovery was longer and more difficult this time around and I spent over a month with very limited mobility; I felt like I had to start all over again. So that is what I did. I got back to the gym, back to school and also started the process of Fortis Life. It was a lot going on at once, but after all that I had gone through, I knew that I could make it through just about anything.
I can’t even explain how much different I felt. I had a new energy and passion and I was hopeful for the future. I look at health so much more holistically now, knowing that we need to be emotionally, mentally and physically healthy in order to truly thrive. Because of this new understanding, I created Fortis Life to be where clients can grow and relationships can develop.
After my journey to health, I’ve worked hard to make sure that Fortis Life is a place where we focus on creating our best self.
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