A new machine: My story -- Post Script added

This story would not have been written without the following people's help
1. Sebastian Reavis got me to join Genesis
2. My mentors Coach Becky Holcomb and Stewart Flinn
3. Prayer warriors and confidants Amy Eshelman, Mitch Fuqua, Mac Stepp and Diane Ravenstien
4. Jeremy Hayes for making the perfect choice for my personal trainer
5. my trainer, Joe Stierwalt, the man with the plan
6. Kim Carson for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime
7. Angie Kendall
8. Angie Wietrick for never doubting me
9. Cheri Mullen-Hastert, Michelle Stoll, Letty Shaw, Laurie Laufenberg-Edwards, Abby Hurst, Wendy Hobart, Tami Rump, Krazy Kirby Kerschner and Chris Rowe for influencing me far more than they are probably aware of.

10. -- and #1 in my heart : Shelly Hurtt for her friendship and health advice last summer/fall..... and for giving me her heart 12-24-11

Biggest thanks :
I praise God for my transformation and for bringing the above and below listed people into my life.

This is a story of love, transformation and hope.

I, David Galemore, do hereby confess having a torrid love affair with Genesis Health Club -- Hutchinson, Kansas.

As for my history prior to this year, a few items will suffice :
-- I weighed 305# shortly before my 40th birthday, 4-23-2009
-- As a kid, I was equally horrible at every sport -- still am
-- I joined Genesis in September 2009 and I am eternally indebted to Sebastian Reavis for fighting so hard to convince me to join. I was not an easy sell.

I attended classes for a while, but my mind set was in the
way : "Why am I here? I'll never be any good at this stuff." Great way to achieve nothing. Lost quite a bit of weight, then gained over 50% of it back by spring 2011, where my story truly begins.

I quit on myself and everyone who cared about me. I hated myself, building nearly impenetrable walls around me. My prayer life was dead. Couldn't even reach out to my creator. Didn't want to let him down the way I had failed everyone else. Buried myself in depression and self pity. I had no will to live. Wasn't going to do anything foolish , but welcomed the thought of reaching the end. I was back up to at least 270# this spring.

My breaking point came at a party at my house. I wanted to lock myself in the bedroom. Didn't want to talk to anyone or even make eye contact. Why bother? I'd just say the wrong thing. No one liked me. Poor, poor me. Funny how that part of the story is so boring now..... seems like it happened to someone else.

I started walking at Rice Park soon after the party. I had finally sunk low enough to get angry at what I had allowed to happen. Every now and then during my down time, I crossed paths in a store with one of my heroes, my "Coach" Becky Holcomb or Stewart Flinn. It hurt to see them because they wanted to see me back at Genesis. They liked me just fine, though I didn't want to admit it.

The biggest day on my 2011 calendar was July 15th, the day I returned to Genesis. I weighed in at 255# on July 4th and was 250# on the 15th. I set a goal to hit by Christmas : target weight of 200#, a goal I crushed November 11th.

What followed has been a blur. I doubt any man has ever been as richly blessed as I have been the past 4.75 months.

How much of a blur? Enough that a Group Centergy summer launch in July 2011 is something that, a couple months later, I thought had happened in 2010.

The key to my transformation has been Group Centergy. Coach Becky taught the class when I returned on July 15th at 515 AM. If memory serves, I took 3 classes the following week. Didn't take long to get up to a steady 12 classes per week. I love mixing it up : yoga + weight lifting + bike classes..... with an occasional visit to new territory (3 classes I have little experience with thus far-- and there's a 4th I have my eye on). Just taking my baby steps in the weight room and will do some running in the spring.

How on earth did that happen?

1. My prayer life returned with a vengeance. Every one of us is free to believe in anything we choose. I believe that, even on my best day, I'm a lowly sinner saved by grace. I believe that God has unlimited power to loan out if it is in his will to do so. I constantly pray for thunder and fire to be sent down through me, that my body may be transformed as a tool to spread the word of the source of that power. It isn't about me. I believe with all my heart that my prayers have been answered with a resounding "yes". Others are free to believe that I "psych myself up". Either way, I bounce out of bed every weekday morning, anxious to throw myself into whatever fun I have lined up for the day at Genesis. Yes, that's a far cry from 5 months ago.

2. I have been surrounded by the most positive and inspirational people a man could ever meet : my partners in crime at Genesis. I could write a book about the instructors and my personal trainer. This is difficult to write with waves of emotion crashing over me. I love that club. Can't get enough. I'm impatient for the doors to open and am reluctant to leave. I believe in the program and the classes, but that isn't what drives me. My drive springs from my desire to repay all those who have helped me by helping others. "Paying it forward", a philosophy imparted by an instructor wise beyond her years, a "Jedi Knight of Yoga", in my opinion : Jade Piros de Carvalho. Jade, unknowingly at the time, helped me be rid of my past and the fear that went with it. I pray for a long life of paying it forward.

Jade is typical of the wonderful people I am surrounded by at Genesis. The instructors are not only incredible at what they do -- THEY CARE. They can instantly and sincerely make any new student feel like a life long friend. Several Genesis members do that, too.
Brief memory of an hour I'll never forget :
Cardio and Iron class -- My 1st try was so overwhelming.... blinding speed. I was so confused, on track for a little bit, then almost hopelessly lost. ALMOST, because I got a pat on the back, thumbs up or words of encouragement from at least 4 or 5 students plus instructor Mitzi Heeney DURING class. AFTER class, something happened that has been repeated several times in other classes : the instructor stayed after class to work with me, showing me the ropes.

How could I fail to share that gift with others? How could I not want to return for another shot at the class? How could I not be fired up, applying lessons from that day to other classes and in my life outside the gym? So funny...... I wonder if I'd be a millionaire now if I were paid by each High 5 or fist bump I give out at Genesis. Can they put that in my membership? It's addictive. I can't contain my excitement once I storm through those doors.

I make no secret of the fact that I love yoga. Group Centergy is and will remain my favorite class. My before and after pictures fail to show what Centergy has done for me. From timid to bold? Me??? Stewart Flinn sold me, first on Centergy, then on myself, proving that he is the best salesman in the world. Coach Becky Holcomb demonstrated so much patience with me as she taught me how to get through depression, then self directed anger..... and she got me to smile. I strive to follow in their footsteps. I couldn't ask for 2 better friends.

Several others at Genesis demonstrated belief in me. The list of names is too long. They know who they are. I hope they know that every kind word I hear from them makes me stronger and more passionate about Genesis. I hope they know how much I look up to them and how blessed I am to have them in my life. OK, one more name : Chris Rowe. He has since, and deservedly so, moved up the ladder at Genesis. He was a superstar in his debut as an instructor. He taught me the value of emptying my tank, leaving all that I had on the gym floor.

Everything for me at Genesis eventually circles back to yoga, the thing that connects my weight lifting and cardio work. There are no lack of chances to gain physical strength in yoga, but that's pretty minor in the big picture. Biggest lesson from yoga (and Centergy gets all the credit for this lesson) -- each of us have strengths and weaknesses. The key to my self improvement was accepting those weaknesses as being part of the human condition, but learning that many weaknesses can be turned into strengths if we work at it.

Applying that lesson to the rest of my life is a huge goal.

I have some physical goals for 2012. I remain a work in progress at 193 lean and mean pounds. I have never felt nearly this good physically. I am younger at 42 than I was 20 years ago. A little gray in my facial hair, but I kind of like it. OK, I like it a lot.

I also have 2 goals within Genesis. I have discussed one with others at the club a lot lately. No time frame on that one, but I believe with all my heart that it will happen. I'll do whatever it takes to get there. The other is probably no surprise to anyone who has attended a Centergy class with me. Definitely no time frame on that goal.

Bigger than the physical goals or future goals within Genesis are 2 goals I have already accomplished.

More names after all.... Stewart Flinn, Coach Becky, Diane Ravenstien and my personal trainer, Joe Stierwalt, were monumental in my quest to become an ex-smoker. Whatever follows for me at Genesis could not happen were it not for the efforts of those four.

I will close with the best thing to happen to me at Genesis:

I never scored a touchdown, made a meaningful shot or hit a home run.
Any sport I played had me buried on the bench.
Never could run or jump......

Somehow, though, at the age of 42, I became the world's latest blooming athlete. Stewart and Coach Becky took me under their wings, then I was adopted by my favorite group in the world : my fellow students in Coach Becky's 515 AM Tuesday/Thursday Group Power class and.... bestill my rapidly beating heart..... the students in what is HOME for me at Genesis.... my hallowed ground..... the place I desperately miss after only one day away :
Coach Becky's 515 AM Friday Group Centergy class.

I am not merely part of a team for the first time in my life. I am part of the finest team ever assembled. I am every bit as valued as I am encouraged.

I thank God for Genesis Health Club.

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Post Script :

Much has changed since the testimonial above was written on December 10th, 2011. I've lost 9 more pounds, down to 184. I don't need to lose another ounce. Switched from Large to Medium in shirts. Crazy.

I am now an instructor for G-cycle class -- Tuesdays at 9 AM. It's the 1st of my dreams that turned to reality.

My 2012 goals are no secret:

1. Take a Zumba class -- cross that off the list -- took one yesterday.

2. TRX class

3. Kettle ball class

4. Biggest goal on this first list :
Become certified as a Group Ride instructor

5. Lower body fat to 13%

6. Decrease jean size to 32 -- almost there -- 32 relaxed fit work just fine

7. build some guns -- working hard on that one

8. 6 pack abs -- going to take some time to get there

I also have 2 long term goals :

1. I want to teach a Group Centergy class for men.

2. This is the biggest transformation and goal of all .........
I am going to marry the girl of my dreams, Shelly Hurtt.

Very briefly, otherwise I'd write about her until the words dwarfed what I write about Genesis :

--I fell in love at first sight with Shelly back in July
--She is the most beautiful girl, inside and out, I have ever met
-- I thought she was "too good" for me
-- It took me 5 months TO MAKE EYE CONTACT WITH HER .......... didn't feel there was much sense in losing my heart completely to a girl who was "too good" for me

--12-22-11 : gave her a Christmas card, asked for her phone number, hugged her ...... lost my heart to her...... WITHOUT MAKING EYE CONTACT.

--12-23-11 : MADE EYE CONTACT!!!! Confessed my love to her, she confessed her love to me. She loved me from the day we met. How about that? True story.

Shelly with her granddaughter, Ella August 2011. Ella will join me for yoga classes when she's old enough.