We’re a week away from the New Year . . . and I don’t think people have looked forward to the new year as much as they are this year! We’ve all faced challenges and new realities this year. 2020 has been an unprecedented time for the world. But in the face of hardship, we found strength to keep going, help others, and even push our own limits. 2020 didn’t keep us down, it just made us change the way we do things.
Exercising with Trifecta was one of those things. When the pandemic first hit, our trainers learned to roll with the punches and quickly transitioned to teaching a variety of virtual classes (for free, too!). When it was possible, we also taught socially-distanced outdoor classes once it was possible, which was something a lot of people had missed. It brought back a little bit of normalcy and camaraderie.
In the midst of lockdown earlier this year, I decided to take on something that I had never done before–the 72in72 challenge. Over a span of 72 hours, I ran 72 miles. Was it crazy? Yeah. Did I get it done? Absolutely. I also raised over $12,000 in the process, all of which went to COVID-19 Relief. It was my way of providing some sort of help when our front-liners were in need, and one of the best things that came out of it was the support that came from other people–the people who ran with me, the people who tuned in live, and the people who donated and sent me messages to keep me going. In retrospect, I think it was a collective effort that gave everyone purpose; not just me.
Another challenge that we did in the Fall was the 5 Boroughs challenge for National Make a Difference Day. We partnered with 5 different charity organizations and visited the 5 boroughs of New York City to get people to come out and take a free class with us. We knew that 6 months into quarantine a lot of people had slacked off from exercising, so this was our way of getting people motivated to jump back into a workout. Exercise is more than just working out–it can create community, raise morale, and relieve stress.
And right before Thanksgiving we gave out more than 500 turkeys in the Bronx at Morris Park Boxing Club, where my boxing career first started. It was always a goal of mine to give back to the community that basically gave me a fighting chance, so to finally be at a place in my life where I can make that happen was a humbling experience. I’m also grateful for the people who helped to make it happen.
It’s good to take stock of what’s been accomplished, especially during a year like 2020. It’s been an unusual one, but instead of letting the pandemic stop our momentum, we charged ahead and created bigger opportunities and bigger goals. I’ve got a lot more planned for next year, so I hope you stick around and see what comes next.