Jon is a longtime member with 6S. This past April, he celebrated his 2 year anniversary with us. He’s always a pleasure to have in any class, and isn’t afraid to work hard no matter the workout. Jon’s dedication and passion to reaching his goals is so admirable. Once he puts his mind to it, he will stop at nothing to reach that goal!
Jon has also been working with our Dietician Alysha. He’s transformed how he views food, is always open to learning more, and is up for any challenge. He’s presently challenging himself to take his nutrition and routine to the next level before he starts his MBA.
Although Jon has moved away from the city, he’s still working us remotely. He tackles his daily workouts alone in his basement (or with the company of his pup), and still works just as hard. He’s been working with Coach Whit remotely to get more comfortable with his oly lifts and he’s steadily improving.
We couldn’t be more proud of all of what Jon has accomplished. He embodies everything that 6S stands for and we can’t wait to see what other goals he will accomplish!
What is one thing people may be surprised to learn about you?
I grew up in a small town so I had never taken public transportation until my 1st year at University. And even further, I had never been to Toronto by myself until 2018 and I got lost at Queen and Yonge! I was trying to figure out which way the 501 was going, and then gave up and was trying to find Union instead but ended up walking North to the Eaton Centre. 4 months later, I moved to the city and now we’re all good.
Why did you start functional fitness training?
I was sitting at home one day, thinking about how I needed to take control of my lifestyle and start to live a healthier life, when Netflix suggested I watch the Redeemed and Dominant documentary about the 2017 Games. I was absolutely blown away at what the athletes were doing out there. Then I watched the Functional Fitness documentary where they showed how everyday people (like me!) could do the same thing and how functional fitness is far from scary or reserved for the ultra-fit. The next day I did a google search for the nearest box, hyped myself up to book an intro meeting with Julia, and here I am 2-ish years later.
What’s your favorite music to workout to?
Honestly, this one changes depending on what’s happening during the WOD but lately I’ve been gravitating to the “Pop Punk Powerhouses” mix on Spotify.
What is your proudest 6S moment?
Honestly, there are so many times I’ve achieved things that I never thought I could but this question is easy – the day I got my first box jump. I was working on box jumps for at least 2 weeks in open gym. Like 2-3 nights per week, I would use the mats and slowly build up higher and higher and then would stand in front of the box and mentally struggle to jump on top of it. Finally, I just had an eff-it moment, took a little running start and JUMPED ON THAT BOX. I threw my arms in the air, screamed “F*** YEAH” and ran over and rang the bell. I think Julia still has a video on her phone for proof.
Other than fitness, what do you do for fun?
Well, I’m sure it’s no secret, but I’m a massive introvert so I spend a lot of my non-work hours reading, watching movies/TV, and taking my puppy on adventures to recharge my social batteries. I’m currently teaching her how to swim!
How do you explain functional fitness to people who have never done it?
I’ve never really had to explain what it is but I often get asked why I choose to do it. I choose to do functional fitness because it meets everything I need to improve my life: programming and support (ie. someone telling me what to do); competition between myself and others (mostly silently – coming for all of you); scaled options so I can always push myself to the best of my own abilities; and a community of people who aren’t judging you on what they see or your results but your effort and willingness to work for what you want, regardless of your goal. You don’t find any of that at your local gym – trust me, I’ve tried.
A penguin walks through that door right now wearing a sombrero. What does he say and why is he here?
Dude, does this hat go with my tux? I don’t want to stand out.
At which store would you like to max-out your credit card?
Me about 4yrs ago would say Staples – I used to be a huge office supplies and back-to-school person. If I still had a use for that stuff I would 100% max out my card there. Me now says some kind of Italian Market. Let me loose on a place like Vincenzos in Waterloo and you can bet that card would need some rest.
What are three things still left on your bucket list?
Buy a house with a big yard for Zoey (my dog) cause all dogs deserve a big yard. Get my Italian Citizenship. Earning my MBA – excited to be checking this one off soon!
If you could have any one superpower, which would you choose?
Okay, I know that he’s a bad guy, but think of all the applications of magnetokinesis (manipulate metal like Magneto) in our current day and age. Oh no, stuck in traffic? Now you have a flying car or push the other ones out of the way. Uh oh, need something from the other room but don’t want to go get it? Just move it. I see no flaws.
