Who and Why? - Squats for Soldiers

When Doug Pinter, the owner of Anytime Fitness North Peoria approached me about organizing a charity fundraising event this year, I was very excited. I knew exactly what I wanted to do and where to send the contributions to. Squats for Soldiers.

Was I, and am I still nervous about this event? Of course. I would be lying if I told you I was not. The great thing about organizing events that help raise money for fantastic people and organizations is the motivation that is created from so called 'tasks'. With Squats for Soldiers being in its inaugural year, I am PUMPED. I want this event to raise, 1,000, 5,000, or even 10,000 dollars. Heck, let's get other gyms all over the United States involved in this movement.

With Anytime Fitness North Peoria hosting the event, we are encouraging other gyms throughout the Peoria area to help spread the word about this event. If you are a gym owner and would like to be a part of this event, please call me at 309-255-3146.

The Why?

So with every fundraising event, there is always a Why? When Doug and I went to Nashville, Tenn. for the National Conference for Anytime Fitness, we were moved by everything we witnessed and learned. The experience was something that you can't find anywhere else. One key part of the conference was about Tee It Up for the Troops. During the closing ceremonies, we learned what Tee It Up for the Troops is and why it was started. If you want to learn more about Tee It Up for the Troops, head over to their website. www.teeitupforthetroops.org

Here, in the video below, you can watch and learn how Anytime Fitness and Tee It Up for the Troops are partnered together.

Blaino Strong

Growing up in high school, we all have people that we look up to. That can range from parents, coaches, siblings, and even friends. In this story, it is about more than a friend, a brother. When I was a sophmore in high school, Blaine Robinson started taking the Monmouth-Roseville weight lifting program to a whole new level. Becoming bigger, faster, and stronger for his upcoming senior football season. He did it for not only himself, but for his team. As a senior football player, Blaino made the All-State Team as a middle linebacker. Blaino was one hell of a linebacker.

Blaine motivated about a dozen of us other athletes to start lifting more while he created a trend that the whole school would come to know about. Quite frankly, he was not just the leader of the weight lifters but the entire school. Becoming motivated from Blaine is part of the reason of what I do today and why I have created Squats for Soldiers. Rain, cold, heat, sweat, blood and tears were all a part of the friendships Blaine created with his brothers. Blaine Robinson took a group of young males and turned them into young men. He lead the Monmouth-Roseville football program to their first ever playoff year. Despite the early exit in the first round, the feelings and tears feel like it was just yesterday. The experiences and lessons that Blaine Robinson taught many of us in high school is far too often looked past. There are many leaders such as Blaine who walk the halls of high schools and are great role models for the younger athletes. He believed that you had to put in the work in order to be successful, and I know dang well that he feels the same way today. Achievements are earned, not given.

For the ones who do not know Blaine Robinson, he was in a traumatic motorcycle accident back in 2013 and has not been able to walk or be on his own since. Check out the quote and then read the full article.

Here is a quote from The Review Atlast of Monmouth -

"Once, while training in the U.S. Army, Blaine was chosen to carry the heaviest gun — the M241 — through a 12-mile ruck. Even as sweat poured from his sleeves, and another offered to help him with the gun, he refused, acknowledging that it was his duty to bear the weight".

Read the full article Here.

Currently, Blaine lives up in Milan with his family. He travels to Peoria to train with me at Anytime Fitness. Just last week, he crushed sets on the leg press and leg curl machines. The motivation and strength is very much still there for Blaino.