Donation protected
This is maybe the weirdest request ever but I believe if this world is someone who deserves this is Miguel.
Hi! I'm Senni and me and Miguel (my business partner) are in the process of opening a new gym (and no I'm not trying to get any money for that this time haha). We are both just normal hardworking people with this amazing vision, passion and absolute desire to make other people's life better. I can say that about myself but I can absolutely say that about Miguel too. Why you may ask? Because he changed my life.
Over a year ago I was probably at one of the lowest points of my life about to lose every bit of it. I hardly got out of bed, I was always tired and miserable. I ended up quitting my job and I was looking for a new hobby to bring my joy back. I found this small gym, which offered group fitness classes and I joined that. My first 6 weeks there weren't the greatest but at the end of my 6 weeks challenge Miguel walked to me and we had a conversation. And that was the first day of my new life.
Along my fitness journey we became really good friends and when I was 4 months into my training I became a fitness instructor myself. I had the best summer I could ever wish to have. I made new amazing friends and Miguel introduced me to obstacle races and I did so much more I ever thought I could do. He was always there for me on the lowest and the highest points and when I doubted myself he always believed in me. I know it might sound cheesy, maybe it sounds like a normal trainer - client relationship, but I'm telling you the way he CARES about other people it's... I don't think there is even a word to describe how unbelievably kind and caring he is. And again not only to me. He's like that to everyone, he really cares about you and never asks anything for himself.
And I mean he never asks anything for himself. This guy has 2 young kids and a beautiful wife, he loves his job more than anything and he's always there for whoever needs him. He built himself up to the point where he became head coach of our previous gym. Over the summer some problems started at our former workplace and we started to talk about opening up our own gym. We went through the process of opening our own gym to buy the old one where we worked at that time but after weeks of meetings we didn't get a working deal for everyone and the next day we got notice of termination of our employment. Things happened fast and a little bit unexpectedly but we thought this was the time to move on with our plan and go for it and open our own gym.
I feel like this is the longest story ever but just keep reading we are getting on the point I promise! So while all of this moved forward much faster than the plan originally was, I did have to break one dream bubble of Miguel's. He's been talking for months about having this one specific machine he wants to have. The old gym owner promised that to him but never got to the point to go and buy it and after months (closer to year) of talking to me about it and when we finally were starting progress to open our gym (what is still months away) he couldn't be more excited that he finally gets this machine. Unfortunately I had to tell him that during everything happening so much faster than expected our budget is not enough to get this machine at least not in the first 3 years.
Of course he was okay about it. He's always just okay about everything. He always says it's fine but I know - I just know - he was more than just disappointed. And I don't want that to someone who's been putting everything there for everyone else and never asked anything to himself. So I had this crazy idea: when we get to the point where our gym is about to open I'm gonna build there corner for him with his dream machine and sign. I'm okay to go and take a financial hit and go into debt to just get him something he's been dreaming of a long long time. But even if I take the most hits I can't afford all of it. After taking out a loan to build a new gym and all the start -up costs, at this point I'm only half way there. And this is the point where I'm coming here to ask you guys.
Like I said, I'm ready to go through a financial struggle for a little bit for someone who helps so many people, but if there is someone who can help me with this that would be more than amazing. He's not just a personal trainer, he's an amazing hardworking dad with 2 kids and a supportive wife. The fitness industry can be brutal and it needs more people like Miguel. And I wanna make sure he knows how appreciated he is. For the years he's been working his ass off I believe he deserves every bit of this. And just for the record: this was the only thing he ever asked to have from me. And I'll make sure we get it to him somehow!
Organizer
Senni Vilander
Organizer
Nazareth, PA