George
Meet George Jozwiak
WAC West Allis & Brookfield MemberAge: 43
George’s Story:
I have a long family history of heart disease. My uncle died because of it, and my dad is currently struggling with it. When my brother also passed away from heart disease, I realized I needed to break the cycle. I was 267 pounds, and I knew that if I was going to accomplish all that I wanted to do in life, I needed to make a big change. That’s when I joined the Wisconsin Athletic Club.If it wasn’t hard enough that I was 267 pounds, I was also suffering from four bulging discs in my spine and related paralysis in my left arm. I knew I needed help, so in 2015, I met with Trainers, Jayne, Michelle and Trent at the WAC West Allis. With their tailored strengthening and conditioning, I completed my rehab and felt 110% better—finally on top of my game.
After a change in my work schedule, I started training with Michaela at WAC Brookfield. She is a perfect fit for me. Thanks to her constant encouragement and take-no-bull attitude, I have been able to continually raise the bar. She pushes me to not just reach my goals, but to exceed what I thought was even physically possible. Since joining the WAC, I’ve lost over 110 pounds, finished 9 marathons and completed 120 burpees in 30 minutes, but most importantly, I’ve gained confidence in myself.
Nothing gets me more excited than accomplishing something I never thought possible. When I started with Michaela, I never thought I could do a pull-up. But through hard work and slow, steady progress, I can now do several pull-ups and even more challenging variations. I never thought I could run a marathon, but now I’ve run 9, including the time I ran 3 charity marathons in 4 weeks. Thinking of all the people that I help with each stride keeps my feet moving forward. Recognizing small achievements that combine to become big milestones reminds me that no bar will ever be too high to reach.