This guy here, Jason Girard, was working at LAC Alexandria when I quit my job as a teacher. LAC expanded a functional fitness area onto the back end of the gym. It was there that Jason and I shared an office. He was pretty intense to say the least. Jason worked mostly with young athletes. Their age ranged from 10-25. He had 2 to 3 groups a day roll in and out. The energy was incredible. Those kids loved and respected him and vice versa. I witnessed some blood, shed and tears, and at the end of each session, the most genuine love a coach could have.
I can hear him say, “do you have quit in your heart?’ With those 7 words, he could get them to do anything he asked. “No Coach, not today.”
Jason is one of kind. He continued educating himself all the time, studying in the office, writing programs, putting time and effort in each kid he trained and each specific sport. He also will go to lengths to get a mouse out of my work space.
To say the least, I learned a lot from him. His nutrition was on point. I learned so much about a diabetic. How this disease can turn good days in to bad and bad in to good. I can say, Jason truly knew how to take care of his body and respects being a diabetic. His training skills, education, knowledge and application of it all were on point.
The day came when Jason decided to move on to bigger and better things. August 2015, he cleaned out his half of the office. It was a sad day. The gym became quiet. No kids. No Jason. No body to talk to. No laughter. No Black-Eyed Peas playing. It took some getting used to for sure.
As I was cleaning out the file cabinet a few weeks after he left, I found some of his programs. I came across this note he had written (neatest handwriting of any male) to himself and unknowing to him, I’m going to share it with you all…
“Stay humble, and be the hardest working person in the room.” JG
“A place where everyone including family and friends had been instructed not to go. It is my disease. A disease, I was to fight alone. This is a battle that has made me reconsider every aspect of my life and what I have thought about my present and future and especially, of my death. I do not want to be coddled and cuddled. I am determined to live on in an existence that does not name my disease as the most pressing and important facet of my life. It’s nothing more than a nuisance. It is possible to live this way?” JG
Here is your story, your words, your feelings, and most of all your passion. Thank you for sharing with us. If you ever need to come sweep the office, you know where the broom is.
STRONG
Love and hugs, Mitzi
Fitness:
An Ever-Evolving Journey of Self Discovery and Transformation
BLESSED!!! I was found by GOD!! It hasn’t been the other way around. I, for the better part of my life, have ignored God on every occasion that he has revealed himself to me. It was out of a lack of understanding and ego that kept me from following God’s calling. He has a very unique way of getting our attention. The following is a brief synopsis into the circumstances and events that have shaped me into who I am today.
My high school years like many others were some that shaped the way I felt about myself for a very long time. As I soon discovered, girls didn’t take me seriously at all. Did I blame them? Then, yes!! Now, LOL, we’ll no!! How can anyone take a 5’-9”, 121-pound guy serious? I was shaped like most of the girls I was trying to date. I guess I wasn’t very sexy in my current form. We will not even get into my lack of fashion sense or my ridiculous hairstyles. It was an opening revelation into fitness. I, obviously had no appealing qualities in what the female of the species desired! This was a problem because they were basically all I could think of. It was during these years that I made my first attempt at some sort of blind workout regimen. I might as well have been walking around in the dark because strength training might has well have been Chinese arithmetic written in German while being explained by a Russian scientist. I doubt had I even understood any of the concepts of strength training that I would have had the level of commitment that is required to change the body in a positive manner. I was too worried about fitting in. My limitations existed for no other reason that I allowed them to. Have you allowed yourself and your fears become your biggest limitation?
I spent my first two semesters of college chasing a dream of playing collegiate basketball. I succeeded at basketball yet failed on so many other fronts. The failures were more important than the fleeting joy of those things achieved. My failures were numerous, and those failures shaped future decisions and pursuits. In a basketball game I suffered a grade 3 ankle sprain. The doctors that I consulted with on the injury said I’d have been better off if I had broken it. I was unable to return that season for basketball and fell into a massive depression. I hid the depression from my family and friends. I drank copious amounts of alcohol, skipped class and secluded myself from everyone. My immaturity and lack of self-discipline during this time resulted in me flunking out of school and having to return home. In one of the more humbling events of my life, I had to try and explain to my father why and how I had wasted his money and both of our time with my selfish and immature acts. UPDATE: body transformation: 5’-11” and 138 pounds. I allowed my circumstance with basketball to define all aspects of my life. The lesson here was that we should never allow our circumstance or situation define who we are or how we react as individuals. How many times has this happened to you?
UNCLE SAM WANTS YOU!!!! Back home and no real lessons learned!!!! I was job hopping and being an absolute bum with a going no where attitude. Let’s just say a father’s love sometimes results in having to teach their bull-headed son a tough lesson. I will spare you the details of this “conversation” but it was an extremely eye-opening “treat.” I was left with very few options to alleviate the current state of things. I left home for three days. I traveled to Shreveport and joined the United States Air Force. Some people thought that this was a bit drastic but for me it was an experience that I wouldn’t trade for anything in the world. At this point, unlike before I had a purpose and a true goal. Individuals with purpose can become an unstoppable force. Have you ever become so FOCUSED on something that you wouldn’t take no for an answer? Have you ever had that sort of FOCUS and DRIVE when it comes to your fitness?
My experience with fitness in the USAF was one that was multi-faceted. Endurance training and cardiovascular health was at the fore front of most fitness tests set forth for airmen. Strength training, except for bodyweight, was non-existent. I stayed active with beach volleyball, running and swimming. UPDATE: Body transformation – 6’-0” and 151 pounds. I know sexy, but I held the women at bay as much as I could. I know the disbelief is unreal, LOL!! The journey continues. Strength training took its first real hold of me while I was stationed at Prince Sultan Air Base, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The only thing to do on this base was work, eat, sleep and train. The facilities were make shift with sand seeping through the floor. This was an education into bro-science, prison style workouts. Meat-head grunting and weight slamming at its finest. I did however gain approximately 15 pounds in 4 months. It was apparent when I got back state-side as a few girls took notice. Yes, you read that right girls (the plural version). I know my previous level of sexiness at 151 pounds was astounding to say the least but at around 165 pounds I had become the original MAGIC MIKE!! Strength training was starting to take hold and showed me some of its benefits. I was not COMMITTED and rested on my accomplishments and soon I lost my gains. I had seen the benefit of fitness and strength training but had not DEDICATED myself to continuing to pursue my goals. How many people see the first signs of success and become complacent in the pursuit of their real goals? How about in weight loss?
Upon leaving the USAF, I returned home and started to party. I partied HARD!! I even made up drinks and named them. I served them at parties. I worked, partied, slept, changed jobs, partied some more and drank a lot. I had no more direction. I missed the comradery of the military and everything about it. I often think back that maybe I should have made a career out of it but that wasn’t the plan GOD had for me. It is often thought that monumental change happens during devastating or extremely difficult times in our lives. My devastation and therefore my world came crashing down with the death of my father……………… This man was my example of what it was to be a man. He was an amazing father, my mom’s first love, my sister’s hero and the rock of hard work and determination, commitment to life and family and above all a true friend. I have never heard of or seen a more selfless man in my entire life and I was proud to have called him father. It taught me at the ripe old age of 28 the value of life and how fleeting it can be as many of you know. It broke my spirit the day they handed me his folded flag at the funeral services. I still can’t speak or even write about it without it bringing me to tears. As I held his hand, the day he died, I promised that I would do right by his name and legacy. I had many things yet to learn. My fitness journey kicked into high gear. My father had been a smoker and died a short 2 years after he quit smoking. I was determined that I would not die prematurely. I learned that a journey in anything realm including fitness is one that you must be willing to go at alone. Numerous people will be happy to start with you but almost none, if any, will finish with you. Have you had this happen to you? In life? In fitness? Ask yourself how much does the journey mean to you? Remember fitness is a personal journey and it doesn’t begin and/or end with you walking into or out of a gym.
After my father’s death, I was off to LSU, to again pursue an education. Do you remember earlier when I was dealing with an ankle injury several years before? I had to rehabilitate my own ankle due to lack of training and PT coverage at the university I was attending. Trial error and research were my learning tools. God turned a depressed time in my life around and made it fuel for a positive. I like to think that my father’s death had me paying attention a little more as I dealt with my loss and own mortality. The time I spent rehabbing intrigued me and, so I enrolled in the Kinesiology Department to follow a degree program in athletic training. This is not a degree to train athletes. This fell into the realm of rehabilitation, safety, injury care, acute care and any other needs of an athlete. This could be through referral or through the supervision of a team of doctors. I, out of curiosity and at times through assignment, spent a great deal of time listening to and experiencing the inner workings of a collegiate strength and conditioning program. Athletic training and the Strength and Conditioning Department worked hand in hand at times in athletic development and injury prevention programs. I learned a lot from those days and applied them back to my own training. UPDATE: 6’-1/2” and 198lbs. I know I was getting better with age. Please hold your applause until the end. It was during these years that I really started to lay the foundation for my pursuit in strength and conditioning and overall fitness. I was blessed to work with, train with and rehab 100’s of Division 1 athletes. I worked with athletes from the football, softball, gymnastics, track, baseball and volleyball teams. I had the experience of winning the National Championship with football. I was blessed beyond belief for the opportunities GOD had put before me. I felt that I had a calling to continue my pursuit in the field of strength and conditioning. Yet, I was merely doing enough to get by and not really pushing myself and therefore not properly using the gifts GOD had given me. I was taking things for granted. GOD was still writing my story and I had yet to understand fully what I was to do. Do you understand what your calling is?
I graduated and returned home to utilize my degree at the high school level. The hospital and orthopedic clinic employed and supervised several athletic trainers on an outreach program for various high schools in the area. The rehabilitation facilities were non-existent or barbaric at best. There was no way to keep anything sterile and or treat athletes. The money was mainly budgeted around tape for the football teams and Gatorade. This was a huge shock coming from the environment I had grown accustomed to over the last 4 years. The school board gave no money towards these types of programs. The word we always received was there was no money available. It was out of this frustration that strength and conditioning came charging back to the front of my priorities. It was through the graciousness of Dr. Michael J Leddy III that I was able to pursue this re-emerging passion. It was my thought that if I can’t rehab them as properly and fully as I would like then let’s make them bigger, faster and stronger while putting them through structured programs that included injury prevention. Dr. Leddy saw value and need in my request and allowed me to pursue those aspirations. He allowed me to travel to strength and conditioning programs, attend certification classes as well as training and injury prevention seminars. I have obtained 5 national certifications through his support. He encouraged me to do so and was always a very positive influence on me. I must thank him for all that he has done for me and the community. It was through him that I was able to start to harness and develop my gifts. However, I still wasn’t the person I was supposed to be (drinking/partying all the time) and GOD has a unique way of getting our attention when we have refused to listen or pay attention.
My father died of renal (kidney) cell cancer that had metastasized and setup in an inoperable part of his lungs. He told me before he died he had back pain for several months and just though he had a pulled muscle. The pain was over the area where his kidney was. He stated that if he had just gone and gotten it checked that maybe they would have caught it early enough and he might have survived…….yeah!! Well, imagine my surprise when I wake up one day with the same pain that he had described to me several years before. PANIC!!!! WHAT??? FULL BLOWN PANIC!! I rushed to a doctor’s appointment. Bloodwork drawn, physical assessment done, urinalysis complete!!!!!! No sir!! Not ME!!! Well, Mr. Girard, the good news is that you don’t have cancer. You have a kidney infection!! Antibiotics!! I’m ecstatic, yes, no cancer!!! Mr. Girard, please settle yourself down. The kidney infection is caused by DIABETES!!! ^&$@^& $#^%@^ What did the &*%*&^$^& did you say? I’m surely looking at her like she has 6 heads with two arms growing out of each one. She repeats herself. HMMM! GOD has just gotten your full and undivided attention. Has GOD ever gotten your attention about something? Did you listen? I disregarded him on several occasions.
My journey to this point had been one that revolved around muscles and looking good naked. I know, I know!!! Now, it was one that revolved around my own survival. I had betrayed myself. The questioning begins. What could I have done different? What can I do now? Was all that partying necessary? Let’s quantify this a bit because we all get a little wild at times. I have partied on 3 continents, 12 countries and 31 different states. It was a bit of a problem. I remember on the drive home that day. It was close to my birthday and I jokingly told GOD that this what not what I asked for as a gift that year. My whole way of thinking had to change from my diet, to my habits, to my workouts and the crowd I hung out with. As I stated before, many people will start a journey with you but very few will finish with you. It isn’t their disease and problem its mine. I understand its hard to follow and even harder to live with and manage.
My whole outlook changed when I was diagnosed with diabetes. I was completely devastated at first but that changed. I realized something along the way. It was because of diabetes that GOD was able to do so much more with my life than he could with out it. He saved my life through Diabetes. I don’t have the same lifestyle that would have probably killed me long ago. I lead a healthy lifestyle and I still have complications from the disease as well as ups and downs. I wouldn’t want life to be any different. It’s how you approach the bad times and situations that define you. I have been lucky enough to develop a great team of support that revolves around the positive, motivates and inspires others. The journey of fitness is not the same for everyone but like everyone else, you have the same 24 hours in the day. It is a decision and a choice. I wish I had listened sooner and that it hadn’t taken diabetes to get me to this point. What point is that? I recently had a perfect checkup with excellent bloodwork. I am happy, positive, motivated and inspiring to others. I have been blessed with a plethora of athletes that have met success on the field and in their careers of choice. I am equally proud of both. I am inspired by the work of my athletes and the trust the give to me. It is up to you to find the why in your journey. What is your it? Do you run for those who can’t? Do you pursue fitness for longevity? As an example, to others? To survive? Find your why and don’t let it go? Don’t settle for a life of excuses be as healthy as you are smart, capable and able. Don’t limit yourself and what you can accomplish. I have plenty more to say and if allowed to will contribute again. Don’t let your circumstance dictate your outcome.
I am blessed because of my GOD, my fitness, my family, my friends and my diabetes.
Jason R. Girard, ATC, LAT
NASM -PERFORMANCE ENHANCEMENT SPECIALIST
NASM – CORRECTIVE EXERCISE SPECIALIST
USAW – LEVEL 1 SPORTS COACH
EXOS- PERFROMACNE ENHANCEMENT SPECIALIST
