The Mentor who Gave Me an Opportunity

My fitness mentor and I at my 4th Degree test with her youngest daughter.

Charlene Gallitano is my fitness mentor. I met her when I was apprenticing under my old master. She took the fitness classes at my old martial arts school, but the irony is that she is one of the best and well known fitness trainers in all of Bergen, Passaic, and Hudson counties. I used to go to gyms for trial classes and such and I remember mentioning the gym I worked at that Charlene was the general manager for at the time, and when I mentioned the gym's name, the reaction was always "OH! Charlene!" People knew her in the fitness industry by first name everywhere I went.

A good mentor will welcome debate, push the envelope to help you get to your highest potential, pass on and share knowledge to hone your skills, and sometimes they do this by throwing you into situations that will force those abilities to come out of you. Well that is exactly what Charlene did for me.

Back in 2009, I was trying to figure out ways to starting my business, and for months she wanted me to come to the gym she worked at to do a cardio kickboxing class. At that time, I really never actually taught cardio kickboxing, I really only taken them. But she reassured me I could teach it, and using my Black Belt mindset can create a very "dojo" style type of kickboxing that would be beneficial. Truth be told, she wanted to take the class I would make.

I kept saying no, and no, and no. Then finally right before my 20th birthday. I went to the gym to give it a look over. Charlene ran her gym with an iron fist, and it was fantastic. Before I knew it, I had a Cardio Kickboxing class I would teach on Monday nights at 7:00. Many of the girls who I used to take cardio kickboxing with my old school were at the gym, including Dawn, took the class. Before I knew it, it became a rather popular class.

Charlene gave me the opportunity to teach fitness, she taught me fitness, she gave me a job when I didn't have a job, she gave me a place to train when I had no place to train, she gave me a place to test my martial arts students when I didn't have a place, and she gave me the opportunity to figure out my own style and routines.

To this day I sometimes shake my head and laugh because I never thought I would be teaching fitness classes. It wasn't on my business plan. But she believed in me and knew something I could do that I didn't know. She threw me in the ring cold turkey and before I knew it, I had created an entire structured program that I continue to use today, continue to add on to and tweek, and continue to have results with myself and my members at my own center.

I forget what the days were like sometimes when I was working on my own center. Charlene knew what my goals were and she always supported me. She had no problem when some people left the gym to continue my classes at my center, and she herself would continue to come to take MY classes which, to me, is a huge honor. She was even at my grand opening day when I did a cardio kickboxing class. I have so much respect for Charlene, and so much gratitude. If it weren't for her, I may never have continued with the fitness aspect of my training, and I may not even have a fitness program at my center. Even if it was just on the mind, my experience at the gym with her was the opportunity I wasn't giving myself to create.

That's what a good mentor does. That is what Charlene has done for me. She not only pushes me when it comes to doing push ups and lifting dumbbells or how many crunches I could do, but by pushing the envelope and opening opportunities where I saw brick walls. Charlene, along with the other mentors, have a big part in making me the master I have become today. I have so much gratitude in my heart for that. And I am grateful to have a mentor like Charlene! <3<3<3 (BOWS)

Yours in service,
MASTER TRENTO