GARY STARKEY
2020 is shaping up to be Gary’s breakout year in all things fitness and health. Before I get into his amazingness, let’s back it up to exactly 5 years ago when we met.
Gary came to us broken in all sense of the word. He had a torn rotator cuff, a torn bicep tendon, a replaced hip, aches, pains, and issues with balance. He couldn’t even squat his own body weight. This, he knew was a problem, given how active he wanted to be…. After all, he was in his mid-60s and loved the outdoors. He wanted to continue snowboarding, boxing, and hiking with his wife but was concerned that he wouldn’t be able to physically do it.
In the last five years, Gary has dedicated thirty minutes a day, five days a week to working out with us here at Encore Fitness. He has increased his overall strength and can now successfully squat his body weight. He can even do it with added weight. He can do push-ups and overhead presses where before these things were impossible for him. These milestones in the gym are just the tip of the iceberg.
he continues to climb...Outside of the gym, Gary has grown in more ways than we could have imagined. This past winter Gary and trainer Courtney went up the mountain every week to shred the soft white powder at our local ski resort. They amused each other by laughing at epic face plows and talking about what their next adventure would be. He pushed himself to ski runs that he would never have attempted before. He nicknamed one of Courtney’s favorite runs the “trail of tears”, but he said it with a smile on his face...well I mean after he reached the bottom he smiled. This spring the two of them took off on foot for a little climb and ride which they both got to check off the ol bucket list (pictured below).
Gary & Courtney at the top of Superior chair- Bogus Basin
Fast forward, Gary had always loved riding his bike on gravel roads and on the greenbelt but Courtney pushed him out of his comfort zone, and so they set forth on a new fitness quest….Mountain Biking. For the first two years of learning this new skill, Gary struggled. He crashed…..a lot…. He walked …… a lot…. And he cursed ….. A lot, he even got branded with a new nickname after a gnarly crash. He is now known as “stitches”, after the seven stitches he received above his brow. Gary never gave up.
he climbs further....After a few hard spills and road rashes, Gary’s wife suggested he protect himself by using full-body gear, I mean like gladiator gear with the chest protector, the shoulder pads, knee pads, even wrist guards and a full-faced helmet. He wore his battle suit well. His gladiator suit seemed to give Gary the confidence he needed to rise to the challenge because the spring of 2020 he is currently having an unbelievable riding season. He no longer needs the safety of his battle suit because he has found his balance on and off his bike. He climbs hills that he would have walked, he takes turns like he isn’t afraid of bashing his skull. Although he is not always eager to try new paths, he does it anyway. This is without a doubt Gary’s BREAKOUT biking season and we couldn’t be happier for him. And guess what? This guy doesn’t stop here.
he continues climbing...
Gladiator Gary
Gary turned 70 in May and despite his past injuries, he just completed a 10-mile round trip hiking expedition to Stack Rock. If you have ever hiked 10 miles in one day then you know just how exhausting it can be. Courtney asked him the next day how his legs felt and he nonchalantly said: “I feel great Court”, “My legs don’t hurt at all”, to which Courtney thought, What?!? How can that be? five years ago, he struggled to get up and down from the floor, and stepping up on a medium-sized fitness box was a definite no go….how on earth did he not ache from that hike? Hell, she admitted that her legs were tired afterward. Well, the answer was, he was either A. lying or B. he genuinely built enough strength and endurance for something as big as a ten miler on mountain terrain, and Gary is no liar.
Gary Starkey- Hike to Stack Rock
We could go on and on about how far Gary has come with his fitness and health but what we haven’t touched on yet is his heart. There are few people in this world that would literally give the shirt off his back for someone else. Gary is one of those rare gems. He is fiercely loyal, kind even with his hard shell, compassionate, curious, strong, and is the guy I would want in my corner if I were ever in a jam. Gary is unstoppable at whatever he decides to do. Age has no limit, fear has no grip, he is this year’s client highlight.
Thank you for just being you Gary. Never stop climbing, the sky is the limit. We are excited to see what you do next!
