April Athlete of the Month

April Athlete of the Month

Anthony Fleischhauer

            It is often said that we are not defined by our successes in life but our response to our setbacks in life. It is how a person reacts to setbacks that will define them and create the person they truly are. April’s Athlete of the Month, Anthony, is a young man who has faced numerous setbacks; however, not a single one has stopped him. With each setback comes a renewed sense of motivation and determination. As you read Anthony’s story think of how you have handled setbacks in your life or career. Allow Anthony’s setbacks and eventual triumphs over them to inspire you to dig deeper and continue to push towards your goals, whether they are fitness or life related.

Anthony began his professional career as a carpenter. That is what his family did therefore that is what he did. He played sports throughout his life and stayed in good shape working out at the gym. The thoughts of training, let alone competing, never crossed his mind. That is until the housing market crashed and suddenly carpenters were no longer in high demand.  Sadly, most people in that profession dug their heels in and waited it out, and they are still waiting. Anthony, however, has not been one to wait around. He took the advice from his Mom, the one person who, no matter what, has his best interest at heart. His Mom, ever wise, told him that because he continued his workouts at the gym, why not work at the gym. With his Mom’s sound logic in mind, Anthony enrolled himself in the National Personal Training Institute (NPTI) here in Chicago. Six years later, he is a highly sought after personal trainer at XSport in Chicago Ridge. But that is not were his story ends.

In 2011 Anthony met the beautiful and equally talented, Ryann Condon. Ryann comes from a family of competitors; her father competed in bodybuilding and her mother in physique. That same year he went to Jr. Nationals, here in Chicago, with Ryann, and got his first look at the lifestyle of a competitor. That was all he needed. Ryann and Anthony began a 12 week prep together for Ottawa 2012, Anthony placed 3rd overall. What separates Anthony from everyone else on stage and what caught my eye, prompting me to speak with him, is that Anthony is one of the few trainers out there that actually practices what he preaches. He doesn’t only live a lifestyle of health and fitness, he embodies it. Upon speaking with Anthony, I could hear the passion and commitment for his clients in his voice. Anthony is a trainer who truly cares about his clients. This commended him further in my eyes as I firmly believe that that is the way all personal trainers should feel towards their clients.

Training just wasn’t enough for Anthony though, he needed something more.  He found that sense of fulfillment as a Coach for
Team Motiv8nu Elite when he met the lovely and good friend of Fitastic, Staci Boyer. With her Anthony was able to begin a new career as a prep coach.

In 2013 Anthony competed again in the Pittsburg Nationals. This was Anthony’s debut on the National stage; and, even though he brought a great package and placed in the top 20, not everything went according to plan. Anthony encountered setbacks that most competitors face at one point or another: hitting the pump room too early, not eating at the time to maximize his look on stage, etc.  These are things that happen when you are new to competing, especially at the National level. However, as we have learned previously, setbacks do not stop Anthony. He learned from those setbacks and now uses them as tools, not only for himself, but also for his clients.

When I (Will Wilson) spoke with Anthony he was supposed to be in “peak week” for his 3^rd show. However, Anthony made a very difficult decision, similar to the one I had to make recently. Anthony, knowing his body and where he should be this close to show time, decided to pull out of the competition. This is his first time as both a coach and a competitor, and Anthony is still learning to balance his time between himself as a competitor and his clients as their coach.  By focusing more on his clients he was not able to take his body to where it needed to be. I can tell you from experience in my own transformation this is an extremely hard but mature decision to make. I am so proud of Anthony for deciding to choose his overall health instead of putting his body through unhealthy practices and starvation.

We all have successful moments and setbacks in life, they do not define us. It is our employment of those successes and setbacks that distinguish us from everyone else. Anthony had success which he uses to inspire his clients. Anthony has also had setbacks which he uses to push himself and his clients. With setbacks, there may be moments of self-pity and a few tears, but there is no giving up for Anthony. He attacks a setback the way he does a success: he learns, he grows, he gets better.  That is why Fitastic has chosen Anthony as our Athlete of the Month for April. I enjoyed speaking with him, and bonus, I got one hell of a leg workout. OH MY QUAD indeed. This guy kicked my ass in the weight room. Tire flips with a superset of deadlifts?  Hells Yeah!

I encourage all of you to leave your comments on Face Book, please congratulate Anthony for this achievement. Let us know how Anthony has inspired you.  I know his story has inspired me. If you are in the Chicago Ridge area, from personal experience, I encourage you to train with him. He is what a personal trainer should be.  Anthony congratulations to you. It was a pleasure to speak and train with you and I can’t wait to see what the future brings for you as a competitor and a coach.

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~Wild Will Wilson