A few months ago while summer was still in full bloom, I received a call from my good friend, Michael Marazulli, the owner of All About Me Day Spa right here in South Philly. Michael and I have been friends for years and I love the services his spa provides.  But on this day, he was not calling me to confirm a massage, facial or any other body treatment.  He was calling me about a friend who needed my help. She was there with him and he told me that she was looking at my “before” picture from over 20 years ago.  He had told her how I changed my life and got healthy.  He handed the phone to her and we chatted.  She made it very clear to me that she was ready and committed to get in shape, lose weight and re-invent herself and that she wanted to meet with me. 

We hit it off from the get-go. She was a warm, sweet, adorable woman with a personality larger than life.  Although I doubt I will ever call her Mom, like the restaurant staff she manages, I quickly became one of her many fans. I learned many things about her.  When we began to talk about short and long term goals she shared the fact that it was her dream to walk and finish the Breast Cancer 3 Day to benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure in October 2009.  To me, this was a realistic, attainable long-term goal and we would have a year to work on it. She would walk in honor of her son John, who had died many years ago. She wears his picture around her neck every day and I could tell how much she still loves him. She also takes care of her elderly mother who she is very close to. 

Since that day, we have been meeting twice a week so I could train her.  In our first session I kept an open mind as to what to expect and she surpassed that and walked 2 miles with me. It was the hottest day of the summer, but she did it. We took our time and she finished and that was my goal for her no matter how long it took. 

We also began to work on her eating habits and I found out that late night eating was a problem because of stress.  Well, we worked out a plan to change things slowly and the weight has come off.  I am proud to say that as of last week, she has lost 26 pounds. But better than that is her improved fitness level.  She is power walking those miles, running the steps at the lakes and we just incorporated -dare I say it – boxing!  She boxes with me for 15 minutes after her step climbing.  She is not a kid and her progress truly inspires me.  It proves how small changes with a firm commitment can bring about real success.