Sometimes I feel sorry that I don’t have more of those “before and after” photos or that I didn’t capture a special moment from our history, but these photos certainly don’t fall into that category. Over the years, our group has taken these pictures whenever a member reached the milestone of 50 and/or 100 training sessions. Since most people currently with us have been around for 2-4 years, we’ve now moved that milestone to 100 and 200. However, the point has always been the same, and that is to express gratitude and pay tribute to the trust these individuals had in us, as well as the effort and hard work that brought them to these milestones and many other achievements along the way.
These photos are one of the prerequisites for the SpartanFit “Wall of Fame,” an idea that has been in my head for several years and will be present on our website and in the gym itself in the near future. Regardless of whether some people in these photos are still training with us or not, they signify what I’ve always emphasized and why I take enormous pleasure in working individually with people, and that is the bond that arises. A connection that, over time, surpasses the basic trainer-trainee relationship and evolves into something else, something more beautiful, intimate, and personal. Many of them will jokingly say that sometimes they feel like they’ve had a psychotherapy session along with the workout, but that’s the aspect, alongside the omnipresent educational one, that I will always gladly nurture. It’s the level of commitment that people feel while working with us. Some may experience that connection faster, while with others it might take a bit longer, but to me, that is what, along with the prerequisite of knowledge and experience, distinguishes good trainers from exceptional ones and sets them light-years apart from those who see people as numbers on a conveyor belt.
I genuinely hope that when people are no longer an active part of our team, they carry with them a part of that feeling and transferred knowledge so that they can continue training on their own if they choose or offer some useful advice to someone else. In conclusion, I believe that the number of 59 people who have been, some for a shorter time, some for longer, and some who are still part of our family over the past six years, speaks volumes about what we do and what we aim to achieve, both for ourselves and for our community. Perhaps it doesn’t seem like much at first glance, but considering all the factors, from the small community we are part of to the exclusively individual approach to training, I am personally very proud of it. What lies ahead and what we want to achieve with the newly opened fitness center is essentially a continuation of this beautiful and heart-warming story, aiming for inclusiveness and community involvement in something greater than ourselves. I hope it becomes a place where literally anyone, regardless of age, previous experience, or lack thereof, as well as any uncertainties and fears, can come, and someone will be there ready to help them. Yes, the business aspect will be emphasized; I won’t shy away from it since I truly want to dedicate my life to this, and hopefully solely this someday soon. However, that aspect will always be secondary compared to the human one, where I think once again the pictures in front of you speak far more than words.
P.S. For a special mention, the person that is not in these set of pictures but should be due to the number of completed workouts is our Adrian Čajić. He received a special video dedication for his achievement some time ago on our Facebook page.
Original release date: November 4, 2023.