My business, Believe Elite Athletic Training, was founded on the life blessing of meeting a young man. In 2010, I was working for the Department of Homeland Security as a United States Federal Agent with the Immigration Customs Enforcement Agency. I was also pursuing my health and fitness goals and training at a local gym in my town of Monroe, New York. I saw a young boy working out with his father and not really knowing how to train properly. I went up to the father and son and gave the boy some pointers. The young boy, Vincent Vespa, was a 7th grader and a wrestler for the Monroe-Woodbury High School Varsity Team.

Vincent’s father, Vinny Sr., asked me if I could help him gain some muscle to wrestle at a higher level. Along with being a Federal Agent, I had been a certified Personal Trainer prior to working for the U.S. Government. I told his father I would help him as much as my work schedule would permit. Vincent and I started working together and my passion for teaching and coaching started to come to life. Vincent would be my student and together we would reach all of his fitness and athletic goals.

Our time together at the gym became something that I loved. I would sit at work at my 9 to 5 job and be thinking about workouts that I could put this young boy through that would benefit him and educate him on how to train properly. I couldn’t train him the way I was training. He was too young. I started with the basics and everything I was taught through my certification through the International Sports Science Association (ISSA). My background as a former collegiate athlete gave me the insight and experience of working with another athlete but I had to motivate a boy. I did what any good coach would do, I told him he was going to be great and do great things. When I said it, I meant every bit of it.

Vincent believed me. I saw it in his intense look and the way he would shake his head and approach every workout. He was focused. He had big goals. He wanted to be the best wrestler in the state of New York. He wanted to be the best ever in Monroe-Woodbury history. I knew Vincent was a “rare breed.” I knew us working together was going to be special.

Our time went by fast and before I knew it he gained 20 pounds of lean muscle and was walking into his freshman year of high school as the Varsity starter and had made a name for himself in the region. His hard work was paying off and everyone was seeing it. His Monroe-Woodbury coaches saw his physical strength and gain of lean muscle and approached me about it. Along with training Vincent I was giving him nutritional guidance. I obtained another certification through the ISSA as a Certified Fitness Nutrition Specialist through my time working with Vincent. I wanted to give him all the coaching and guidance I possibly could and emphasize the importance of eating healthy and living a healthy lifestyle.

Vincent was excelling on the mats and doing well as a student-athlete. He was such a focused and driven young man. We were coming into Vincent’s sophomore year of school and there was a lot of buzz that he was one of the best wrestlers in the state. He had a productive off-season training and wrestling through the spring and summer and he was ready to accomplish his goal. The season started and Vincent was unstoppable. He was so strong for a 106-pound athlete. His strength was something you would have to see to believe when he was in the weight room or gym. His love for training showed in his confidence on the mats. He knew he was the strongest and if he didn’t I was in his corner always telling him, “Yes, you are to strong!”

That was our motto, “To Strong!” We would say it if a workout was tough or a practice was pushing him. It was more of a mindset that we both developed. As I coached him our motto got me through my workdays as an Agent. Our relationship grew to that of brothers rather than trainer and client. I never looked at Vincent as a “client.” He was always someone who I cared for and knew I was a mentor to him. Vincent came off the mat after a match and was very winded. His mother, Lisa, and I didn’t know what was going on. He was young and physically in great conditioning. He was complaining about his throat and being itchy. His mother brought him to the doctor and gave him some medicine. He took a little time off from practice and rested to make sure he was good for the New York State wrestling tournament.

My life changed because of one young man. People close to us both say we changed each other’s lives. I know that is the truth. Vincent helped me to be strong, have courage, and work for what I truly wanted out of my own life. I left my career as a Federal Agent in December of 2014. I opened Believe Elite Athletic Training in a local storefront in my hometown of Monroe, NY. I studied to receive another certification through the ISSA as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist. I start to volunteer as the Strength & Conditioning Coach for the Monroe-Woodbury Wrestling program (4 years now). I have the opportunity to work with 100’s of young athletes on a weekly basis. My business has given me the chance to impact lives, build relationships, and create an atmosphere where young kids can learn about living a healthy life. My goal is to expand Believe Elite and positively influence more youth and families in my community.