Cory,
I wish I knew where to begin with how much you have helped me not only with my training, but in life in general.
I began following you a few years back and absolutely loved the challenges of the daily workouts you posted. I grew more and more interested into supplements and eating right than ever before. Not only that, I noticed a change in my performance at my job. I stopped going through the motions, set goals, and timetables for those goals.
Shortly thereafter, I was promoted. On top of that, feeling confident because I was the strongest and probably best shape that I had been in in my life. A great accomplishment for a person who has grown up playing sports, played basketball in college, and had been around the weight room since freshman year of high school. YOUR TRAINING and constant posts were the difference for me. You set the tone for my training but it carried into so much more.
Fast forward to summer of 2014, I was diagnosed with cancer. Began chemotherapy in September and things could have easily went south and dark for me. However, I remained positive and strong (not only physically but mentally). I’ve always been relatively strong mentally but I believe your training and reminders via social media helped strengthen my mind as well. I was laid up for several months fighting the through chemo but if I ever felt well enough, I would try to lift or get some type of workout in.
I continued to watch as you were posting squat everyday workouts and longed for the day that I was done with my chemo treatments so that I could jump in and begin those workouts as well. The oncologist that I worked with said that I had handled chemo easier than almost all of his patients and he attributed that to being in such great shape beforehand.
I’m sure this a little more lengthy than most posts and I am trying to condense and give a shortened version but your passion to help others really hits home for me. I’m sure you realize the impact that you have on people’s lives outside of simply just getting stronger in the weight room but I had to share my story. I also KNOW that this post may not even be read by you because there are so many lives that you have impacted, but I KNEW that I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to share my story. Through cancer and chemo I found out a lot about my self and realized there were a lot of positive influences that helped shape me into the person I am today and YOU are one of those influences.
After chemo and being cancer free, I was able to meet you at Arnold in Columbus. I didn’t share my story then due to the lengthy line, but for me, just meeting and shaking hands with you meant so much already.
I’ll wrap this post up by simply saying THANK YOU and continue to do what you do. The effect it has is immeasurable.