Faces of Long Island celebrates the uniqueness of everyday Long Islanders. In their own words, they tell us about their life experiences, challenges and triumphs. Newsday launched this social media journey into the human experience to shine a light on the diverse people of this wonderful place we call home.

‘I realized that I loved to help people through their fitness journeys, and this initially secondary career soon became my passion.’

East Meadow

“I was overweight as a child, and I got teased a lot. I was also a huge fan of professional wrestling, and I wanted to be a wrestler. When I told my classmates about my dream, they laughed at me and said I could never be a wrestler because I was fat. That day, I decided that I was going to prove them wrong.

“I got really interested in fitness. I started lifting weights in middle school and making better choices about the kinds of food I ate; portion control is very important when dieting. There are no quick fixes. Living a healthy lifestyle is all about self-control and making good choices. When I was in my 20s, I started researching the science behind improving my physique.

You only have one life, so go for your goals.

“By 2015, I was working for major professional independent wrestling companies under the pseudonym The Long Island Landmine. To support myself, I trained people at gyms, and I earned my personal trainer license in 2014. In 2016, everything changed when I tore my Achilles tendon. That injury forced me to think about the future. Even the best wrestlers typically start to slow down around age 40. I knew that I would need another career to support myself, and that’s when I turned my focus to personal training. I realized that I loved to help people through their fitness journeys, and this initially secondary career soon became my passion.

“When the pandemic hit, I started seeing clients one-on-one and also offering outdoors group sessions. I turned my garage into a fully functioning gym that can accommodate up to 12 people. It was never in my plans to start my own business, but I ended up establishing Joe’s Result Zone LLC. Wrestling has come full circle for me. This year, I had appearances for All Elite Wrestling, the National Wrestling Alliance and World Wrestling Entertainment. I also started a secondary business called Championship Entertainment Theatre, which arranges weekly live wrestling events at a theater in Mattituck. I plan to continue following my dreams because so many people told me that I couldn’t. You only have one life, so go for your goals.”

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Faces of Long Island is produced by Newsday Consumer Marketing. This content does not involve the reporting and editing staff of Newsday’s Editorial Department.