AMEN

This issue is about what we all do every day: EAT. In order to eat some of this great food, you will need to make sure you work out. Here is my story: I never have gone to a gym and worked out, except when in school. I just never seemed to have the time, and the equipment was intimidating. I was having lunch with a friend, and she mentioned that she had the best workout ever. This normally would just go over my head as I was the only person in Scottsdale who did not work out. I was O.K. with that but then she mentioned that she loved it because there were no weights, mirrors, machines and she was so motivated by the trainer, Amen.  It hit me: Now I had no reason not to check it out.  So I took her up on the offer to try a workout and brought Sona Patel, our Daily 60 videographer, with me so we could tape it and share with our readers at AZFoothills.com. 
When we arrived, I saw a room full of amazing women working their butts off.  They seemed to be everywhere: on tires, boxing, jumping rope, doing pull ups and push ups, just natural workouts using your own body weight. This was inside a warehouse in the Scottsdale Airpark. I loved it. Next, I met the man in charge and his name is Amen—that alone makes you feel good and at peace.  The guy is so motivational from the very first word. I agreed that once a week I would train with him privately. When I did this, I knew I had made a commitment and could not back out. Then I got to share the news with my son, who is 8 years old, and he said he wanted to join me before school. This was the biggest bonus of my life: More one-on-one time with my BFF doing something that is healthy together.
During the first workout, my son was more excited than I was. It was dark, cold and really early, but I knew we had to keep the commitment. It was the hardest hour I have experienced moving my body.  I left shaking and realized how out of shape I was and could not talk for at least 30 minutes. I just could not believe what we had accomplished.
Fast forward eight weeks and it is the best thing I have spent time on.  I had to miss a week when I was sick; however, my son insisted he would not miss it so I took him and he just loved it. The best part of the story is Amen. He is from South Africa and learned how to take care of himself at an early age. He is so motivational and always calls you a champ. He teaches you that life is not fair and you have to fight for what you want. He is starting a foundation for kids which we are featuring in an upcoming issue. He also trains some well-known locals and sports stars that you may know including Brandon Wood of the Los Angeles Angels, Chris Haeger of the Seattle Mariners, Steve Hilton of Meritage Homes, Chris Bianco of Pizzeria Bianco and regular people just like us.
I feel great and I thank my friend, Beatrice, for sharing this with us; Amen, for pushing me; and my BFF, my son, for making me very proud. This is another chapter of our lives and one that will last a very long time.
Enjoy your friends and family all your life.
Like Amen says, you have to fight for what you want and it is not easy but failure is not an option. We can all be champs.

Michael S. Dee  President and Publisher