For the newly opened Military Style Training Academy of New York (MSTANY) in Mineola, there’s more to fitness than just personal growth.
Owners Tony Gonzalez, a former Marine, and Brian Gomez, currently on active duty in the Marines, have always recognized the importance of giving back, so when an opportunity to promote the initiatives of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) arose, they were quick to join forces.
On Saturday, Aug. 19, MSTANY, located at 90 Herricks Rd., hosted Health and Fitness Fun Day, organized in conjunction with the Greater New York Chapter of the ADA as a way to promote their
upcoming Tour de Cure at Jones Beach on Sept. 24.
“We’ve partnered up with MSTANY, who will be coming down on Sept. 24 to do three different classes including a youth boot camp and adult boot camp, bringing a cool, new enhancement to the Tour de Cure,” said Nicole Hartner, associate director of development for the ADA Greater New York chapter. “We’re excited to have them and I think our participants are really going to like it. We’ve already had a lot of people signing up for the boot camp, and hopefully this kick-off today will encourage more to join.”
Tour de Cure is expected to be met by thousands of participants from around the world who will ride bikes, run and walk to raise funds to find a cure for diabetes. Those interested in participating may still register at www.tour.diabetes.org.
Before attendees could peruse the ADA’s booth, with information regarding the organization and its upcoming event, the day kicked off with a workout demonstration led by Gonzalez. The boot camp-style training featured a mixture of squats, bear crawls, jumping jacks and other fast-paced, high-intensity moves, constituting a typical warm-up for an hour-long session.
“It never gets any easier, but you will only keep improving,” said Gonzalez after the workout, encouraging participants to come back for future sessions.
Though everyone was feeling the burn immediately after, on site to ease the pain was a hydration station, manned by registered dietitian Stefania Medvedik, and a table by Garden City-based supplement store Total Nutrition, complete with protein powder and recovery drinks and snacks.
Healthy food choices like grilled chicken, vegetables and salad were also provided by neighboring restaurant Brasa Rodizio to highlight the importance of clean eating to support a healthy, active lifestyle.
“At MSTANY, we’re all about pursuing healthy lifestyle choices,” said Gomez prior to the event. “Our method of training embraces healthy eating, as well as exercising vigorously on a regular basis. If you implement those disciplines in your life, the reward is often a healthy body and mental clarity.”
Don Munro, director of marketing and communications for MSTANY, expressed his excitement in working with the ADA, hopeful that MSTANY will continue pursuing community outreach projects.
“We want to get more involved in community efforts to raise awareness for health and fitness,” he said. “This Tour de Cure with the ADA is a great oppurtunity for us and we’re interested in continuing to provide our services in a way the community.”
For more information about MSTANY and a full schedule of boot camp sessions, visit www.mstany.com.
