As a woman in college there are way more times than I’ve cared to count where I felt threatened or in a dangerous situation in which I could not defend myself. Despite carrying self defense blades, only going out when a trusted man is going with me (for muscle), and dressing differently I still found myself cornered in situations where I desperately needed to be able to protect myself but unfortunately could not.
After the summer before junior year started, I decided I was tired of being defenseless and wanted to learn defensive boxing as well as integrating the gym into my weekly schedule. Prior to the semester starting I realized I had no idea where to start and that the gym itself was an anxiety inducing environment.It wasn’t until I discovered the personal training tab of the SLC website that my fear of the gym slowly started fading.
During the summer of 2023 I worked as a lifeguard at a NYS park called Hi-Tor, located in Rockland County NY. During my time there, I realized how truly defenseless I was when day in and day out my coworkers and I were faced with nothing short of harassment from intoxicated patrons. It was not until a certain incident that happened on my last day of work that I realized I needed to change my lifestyle if I was ever going to feel safe in my hometown again.
At the facility I worked at there were four lifeguard chairs with one being in between two diving boards where the lifeguard on the chair is responsible for the entire diving / jumping area. This specific chair is on a platform about 5 feet above the ground and has a platform surrounding it so unlike the other chairs you can walk around the physical chair and still be considered “on chair”.
I happened to be on this chair for the last hour of the day and was watching the water when a family came up to the boards that consisted of a 50+ year old looking father and his five kids with the oldest looking no older than 13. This 50 year old man decides to jump off the diving board and as he is in the air he turns his body to face me and pulls down his pants. The pool that day had over 400 people in it with most of them being families and children, so I immediately blew the whistle to tell the patron that he can not do that not only because it is a literal crime but also against park rules.
He proceeded to start yelling obscenities at me while all his children followed his lead jumping off the boards, turning towards me and dropping their bathing suits. I blew the whistle again asking them all to please leave the diving area and then signaled for my head lifeguard to come over. As she is walking over I feel the platform of my chair start shaking and I turn around to be faced with this angry 50 year old man who is now almost completely on my lifeguarding chair. Before I can even crouch down to attempt dismantling the chair I feel him grab my hair, which was in a single ponytail and pull me back onto the chair. As I started crawling back to my feet I see one of the maintenance workers of the park has pulled him off the chair and is escorting him out of the pool back into the parking lot.
After evacuating the whole pool and calling my mom the local police showed up to take statements. They talked to the lifeguards, including me and then went to talk to the patron and his family. These two police officers heard what they did from not only me but six of my coworkers and we all watched as they shook this man’s hand, then proceeded to let him get in his car to leave with no punishment or consequences. It was in that exact moment after watching a man who attacked me at work simply drive away that I knew I had to make some serious life changes as this was not the first time I’ve experienced something like this but I had to ensure it was the last.
I spent that night on the SLC’s website trying to gather information on any boxing seminars or self defense classes when I came across personal training. After scrolling through the package options including 30 minute and 1 hour classes in groups of 1 session, 6 sessions and 12 sessions. I ended up choosing 12, 1 hour long training sessions which I renewed in early November because of how much I grew to love the gym due to this program.
After answering questionnaires about my goals and reasons for getting a personal trainer and paying for it online, I was set up with Michael Falcone, a junior here at Cortland whose major is physical education with the aspiration of becoming a high school PE and health teacher, whose approach to training permanently changed my lifestyle for the better.
Before hitting the weights or teaching me how to throw a hook, Falcone asked me to fill out one last questionnaire more focused on what I wanted to get from training, since the direction of one’s training is in their own hands. My original goals were gaining muscle in my upper body, being able to lift a barbell, and learning how to box. As one would figure, boxing would be the best form of self defense you could learn since a big component of technique is protecting yourself from hits while being able to throw them. Falcone’s approach to training his clients is that if he can teach them what he knows they will forever have the necessary knowledge to excel in whatever area of the gym is their reason for training. Any beginner would love this approach because it allows you to go to the gym on your own early on since you would know so many different workouts and how to use the machines.
After the first few months of training I saw physical results very fast, where for the first time in five years I had finally gained some muscle weight, and my upper body began looking more toned. Falcone described this experience as a phenomena that happens to everybody once they start taking the gym seriously where at first they see big results and changes but as you move forward the steepness of the incline flattens out. This basically meant that the first six months in the gym would obviously show physically while my continued training would maintain it and I would start to gradually see changes a lot slower than before.
This made it hard to truly commit to the gym since if one feels they have gotten such good results, why would they need to keep going ? However my mindset was a little different due to my amazing trainer Falcone who helped me incorporate going to the gym into my weekly schedule and really prioritized my journey to becoming a stronger, healthier person. Falcone also put in tons of hours towards perfecting his approach to my sessions, incorporating things like meditation and constantly trying new exercises. The effort and time he gave towards my workout plans motivated me to go the gym on my own more to the point where by the end of fall semester (2023) I was going to the gym once a day including weekends.
“Wow! This girl really cares and is trying,” said Falcone. “ I am doing this extra work because I KNOW she will do it.”
Falcone is quite possibly the best trainer offered here at the SLC, and while he is the only personal trainer I have ever had I consider this statement not biased since I can easily back it up. Falcone is the best trainer not only for his dedication but for how he always goes above and beyond to adhere to his clients needs exceeding just working out. He has certifications in mindfulness, meditation, mental health first aid and many other psychologically inclined fields that better one’s life beyond the physical. Falcone described the course to obtain these certifications as a truly amazing experience. The classes went into depth on how meditating affects / changed our brains and also how it has been proven that techniques in these fields can help us gain emotional intelligence.
“Another philosophy I have is to do things at 120%.” said Falcone “I love my job and it would be disrespectful to my clients if I didn’t give them my all.”
Falcone also recently got certified as a life coach to help motivate his clients into scheduling and organizing their priorities with the gym to help keep them committed. The course he took to get his life coaching certification was primarily aimed at transforming the lives of others who experience challenges and other life problems they need guidance with. This aspect of training is more than just physical workouts, a life coach guides you to achieving your life goals by helping you identify these exact goals, and realistic ways to change your lifestyle to meet them. Furthermore a life coach will help ensure you stay on track to meet these goals while also offering guidance through every challenge you could encounter along the way. His life coaching services also include guidance through maintaining your physical and mental health goals.
Falcone’s life coaching certification is a service of his that I plan on partaking in over the summer as he progresses from working out of the SLC, to solely freelancing his services and becoming somewhat of his own boss. This is such a big, exciting step for physical education majors as it really grows their experience level and prepares them for their future in this career.
When I first heard from Falcone that he was planning on continuing his training services over the summer I was very intrigued as I have loved having a trainer and planned on working with throughout the remainder of time here at SUNY Cortland, and even after I graduated since it has had such a positive effect on my life. I started training with Falcone in September of 2023 and it has been the best experience I have had on this campus with my only regret being not starting years ago.
One of the most empowering and unforgettable memories I share with Falcone from our training sessions would have to be the first time I was able to comfortably lift a barbell weight. One of my early goals was to be able to do curls with one and back in September I had such a weak upper body that I could not lift one at all. Before committing to training I couldn’t even lift my groceries comfortably so any kind of weight over 10 pounds was a big no for my upper body. That was until sometime during November Falcone and I were in the main weight area on the first floor of the SLC when he went to grab some dumbbells for our next workout set. While waiting for him to return I was looking at the rack that holds all of the barbells ranging from twenty pounds to over a hundred. Without a second thought I walked over and grabbed the twenty pound weight, picking it up with complete ease.
Falcone was walking back as I grabbed the weight and saw me confidently lift it right off the rack. I then proceeded to walk the weight over to where we were working out and curl it about ten times before stopping to look over at Falcone who had put down the weights and was excitedly commenting on how he couldn’t believe how easily and randomly I did that. I remember feeling so accomplished and grateful for how much of a benefit training was for me because this moment really showed me just how far I had come in two short months. I recall the first word he said after watching me curl the barbell being “ain’t no way.”
When I joined training I was in a place where I needed support on my journey since I was originally only doing it to protect myself and Falcone exceeded every expectation I had. He made the gym a safe place for me to go when I had always been afraid of being mocked or laughed at by the men and even other women in the gym. Boxing was a primary focus for me in the beginning and while I knew I would become stronger I did not expect the heavy effect it had on my increase in confidence the past two semesters. Falcone showed me that by putting in the work I would be able to do anything and everything I set my mind to as long as I dedicated myself to it.
“When I first started with Leana, I figured she would work with me for a little and stop after a little improvement,” said Falcone. “I’ve worked with plenty of clients who just hit only a few of their goals and stop. Leana has been the absolute opposite, she hit her goal weight and has been looking to do more ever since. She has been creating new goals for herself, and I am so excited to see where she takes off from here over the summer.”
I went from being the kind of woman who would never dream of walking into a gym, to one who considers it a safe place and goes at least once a week if my schedule allows it. Compared to my first semester in training I had a lot less time this semester for leisure activities including the gym but I found that by planning out my weekly schedule days ahead of time I was able to go a minimum of once a week, while also stopping in over the weekends with my roommate who enjoys working out as well.
Falcone has done so much that has improved my lifestyle and I am grateful for the SLC’s personal training program every time I think back to the beginning of my junior year. In such a short amount of time I was able to see so much progress and with the help of the amazing Michael Falcone I finally feel confident in my ability to defend and protect myself if the situation calls for it. If there is one piece of advice I could offer any SUNY Cortland student it would be to use the personal training program, it is easily the best decision I have made in my 3 years here.