Mark joined Anytime Fitness as “not a fit guy at all,” according to his wife, Tanya. However, training with Devon and Sam, co-owners and Coaches at the Newark, Delaware, location, Mark grew in strength and stamina to the point where he was winning medals in triathlons. Because of his hard work in the gym, Sam said, “Mark was hands down my favorite client. He was just so driven.”
Devon recalls, “As he was getting better, as he was getting stronger. It was, ‘What else can I do?’” They trained together for 5K races, then half marathons, and eventually, triathlons. But Mark kept reaching further.
He told Devon that he wanted to do a Half Ironman. He trained hard until he was in peak physical condition for the race. “I got to really watch him transform,” says Sam.
An Ironman in sight
In 2019, Tanya and Mark participated in several races, with the Half Ironman in Augusta, Georgia, as a grand finale. Together, they made their way up to the starting line. Mark told Tanya to go ahead of her, and she did. Everything was going according to plan until race officials found Tanya as she was mid-course; they told her that Mark had gone into cardiac arrest.
Mark was transported to the hospital, where he received life-saving medical care. Tanya explains, “Mark had to be shocked six times in about 45 minutes to get his heartbeat back. When they looked at his body and they looked at his fitness, they figured he could handle it and his body could take it.”
According to Tanya, had Mark not been in such good physical condition, the medical team may not have been able to proceed with such drastic measures. In her words: “They might have called it.”
Mark survived the cardiac arrest, which they learned was caused by an underlying heart condition that Mark did not know he had. The road to recovery would be long, but Mark was determined not to give up hope. With Tanya by his side, Mark worked to regain his ability to walk, talk, and eat independently.
A strong, fighting spirit
About one year after his heart attack, Mark was back in the gym. “It was an amazing feeling to get back into the gym,” he says. “I felt like I was home.”
“Those are his people,” Tanya adds. “And it means everything. It means everything to this recovery.” Mark has returned to a regular exercise routine of 5 days per week. While his life is different now, he has settled in to a new normal, and he credits his survival to his good health, made possible by his AF Family.
“Anytime Fitness takes really good care of me, and Devon is the reason why. He is like my brother,” says Mark.
Devon adds: “It does not matter what’s in front of Mark. Mark is going to persevere and push through and find a way to get better.”
Thank you for sharing your story with us, Mark. Feeling inspired? Start your journey today by finding a gym near you.
