MY UNEXPECTED JOURNEY

Aside from the overall excitement of Pavel Tsatsouline launching a new company, I had an immediate emotional reaction upon seeing the brand’s name StrongFirst. Initially, I didn’t realize what sparked that connection. Then I realized that the name itself, StrongFirst, took me right back to the start of my unexpected strength journey.

I’ve never been an athlete. Baseball, football and soccer never held any interest for me. I was never on, or longed to be part of, a team.  Skateboarding was my passion. I spent the better part of 25 years hucking myself down stairs, ledges, ramps, and around pools.  You could say that I defined myself by being a skateboarder and you would be right. That passion took a physical toll on me. The decades of slamming (and getting back up) left me with what Brett Jones would call mileage on the chassis. The most significant injuries required surgery on my right shoulder at the age of 34 and later PCL replacement in my left knee.

My daughter was born two years later. At this time, I had built a respected career in the world of visual effects. I still skated but had put on a lot of weight. One day, I was carrying my daughter on my shoulders and my back and shoulder started to ache. She was only 6 months old. I immediately made the decision to get stronger for my girl. I wanted to be able to pick her up, play and, of course, skate with her as she got older and bigger. I didn’t care about fat loss, cardio or mobility. Hell, I never would have considered mobility back then. My main focus, my first goal and my call to action were simple: GET STRONGER.

I started lifting in the same uneducated manner I did in college and I started to get stronger. Weight loss was a great byproduct , though having a six pack was never my goal. Strength was.

A couple of years later I discovered kettlebells as a member of Five Points Academy in New York City. I was instantly hooked. Six months later, I took the HKC with no intention of becoming an Instructor. It was a good way to improve my swing and get-up. The education bug bit me at the HKC. I signed up for my first RKC shortly after. This journey has taken me all around the country learning from and becoming friends with many of the greats. Most of which are now a part of StrongFirst. 

I’m now the father of two. If you asked either of my kids why I train, they would say, “So daddy can pick me up.”

This journey has led me to friends, family and opportunities I never would have dreamed of. The 40 year old me could kick my 20 year old self’s butt. I quit the visual effects world to help spread my love of strength and “hardstyle” full-time. It has been an honor training with my clients (all of which have become friends) and teaching what I've learned with fellow Instructors. Words cannot express how you feel when you truly see that you've had a positive impact on someone's life. Personally, I’ve gained mobility, flexibility and lost weight. However, strength was and will always be my main goal.

I am StrongFirst.

-Steve “Coach Fury” Holiner