MORE THAN FLASHING LIGHTS AND SOUND

By Steve “Coach Fury” Holiner

MFF Coach, Original Strength Instructor, Master RKC and Master DVRT

It’s the morning of February 5 and I’m in North Carolina. After months of outlining and writing, I’m getting ready to debut my new sold out OS/DVRT: Dynamic Strength Workshop. As I’m reviewing my material, I catch a Facebook post that crushes me. My friend, and former client, Patrick Daley has died. The workshop curriculum vanishes from my mind. As my brain empties, my eyes fill with tears. Not Patrick.

Patrick was proud of hitting this bench PR.

The workshop is scheduled to start in less than two hours. People have invested time and money to learn from me. The last thing I want to do is let them down. I do what I have to do. I do what I need to do. What I love to do.

I teach.

Dynamic Strength runs better than I could have imagined. I find myself see-sawing between laughter and tears. Yeah, laughter. There are moments during the course where I experience true joy. Pure happiness. With all of the chaos in my world, I am made sure of one thing. I am here to teach people how to be strong. I am here to teach people how to make others strong. 

The crew had no idea of the war inside my head until I dedicate the course to Patrick. He would have loved the workshop. I could hear Patrick's voice asking me to teach him what we did in Dynamic Strength.

February was already a brutal month for me. Four years ago my marriage ended and two years ago one of my best friends, Lance Turnbow, passed away. Unbelievably, another friend and fellow trainer Tommy Dimitriadis died five days ago. This morning Kim and I went to Long Island to support a friend saying goodbye to her father. I got two words for you: F**k Feb.

Lance and I went through our HKC together and ran the DVRT Program at Five Points.

The two constants that have held me together this month have been my family and the opportunity to share what I love. My worries go away when I’m up in front of the class or in a session. Whether it’s my words, music or appearance, I get to fully express myself. The ninjas accept me and embrace my loud and random music choices, my film references, the class designs and how happy the MFF Clubhouse lasers make me. It's the same when I teach for OS, DVRT or the RKC. I get to be free. Free to do what I love.

I teach.

Now I can't process all of it, but there has certainly been some light shining through the dark. Meeting a woman like Kim was something I never imagined and I don't think I would have moved to Mark Fisher Fitness if Lance was still with us. Without a doubt, I was meant to be with Kim and be a part of the Grand Unicorn Experiment at MFF. 

I don’t use the word often, but I would say that I’m blessed to have my family and my extended strength family by my side. I get to live, work and play with the most amazing people. The community within parts of the fitness world continues to astound me. I hold those relationships deeply. To Kim, my kids, my folks, my friends, MFF, Original Strength, RKC, DVRT, PCC, Catalyst SPORT and Five Pointers... THANK YOU! I love you guys.

My MFF, Original Strength, DVRT and RKC family.

Thanks to you wonderful humans reading this for taking the time and hearing me out. If there’s a takeaway here, it is to find something you love and attack it. Get off the sidelines. February has repeatedly proven to me that life is all too short. I want you to find something that gives you the strength to soar when you’re plummeting to Earth. I want you to be surrounded by people that will inspire you to laugh when you want to scream.

Lately, I've been listening to The Artist In The Ambulance by Thrice. This lyric (among many others) hit home for me. So to all of you I say,

“I hope I will never let you down. I know that this can be more than just flashing lights and sound.” 

-Fury out

The reason. 

 Steve “Coach Fury” Holiner’s superhero headquarters is Mark Fisher Fitness in NYC. Fury’s an Original Strength Instructor, Master DVRT, and a Master RKC . He is available for classes, semi-privates, instructor training and programming at MFF. Check out coachfury.com, facebook.com/coachfury Instagram@iamcoachfury and Twitter @coachfury for more info.