Gold's Gym

In reply to my post from yesterday, an old friend of mine, Jeff Hagen, mentioned his fond memories of Gold's Gym. If there was a place in my past that defined who I was, it would be Gold's Gym. More specifically, it would be Gold's Gym in Hoffman Estates, IL. I spent more time there than any other, aside from school or home. I worked out at Gold's for 3+ hours, six days a week. I worked there, ate many of my meals there, socialized with people there. It was my life.

Good things and bad things happened at Gold's Gym. The worst being my brush with steroids. But, as Jeff mentioned, I try to remember the good times most. Like the time I met Bears Quarterback, Mike Tomczak. He had an appearance at a auto parts store nearby, and came in after to look around. The visit was pretty quick. He walked in, shook a couple of hands, looked around the gym, talked with a couple of guys, said hello to me, and tried to leave. A woman from the gym--who had a fond appreciation for Tomczak or celebrity--presented him with a sweatshirt she had purchased from me moments before. It was her way of getting his attention. I think she had fantasized that Tomczak would take the gift, see her, and ask her out on a date. Needless to say, someone left the gym empty handed that night. Meeting Tomczak wasn't the best brush with fame in my lifetime, but it was pretty cool. It was around the time the Bears won the Super Bowl, and Tomczak was part of the Bears' "Shuffling Crew." I knew--and might still know--all of the words to the Super Bowl Shuffle. I'm not sure if there is anyone who lived in this area during that time that didn't/doesn't.

During my tenure at the gym, I also saw Gayle Sayers from a distance, and I met Lance Dreher, one-time Mr. Universe. I actually got to workout with Dreher once, which was definitely a highlight in my bodybuilding "career."

While meeting celebrities was a highlight for me, the thing I remember best about Gold's Gym was the people. Maybe it's because I was so young and impressionable, but I really felt like I was part of a crowd whenever I was at the gym. High school can be so cliquey, and I never found my niche. For me, my clique was the gym. It didn't matter how old I was, it didn't matter what kind of car I drove, what my parents did for a living, how big my house was, what the labels on my clothes read. None of that mattered. The people I associated with there--people like Mike Ostos, Suzi Ostos, Chuck Neiemeier, Doug Ulmer, Nick Mueller, Dominic Pleggi, Tony Laurie--they only cared about one thing: that I was honest and sincere with myself in being their friend. These people, and many others, helped build a foundation for me that was invaluable. They helped me understand what it meant to be a true friend; they helped me build a value system in relationships.

I got a lot more out of the gym than fitness. A lot.