My Fellow Son of Strength,
“Everyone must leave something behind when he dies, my grandfather said. A child or a book or a painting or a house or a wall built or a pair of shoes made. Or a garden planted. Something your hand touched some way so your soul has somewhere to go when you die, and when people look at that tree or that flower you planted, you’re there.
It doesn’t matter what you do, he said, so long as you change something from the way it was before you touched it into something that’s like you after you take your hands away. The difference between the man who just cuts lawns and a real gardener is in the touching, he said. The lawn-cutter might just as well not have been there at all; the gardener will be there a lifetime.” – Ray Bradbury
In short, the quote above describes one single word.
LEGACY.
Leave your mark.
Give your life a purpose.
It’s not the same for everyone. It’s not always a garden or something materialistic, but it is indeed always something built. Sometimes it is handcrafted out of hours of labor and the necessary materials, and other times it is crafted and molded by years of friendship and love. Years of sharing a passion or inspiring a new one.
And for me, my garden is an empty gym at six o’clock in the morning. Instead, my gardening tools are a set of dumbbells in my hands. The sunshine on my face, that’s the familiar music on the radio. And the voice in the back of my head demanding me to get one more rep, well that’s no other than Tony Casubolo Sr.
That’s a man with a true legacy. If the difference between a guy who cuts the lawn and a true gardener is in ‘the touching’, then Tony was Pablo Picasso in the flesh. His unremarkable passion was felt in every word he spoke; his dedication was seen in every rep completed. He was the epitome of a mentor. A man of true character.
Without his influence, I can honestly say that I am uncertain if the Sons of Strength would exist today. So it is with great honor and respect that I look to you, my fellow Sons of Strength’s, to share this story and ask for your generosity in return.
As fitness enthusiasts and addicts, we all have our own personal story that motivated us to begin our never ending quest to better ourselves every single day and achieve our goals. Maybe it is as simple as just wanting to shed a few pounds before summer and ended up growing into something more, or maybe for others it is more complex. But whatever the reason, we are always eternally grateful for our decision to chase excellence and obtain sexier biceps.
For me, my story hits me right in the center of my heart. It has been nourished from just a small dream to get stronger and bigger for high school football. Growing alongside of me, my passion and dreams now embody my soul.
Training every damn day. Becoming a strength coach. Co-founding Sons of Strength. Being announced in the ring as “Mighty”. And ultimately dedicating my life to fitness has one common denominator, one driving force.
Tony.
I started training with Tony at his immaculate home gym as a sophomore in high school. Like I said, just to get bigger and stronger for football. But it is what happened next that I never fully expected.
One off-season fast-forwarded into three years. A passion for football transitioned into a passion for health and fitness. A small unconfident teenager turned into a man. It was that indescribable feeling of a sleeve tearing pump or smashing a new PR. It was crawling up the stairs after a leg session or feeling the excitement of starting a new program. It was seeing myself change, both externally and internally, before my very own eyes. It was the feelings that we all grew to love over the years of training. The feelings that made us keep coming back for more.
But more importantly, it was the fact that in that basement I gained my first mentor, second father, first training partner, and real life superhero.
You guessed it, Tony.
So let me finally tell you about the man Tony was and why it matters.
Tony had a track record for this sort of thing. He was notorious for taking local kids under his wing and teaching them how to work out when they asked for help. Even though 9 times out of 10 they would quit after a week and never come back. But he never gave up and always gave anyone seeking help a chance; it’s just the kind of man he was. So when I asked Tony to take on the task of training me, he said of course agreed but with terms and conditions applied. Simple, but stern they were to:
- Show up to work hard. He didn’t have the time to waste.
- Buy a new pair of shoes to keep at the gym, and be available to clean it once a week.
- Have fun. There was no point if you didn’t enjoy it.
Taking his words to heart, I laced up my new pair of shoes and off we went. For the next week, he tested and destroyed everything I had inside of me. But I survived, and when week two came around, I was still there. From that day on, we never quit on each other.
Tony taught me everything I needed to know about bodybuilding. Set and rep schemes. Deciding training splits and building programs. Dialing into the muscle mind connection. Physically feeling a muscle fill up with blood. The importance of post workout nutrition. The history of the greats like Arnold and Frank Zane. You name it, I learned it.
But I also learned about life. About respect, expressing your gratitude, hard work, earning your keep, dedicating yourself to a goal, pushing past your mental barriers, getting confident but staying humble, friendship, loyalty, love, and so much more. I learned that through the hours spent in the gym. You gain so much more than a little muscle.
But it is also because of Tony that I learned in life, there is so much more to lose than just a little fat.
I will never forget the day that Tony stood at my front door and broke the news of his diagnosis. My heart was ripped to the floor as I felt everything inside me crumble. But, just like Tony always was, he stood there confidently and reassured me that this wouldn’t stop him.
He was unbreakable. The guy who just found out he was up against the biggest battle of his life. Reassuring me. Go figure.
Tony was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. And it was then that I truly realized how strong of a man he truly was. It wasn’t his 315 pound bench press on his 50th birthday or the veins ripping down his forearms that made him strong. It was the fact that he did not for one second let his diagnosis define the man he was.
It was the fact that he kept working to make sure his family was provided for. It was everything he did for the people around him that made him a superhero. It was the fact that he always had upbeat attitude and witty jokes. He always kept his amazing smile on his face and on those around him.
Tony stood toe to toe with one of the hardest things to beat on this planet for three years. And he battled it like a down right fucking champion.
And it is because of this, that Eric and myself will be participating in the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network’s PurpleStride New York City 2014 5K Run/Walk to help raise funding and awareness to end pancreatic cancer.
And we want you to be a part of this amazing cause and have our backs as we show up Saturday morning to participate. Please show us how strong our Sons of Strength army truly is and follow the link to attached to show your support.
Click to Donate.
Tony has impacted us in ways that will last a lifetime. His wisdom, teachings, and mentality towards a training session will stick with Eric and myself forever. And it would mean the world to the both of us to bring his name honor this Saturday. And in return, I vow to continue to give you as much passion and dedication on this site or in person that Tony gave to me.
My deep gratitude,
Ryan Johnson
Very well said……great tribute!
Tony was one of the nicest people I knew. He was a good friend to my husband Frank as well as a special friend to my son Scott, who adored him. He was someone that we will never forget. He fought a hard fight with this awful disease and I admired him for his courage. This was such a nice tribute to him.