Photo: Jack and Corinne Wlody of Howard Beach last month accepted their service award from Arnold Schwarzenegger. Courtesy of the Wlodys.
The writing is on the wall in the basement of the house on 80th Street, along with the images and the mementos and the awards, most of it carefully framed and neatly spaced. It seems everyone wants to tell their story of their experience between these panels, wants to explain how they conquered a fear or a goal here; many even unveiling deeply personal and vivid tales of how the Howard Beach couple who run the place saved their lives within these walls.
The hallowed piece of subterranean real estate is a fully equipped exercise studio. The couple is Jack and Corinne Wlody, renowned fitness and lifestyle consultants who have helped inspire the testimonials that populate the walls of their home training facility.
The Wlodys, who have been married for eight years, just added a new plaque to the basement collection. Last month, while speaking at the 23rd annual International Chiropractors Association National Symposium on Fitness in Columbus, OH, Jack and Corinne were surprised by Arnold Schwarzenegger, who presented them with the ICA Legacy Award, in recognition of their charitable efforts.
“We were just very touched,” Corinne recalled. “I immediately cried. I held it while we were on the plane and cried—I was just so shocked.”
“We’re grateful,” Jack said, “humbled to be recognized on that stage for all the work that we do.”
That work has involved helping clients achieve a transformation of body and mind they desire, or in some cases actually need, through a system that Jack calls “simple, yet profound.”
“It’s all about incorporating One Great Habit,” noted Jack, a Howard Beach native who is a certified Master Trainer, Master of Fitness Sciences and Master of Fitness Design. “With consistency comes mastery. It’s about long-term, not short-term, goals. That’s the only way to true transformation.”
The couple, who has lived together for the past 14 years, train clients at their gym, but also online and Skype.
“It depends on the needs of the client,” Jack said.
Corinne added that their success can not only be seen in the letters and cards that adorn the basement walls, but also in the loyalty of the clientele.
“The average turnover rate for most trainers is about six weeks,” Jack said. “We get people who stay for decades. Our clients are really like family members.”
Corinne attributes this, in part, to their bench-side manner.
“Because we are a married couple, and we both have a passion to help others, you get a male and female perspective,” she related. “The number one thing with us is to help people feel safe. Being around someone who cares makes all the difference in the world [at the gym].”
The Wlodys also find time to make a difference through serving the less fortunate. Just a snapshot of their charity work includes working and giving regularly to the Holy Apostle Soup Kitchen in Manhattan, and visiting group homes on Long Island.
“In a world full of selfies, and that mentality, we try to be more selfless,” Corinne said. “We can all do something.”
For Corinne and Jack, they see the fruits of their fitness and service every day, all over those walls. On one of the far panels of the basement, you’ll find Joseph Vericella’s testament in the form of a letter inside a black frame.
“Dear Jack,” Vericella begins, “I want to thank you in words for saving my life.”
By Michael V. Cusenza michael@theforumnewsgroup.com
