For John and Jono, improving their health started with individual goals. What neither expected was that a chance meeting in the weight room would become one of the biggest reasons they continued showing up.
Today, the two are known around the Mel Korum Family YMCA or their consistent workouts, encouragement, and the community that has grown around them. But their friendship started with a simple question.
“He asked me to spot him,” Jono said. “And I remember thinking, ‘Why is this absolute hulk of a man asking me for help?”
Two Different Paths to Health
John and Jono arrived at the YMCA with very different fitness backgrounds.
A former college football player, John was working to reclaim his health after years of setbacks. At his heaviest, he weighed nearly 600 pounds. Following a COVID infection that left him with COPD, he made the decision to return to the gym and focus on improving his health for the long term. Over the years, that commitment helped him lose more than 300 pounds.
“I was just like, ‘You know what? I’m going back to the gym six days a week,’” said John. “Cut down as much weight as I can and try to expand my life as long as possible.”
Jono’s journey looked different. After reaching about 270, he lost 100 pounds through cardio and calisthenics. While he had built endurance and improved his fitness, he wanted to become stronger and more confident in the weight room.
That shared commitment to self-improvement quickly created a connection.
Balancing Each Other Out
As they trained together, both men realized they brought different strengths to the table.
Jono introduced more cardio, swimming, and mobility work into their routines. John shared his experience with strength training and helped Jono gain confidence in lifting heavier weights.
“We cover each other’s weaknesses really well,” Jono said.
John agrees.
“Everything he’s good at, I’m not, and he pushes me for it,” he said. “Everything I’m really good at, he’s not, and I push him.”
Together, they helped each other grow in ways they may not have pursued on their own. John improved his endurance. Jono built strength. Both became healthier.
Building Community
What started as a friendship between two members gradually became something larger.
Other members began joining their workouts. Conversations turned into friendships. Staff and members got to know them by name. The weight room became a place where people encouraged one another, celebrated milestones, and pushed each other to keep going.
At one point, John was approached by someone outside of the YMCA who has noticed the group's dynamic.
“When a guy walked up to me at Safeway and asked how he could join our group, that’s when I realized people were paying attention.”
His answer was simple:
“You just show up and be cool.”
For John and Jono, the YMCA has helped them improve their health, and the friendships they’ve built have become just as meaningful. Today, they’re part of a community that pushes each other to be better, both inside and outside the gym.