The annual MAX Day of Giving, this year taking place on May 15th, 2021, is an event where centers across the country host events to raise funds for charities in their local communities. This year, THE MAX Challenge of Marlboro has chosen a cause very near and dear to their hearts, and have already received a tremendous outpouring of support. “This year we have chosen Stephy’s Place as our Day of Giving charity,” said Randi Leib, the owner of THE MAX Challenge of Marlboro. “Stephy’s Place is a grief counseling center out of Red Bank that offers their services free of charge to anyone that lost a spouse, parent or child.” They have chosen Stephy’s Place in honor of their late member, Todd Levine.

Randi opened up to us about Todd, a valued member of their MAX family for over 6 years and a personal friend. “Todd was a regular at the 6am class, rarely missing a day,” she told us. “He stood front and center, a larger than life physical presence always there to make everyone laugh with his dry sense of humor. Todd was a huge part of THE MAX of Marlboro family and a close personal friend to many of us. His presence is greatly missed! We decided on this charity after Todd’s wife Judy told me that she found Stephy’s Place extremely helpful to her and their kids, Hailey and Jack.”

Members of THE MAX Challenge are unlike members from any regular gym. They have a knack for always showing up and supporting one another. “We always say we are a family and this couldn’t be more obvious than during this grieving process,” Randi said of her members. “The outpouring of love and support we received from our members has been nothing short of incredible. Members that didn’t even know Todd have been supporting our efforts by sponsoring classes in Todd’s memory. They see how important Todd and this year’s event is to us, so they are 100% invested in making this year’s Day of Giving a huge success.”

This year, THE MAX Challenge of Marlboro has partnered with Monmouth Gymnastics who will be hosting a MAX charity class on May 15th at their facility. Between now and then members and non-members are sponsoring classes in honor or in memory of someone. They’re invited to attend and talk about who they’re dedicating the class to. THE MAX of Marlboro is also hosting a trainer’s challenge where members can challenge Rich Spear (their lead trainer) and Randi to do burpees. “I guess you can call that payback!” said Randi.

To learn more about Stephy’s Place, visit their website (www.stephysplace.org). 

Part 3/3: Roseann Camarda  “We are a family now more than ever”

Sticking to a fitness regimen for an extended period of time is an incredible feat. It is an accomplishment that is guaranteed to instill in you an intense feeling of gratification. For Roseann Camarda, owner of 3 THE MAX Challenge locations across Staten Island, ‘sticking with it’ is an understatement. Roseann is a MAX Challenge veteran. She has been a member of THE MAX for over 10 years, and an owner for over 7. She is a shining example of the success one can attain when making the life altering decision to go into business for oneself.

Roseann has been happily married for 32 years, is a mother of 3 and a grandmother, and served 21 years at Staten Island University Hospital. After chasing her dreams of becoming a MAX Challenge franchisee, she checked every single item off of her bucket list; from taking a two week vacation to Europe, to being able to purchase a summer home. However, as we soon discovered, no one in the United States was safe from feeling the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic. Roseann and her NYC centers were hit hard, and ended up closing their doors entirely for a full year. But for Roseann, everything comes with a silver lining. When I spoke with her, I learned of her astounding ability to turn the bad into the good. 

From March 13th, 2020 to March 17th, 2021 all three of Roseann’s Staten Island THE MAX Challenge locations sat empty and silent, echoing the absence of members and staff that once filled them. Roseann was quick to get to work when it was announced that fitness studios would be closed to the public in NYC due to COVID. Only a few days after the announcement was made, Roseann was running 4 zoom classes per day for each of her locations. She taught 2 of these classes herself, and the rest were taught by ex-staff members who chose to teach as volunteers. “I have an unbelievable staff who volunteered their time and led classes on an everyday basis,” says Roseann. “I couldn’t have done it without my manager, Michelle, and my instructors, Amanda and Liz. Without them we couldn’t have gone forward. Their strength, their positivity, and their good hearts inspired me to just keep going.” 

In true MAX fashion, Roseann says that her main motivator during tough times was her members. “My biggest motivator is my members and how much they wanted to continue with me, how much they supported me, and how they held my hand throughout the year. We’ve always been a family, always a MAX family. I am a member before I am an owner.” I was lucky enough to speak with Roseann after the announcement on March 17th, 2021 that group fitness could once again open up in NYC. She made a point to bring up what a vital role the New York Fitness Coalition played in both her own experience, and in the fight to reopen group fitness studios across NYC. “The New York Fitness Coalition pointed me in the right direction. They were my source of what to do and how to do it, and they are why we are able to open right now.”

Roseann had to pivot her entire business plan for far longer than anyone could ever have anticipated. I couldn’t help but wonder if that impacted her feelings about her career. “When you are ahead of the game you may start to lose your passion a little bit,” she began, referring to her many years of experience in the industry. “But right now, I am more passionate about it than I was ten years ago. We are coming back full force. What we have right now, we didn’t have 7 years ago. It doesn’t matter how high our numbers are, what I feel right now is beyond anything financially that I’ve ever experienced. We are ready to come back, and I am with them the whole way.” Even though the pandemic has forced many people to make tough financial decisions, Roseann held on strongly to a base of regulars. She is happy that she got an opportunity to grow closer to members from all locations who attend various class times.  She goes on to say, “It feels like it did when I just started; so much personal interaction and that’s what THE MAX is about. We are about knowing our members. Sometimes you have to back up and realize what you have, and I realize that now.” It’s no secret why many of Roseann’s members across Staten Island are reeling to come back.

Roseann is a deeply caring person. The emotions she feels for her members come through in everything she does, from her dedication to them through tough times, to the way she speaks about them, to the amount of meticulous planning she is overseeing during the reopening. Roseann wants members to feel as comfortable as possible while things slowly begin to return to normal. She would like her members to remember, “It’s not ‘Roseann’s’ rules, it’s NYC’s rules. My main goal is to keep my staff and my members healthy. My staff will help members get through it. I will help them get through it. I am only a phone call away if anyone is feeling uncomfortable. But as I like to tell people, sometimes you have to get a little uncomfortable to reach your goal.” As her centers prepare to reopen, Roseann is providing educational zoom meetings with Q&A sessions to help members become acquainted with new procedures. She tells me that her last zoom call had over 200 individuals participating. “I will do it until we are ready to open those doors,” she states. 

The last year has undoubtedly been one of mixed emotions for Roseann. Through all of the uncertainty she has been a pillar of strength for her community. She apologizes to me as tears begin to fill her eyes, “When I went to bed on March 17th, it was the first night that I didn’t have to say I’m sorry. I didn’t have to think, are my centers going to open up again? What is my future? I went to bed March 17th, and I slept sound, knowing we were going to move ahead.” Roseann is an incredibly inspiring person, and a true testament to the values behind THE MAX Challenge. She persevered through everything the world had to throw at her, and she came out the leader of a committed community. “We are a family now more than ever.”

We are back!

Part 2/3: Lisa Cartolano “I Didn’t Come This Far to Only Come This Far”

Not all fitness transformations are visible from the outside. THE MAX Challenge members can attest that some of the most important changes happen on the inside. Whether that be an improvement in mental health, the wellbeing of one’s day to day life, or biological changes that result in the reduction of medication; it all matters. Lisa Cartolano, owner of THE MAX Challenge of Arthur Kill in Staten Island, NY has lived through an incredibly impressive journey. Her results radiate from the inside out. 

When I began to speak with Lisa about her experience over the past year, I immediately admired her passionate energy and tenacity. Lisa started as a member at THE MAX Challenge 6 years ago and not only did she lose 100 pounds, she became a MAX instructor after only 1 year of joining the program! Lisa inspired and taught members as an instructor for 4 years and on January 23rd, 2020 she became the owner of the place that changed her life. While this was a dream come true for Lisa, “The Black Hole” of 2020 loomed on the horizon. 

Before the madness began to unfold, Lisa had already started taking precautions for her members due to the severity of the flu season. “We updated our cleaning procedures in January with the rise in flu cases, using hospital grade cleaning stuff. We knew something was not right. Little did we know we were going to be sitting here on Zoom a year later,” she says. When March of 2020 arrived and COVID became a real threat in our lives, Lisa acted fast. For the safety of her members, she announced on Facebook that they would be closing the center to the public and conducting classes via Zoom. Shortly after, THE MAX Challenge Corporate Office made the decision to switch all of their center’s classes to a virtual format. For Lisa, the first thing on her mind is always the safety of her members, “These people are my people, they’re my friends. A lot of my members started together on the mat with me. If something happened to one of them and I didn’t do the right thing, it would have knocked me for a loop.” 

Lisa is the embodiment of “Living life TO THE MAX!” She made the decision right away to quarantine with her lead instructor, Nancy, in order to provide her members with a sense of “home”. Thus began an adventure. “In the beginning with our virtual classes, there was a lot of joking around and laughter. It became something that people looked forward to because it was the only familiar thing left,” says Lisa smiling. She always lights up when she speaks about her members. As the quarantine continued and the weather improved, Lisa organized socially distanced outdoor workouts in the parking lot of her center. “I would take all the equipment out to the parking lot. I would put ropes underneath truck tires. Everything came out. I would say ‘class trip’ and that meant that everybody had to run laps around the building.” She grins as she remembers some of the antics of her members. “One member would come with water and spritz everyone in the hot weather. Even though we were going through hell, we made great memories. I couldn’t have done it without them. It’s us together, that’s how we’ve gotten through.”

Lisa’s passion for each and every one of her members is undeniable. I ask her if there were any particular stories that impacted her during this time. Lisa shakes her head and tells me that each member has a story, and their story is important. “It’s so hard to choose!” She says. She tells me about one member who hasn’t missed a single day throughout the Challenge. “She’s teasing me about what kind of perfect attendance award she’s gonna get!” Lisa jokes. Then she becomes serious. “There is someone who stands out. I had one woman come with her husband and her best friend in the middle of the summer while we were in the parking lot. She has health issues, and she was a little unsteady on her feet. She was doing a squat and she tumbled over. She wasn’t injured, and two of my trainers were right there to help her. You may think when you walk into a center that people are wondering what you’re doing here. It’s not like that at THE MAX. Everybody is supporting you. Everyone was already supporting her.” Later the woman calls Lisa on the phone. “We’re joining!” she tells Lisa. “I was shocked,” Lisa remembers. “I told her you stuck that out to the end, and you should be so proud of yourself. Anybody else would have said this isn’t for me and went home.” Then, the woman tells Lisa something that I will never forget. “Regardless of how far I can go physically, no matter what happens I’ll always be in better shape than when I came in the first time. THE MAX is only going to help me. I didn’t realize how much I needed it until today.” That was in June of 2020; she is still a member.

Lisa is an incredible asset to THE MAX Community because she has been a part of it at every level; she can empathize with members’ struggles. “When I started at THE MAX I couldn’t even do a jumping jack!” she says. Lisa is a fighter and a force to be reckoned with in both fitness and business. She continues to persevere, holding on to a strong base of members and working hard to make sure that everything is clean and safe for her members. “I didn’t come this far to only come this far.” Lisa smirks. 

UPDATE: As of March 22nd, 2021, THE MAX Challenge locations in NYC  have been approved to open. I asked Lisa what she was feeling after this announcement and she said the following: “It seems almost surreal after all this time.  So many emotions! I am so happy for all of us here in NYC especially Roseann, Debra and I … this has been such a long hard year as owners with many sleepless nights. At the same time, I am so excited to get back to doing what I love to do; helping people become healthier and watching them change their lives. We still have a long road ahead of us to get back to 100% capacity and we really need to continue to fight alongside the United States Fitness Coalition to become essential services. Now more than ever, people need to make their health a top priority and we need to be able to be there for them every step of the way.  It is a long overdue step forward and I pray the worst is behind us.” 

The seasons are changing and Spring – a period of new life, rebirth, and regrowth – is just around the corner. Spring is the perfect time to begin focusing on the future, and what a bright future it will be! Especially now as THE MAX challenge offers more ways than ever to get started on the path to a healthier lifestyle, the time for transformation is now! 

When the pandemic hit, THE MAX Challenge team proved their commitment to their members and ability to innovate, taking their programming entirely virtual in just 48 hours. “I knew that we needed to pivot and immediately begin delivering our programming virtually,” said Bryan Klein, CEO. “Not just for the sake of our business, but to continue to provide the lifesaving benefits of our program to our members.” Both the corporate team and franchisees worked tirelessly to bring THE MAX Challenge experience to life in our new virtual world. “There were many long days writing content, filming and producing the content,” says Sabrina Crane, Director of Fitness for THE MAX Challenge. “The end product is well worth it and the members really appreciate it.” Now, members of THE MAX Challenge have even more access to the tools they need to change their lives with virtual access continuing now and into the future. 

In fact, people all over the world have access to THE MAX Challenge’s virtual workouts and on-demand video series! The unshakeable need for human connection has been demonstrated by members who can be found working out with loved ones from all across the globe. 

Additionally, THE MAX Challenge is incredibly excited to announce the launch of their new mobile app*! This app is designed to give members a true “lifestyle experience”, boasting a complete library of nutrition resources, access to both live streamed and on demand fitness classes and unparalleled inspiration and motivation. Hayley Guerra, Director of Operations and Development for THE MAX Challenge says, “This new app will further heighten our ability to support our members from afar.”

People everywhere are itching to get back to their normal lives, and with THE MAX Challenge’s next 10-week program beginning April 12th, members can reinvent their new normal. “It’s no secret, for the better part of a year now, our lives have been upended and, for many, health and wellness have gone by the wayside,” said Guerra. “As an organization truly committed to helping people live happier, healthier, more fulfilled lives, we’ve made it a priority to ensure that physical distance did not impede our members’ ability to keep working toward their goals.” Centers throughout the country will be offering safe, socially distanced workouts on site so members can begin to refocus and refresh the mind, body, and spirit. 

THE MAX Challenge will also be offering outdoor classes for its existing members. The time of considering the daily walk to the mailbox as exercise is over!

*Mobile app currently available in select locations. 

Part 1/3: Deb Mirabella

Debra Mirabella, owner of THE MAX Challenge in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, sits in her house on our Zoom call, a setting that she is oh-so familiar with after this past year. She is in her athletic wear, looking as if she is ready to teach a fitness class at any moment. When I met Deb, even through the computer screen, I could tell she is a rock. As our conversation continued, I began to see just how many instances in which that’s true; she is a rock for herself, her members, her business, and for all of the small businesses and boutique fitness studios that still strain under the weight of New York City COVID restrictions.

While many of the big box gyms are now able to open their doors to members, smaller fitness studios, which make up most of the industry in NYC, are tied down and forced to jump through a myriad of hoops if they want to operate. “You feel a real restriction of your freedom when you can’t even operate your business while you’re watching everyone else move forward,” Deb said. “Some days it can feel hopeless.” But hopelessness is not the feeling you get when you speak with Deb. Since the moment her studio made the decision to close for the safety of its members on March 16th, 2020, Deb and the rest of THE MAX Challenge community have taken nothing but action. Deb’s studio, as well as the entirety of THE MAX Challenge franchise, immediately switched their classes over to a virtual format, never skipping a beat.

Deb first saw THE MAX Challenge’s shift to virtual programming as an opportunity to better serve her MAX family, especially those who were no longer in Brooklyn. As quarantine went longer than expected and fitness centers were taken out of “Phase 4”, Deb along with her husband and partner Gary, decided to use it as an opportunity to improve their facility for the members. “Let’s renovate the center, let’s make this place new and sexy so the members are excited to return,” Deb says with a smile on her face. But eventually, the weeks turned into months and there was no indication of reopening on the horizon. I asked Deb where she found the support she needed to keep pushing forward and her immediate reply was, “It’s the members. They need me as much as I need them. I live in THE MAX world all day, every day. I stick to my routine. Living in THE MAX world gave me purpose and kept me going. That’s why THE MAX is amazing, it’s a belief that a community of people can lift each other up.”

Lifting each other up is exactly what the members of THE MAX Challenge Bay Ridge did. “We took donations to help members who were losing their jobs. We weren’t kicking them out, we were trying to help everyone keep going,” says Deb. She refers to the ‘uncertain times’ of 2020 as “A Black Hole.” Her moniker especially resonated with me. “Some people have shame about living in the black hole when they gain weight, but please don’t keep yourself down. We lived through it too! We can help but you have to reach up your hand so we can help pull you out.”

Innovation is the name of the game at THE MAX Challenge and Deb could be the poster child. As the need for human connection grew, Deb’s studio rose to the occasion and, once again, her knack to seek out a silver lining shined through. “It’s provided an opportunity for deeper connections; we are hanging out and having different virtual events, taking turns cooking in their kitchens showing off different recipes live on Zoom with the members. We created family scavenger hunts, did virtual 5Ks and cocktail hours to celebrate the end of the challenge,” Deb remarked as she smirked. “We would blast music and dance around on the screen to keep people connected and to keep their mind off the reality of what was going on around us.” This is the mission of THE MAX in action; to help people live happier, healthier, and more fulfilled lives.

Even as the restrictions continued, so did members’ results. Deb testified, “I believe in the power of THE MAX. I’ve witnessed it, even virtually. Members who never even stepped foot in my studio lost 20 or 30 lbs, and experienced the magic of THE MAX. People are coming together and leaning on THE MAX family to help them out of the darkness, some even making friends with people thousands of miles away. It’s a beautiful thing to witness, one of the biggest blessings in our lives!”  

As of March 2021, THE MAX Challenge Bay Ridge is currently operating in an ‘open gym’ format. After a health inspection, they began inviting members to come in at set times and use the space as they see fit. There is a workout of the day available and an instructor to assist. But for Deb and the members of THE MAX Challenge that is not enough. “If I can be teaching members both virtually and in-studio, I can be at peace again.” Deb said with tears in her eyes. But she, in true MAX fashion, doesn’t stay down for long. As I try to console her, she wipes the tears, looks at me and laughs, “We were made to survive, girl.”

UPDATE: As of March 22, 2021 NYC THE MAX Challenge locations are able to fully open! When asked how she felt Deb stated, “The news brought tears of joy!! I feel like I can breathe again! I cannot wait to be together again with the whole May of Bay Ridge family!”