DALE GARCIA

"My first day at Forge was in July, 2021. T’was a sunny day and Hal and I were in the basement back at Forge on Yates. I’m out of breath from jumping on a tire for three minutes while Hal is hitting me with foam noodles. I blacked out shortly after and the remaining 57 minutes of training were a blur. I don’t know how I made it home that day, but I remember feeling good and proud of myself just for showing up. More recently, during training, Hal “encouraged” me to do 100 burpees to which I replied “@#$%&! &@$&!%#” and then proceeded to whine and fake an injury. He saw right through me and the next 10 minutes were a total gong show… It was awesome and just like my first visit, I left feeling stronger, proud, and confused as to how I made it back home.
It’s been a little over a year and a half now and I’ve graduated from tires and foam noodles to barbells and punching bags. I’m the healthiest and strongest I’ve ever been, both physically and mentally, and I don’t think I’d be where I am today if not for Hal and all the kindness and support from the Forge community. Whether it’s after training or class, I always feel encouraged to come back and leave feeling better and stronger than when I came in.”