“My name is Gil Martin, I am 51 yrs old and fresh off the November CPPS certification. I am a Father of 3, Grandfather of 3, a U.S.M.C. Combat Veteran, a Scout Sniper, a recovering addict, and currently in the process of retiring from a 20 plus year career in the Mass. Dept. of Corrections.
I have been involved with athletics and competed in powerlifting, triathlons, submission grappling, and MMA (for job survival). With that being said, I needed to do something not only in my life but with my life. So far, everything I have ever done for a job has never had a positive outcome. Now to the good stuff.
I had stumbled onto Joe D. and Smitty on YouTube and was impressed with everything they were teaching. I kept thinking to myself, “THIS IS WHAT I’VE BEEN LOOKING FOR!” I signed up and the (curriculum) material got delivered and and I said, ” HOLY SH**” I can’t do this! No way! I took a chance and decided to dive in.
I arrived and I kept saying to myself that I was out of my league. Who am I? I’m just a “MEATHEAD” and these guys own gyms, work at colleges, and at my certification, there were coach from 4 different countries! I felt lost . When the certification started, I first sat down with someone that had a Masters degree. I didn’t tell him that the only degree I have was the one from the School of Hard Knocks.
As Day 1 of the certification began to unfold and I started to realize that everyone is here for each other and you could express all of your ideas and opinions, no matter who you are – I began to feel more at home. The CPPS certification is hands-on and that really is the best way to learn. You don’t have to be afraid to speak up and all you have to remember is that you are there to learn.
We were all given the tools that weekend to get better and we learned the importance of paying it forward. The training and certification process over the two days was “PRICELESS!” This is an exclusive family, and when you’re a member, you have a team of coaches from all over the world who have your back.
I want to ‘thank you’ for reading my story and I will leave you with this, It is hard work to achieve the CPPS certification but it is well worth it. I proudly display my certificate in my den next to my ribbons and awards. I want to thank Joe and Smitty for giving me the platform to tell my story.”