The first time I met boxer Chordale Booker he introduced himself as “Otis,” straight-faced and convincing. About 20 minutes later, only after being outed by a fellow member at Revolution Training, did he cop to the joke.
The second time I met Booker, he was filling in as the instructor for Boxing-Yoga, my favorite class at the gym. The boxing half of the class was intense. The yoga part was …hilarious. Booker is no yogi. Instead of familiar poses, he improvised stretches that he dubbed names like “rep your block” in a flow he called “’hood yoga.” It was the most fun I’ve ever had working out in my whole life.
I came to know Booker through his warmth and good humor. And then next by his focus on and care for the kids he trains at RF Youth Boxing. He himself was once a member of the same program, which he credits with turning around his life. In “Fighting Chance,” Scott Thomas helps tell Booker’s story, from facing narcotics and gun charges as a young man in Stamford to becoming a role model in the same city.
On the surface, attorney, consultant and UCONN professor Lauren Bruzzone has little in common with Booker. But as we learn in “Golden Opportunity” by Beth Cooney Fitzpatrick, the 79-year-old athlete shares the same grit and determination to transform herself through fitness. After learning about Bruzzone and reading the guidance of local experts to getting fit in middle age and beyond, I’m left with no excuses.
I’m using Booker and Bruzzone as inspiration, and this issue—filled with ideas for healthful choices—as my jumping off point to a great year. Cheers to resolutions you can keep and the rewards you’ll reap.