Growing up on the tough streets of Boston and in a family structure that wasn’t there, Mike turned to sports to create some stability in his life. He was a good athlete – an all-state point guard in Massachusetts. These physical skills and his overall toughness led him to join the Army after high school.

Trained in weapons, guerrilla warfare and hand-to-hand combat, Mike conducted recon missions all over Europe. After four years of “living in the woods”, he had a moment of clarity while positioned on the Rhine River in Germany and realized it was time to lead a more normal life.

Mike returned home and used the VA to help him make the transition. The VA helped him get a job as an armed guard on a military base. He also used the GI Bill to get two years of coursework at Keene State College and worked closely with the college’s VA rep on getting re-integrated into civilian life – learning to pay bills, buy groceries, et al. While in service, these were functions that the Army completely took care of. At school, he met his soulmate and future wife, who was doing an academic exchange at Keene State. She had to go back to school in Seattle and he decided it was time to start over on the West coast – with her.

Fast forward to today. Mike has taken his passion for sports and training, combined with his military background to create what has become Sergeant Mike’s legendary fitness “Boot Camps”. Started in 1998, Mike trains all types of people in a military style format pushing them towards higher levels of fitness, health, and confidence. It’s a mixture of mental and physical stamina plus lots of Mike’s demanding but encouraging verbosity, often ribbing his students with names like “Batman” in his thick Boston accent.

He also spends time involved in basketball training and coaching – with kids camps as well as local teams, including the former Seattle Sonics and current WNBA’s Seattle Storm. He credits the military for giving him the leadership skills and discipline to motivate others to go beyond their own limits and give him the chance to turn his passion for athletic training into a fulfilling career.

His advice to service members when they’re ready to transition, “Contact the VA with at least one month notice to let them know about your ETS so they’ll have everything ready for you when you get back. They’re there to help you and take care of you. Use the GI Bill to your advantage. It helped me pay for my school and led me down the right path.”