Debbie Petolicks' Testimonial

Debbie refers to herself as having the typical "type A" personality. She feels she must be in control, even when balancing a plethora of responsibilities, all the while standing on one-foot, juggling fiercely sharpened knives ablaze in fire! After the death of her father and the fear of starting anew (her boss with whom she worked side by side for the past five years had just recently sold his company to a large corporation), Debbie felt as though she needed a miracle. "I needed to have some control in my life, have something positive happen and focus a lot of hurt and confused feelings. I saw one of Gloria's business cards and decided to give her a call," says Debbie. It is important to note that Debbie had already screened three personal trainers prior to contacting Gloria, and after having worked with one of them for three very long and unsuccessful months, came to the realization that she was headed towards feelings of deeper loss of control and fear.

Debbie knew by the completion of her first phone conversation with Gloria that she had found her miracle. "I could tell from our first phone conversation that Gloria was a very caring person. And then when we met for the first time, I was amazed that she was much more concerned about my personal well being than my own concerns about getting into better shape. I felt that Gloria would be able to help me achieve my personal goals regarding getting into shape, but again, this was the least of my problems. She touched into my feelings of depression and confusion in my personal life and I could tell immediately that her concerns were genuine - for me, as a person. I felt her compassion, and I knew I wanted to work with her," contends Debbie.

Debbie is forty-two years old, and not ashamed to share to her age with anyone, (at least not now!). Today, she can honestly say that she is in the best shape of her life. She has lost 7 inches, gained 7 pounds of muscle, and lowered her body fat to 20.5%. She has been working with Gloria for the past six months (after having originally signed up for a twelve-week session). Debbie was not overweight when she came to Gloria, nor did she drink or smoke, yet Gloria performed a routine stress test which indicated that Debbie's heart was in terrible shape; for the most part due to the great amount of pressure and stress she had recently been experiencing.

Gloria and Debbie set out on a joint mission to get her heart, mind and overall body into shape. Along the way, Debbie was faced to confront many aspects of her person. She had been raised in a family where religion had not played a significant role, but Gloria's steadfast spirituality has quietly shed light on many of the difficult issues she was dealing with. Debbie comments, "Gloria has helped me answer some questions and more importantly, has gotten me to think about things differently; I must say this has really helped me. It is very hard to put into writing the way I feel about Gloria. I am the type of person that has a real problem asking for help, and with Gloria I never had to ask. She was always there and could see what I needed."

Due to a new work schedule, Debbie will be going her own way come January, but she will be leaving as a new person. She realizes that one can only do so much with the body God has given them. And she refuses to follow any unrealistic expectations. To Debbie More Than Fitness stands alone. As she best explains, "My actual fitness was not my biggest obstacle. If you are not healthy in all aspects - mentally, physically and spiritually - then you are not whole. Working on all three has given me a taste of total fitness." Debbie vows to continue working out, in addition to "fine-tuning" what she and Gloria have already achieved. Debbie defines Gloria as a "positive, motivational, funny knowledgeable, energetic BUTT KICKER (in a good way of course!)." And if this weren't enough, Debbie continues, "Gloria is so genuinely understanding, caring and helpful. She is a beautiful person, inside and out!" Debbie and Gloria began as a team and will remain a team. "I will always stay in contact with Gloria - I truly value our working relationship as well as our new-found friendship," concludes Debbie.