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Why I Love David Johnston:
The Ponderous Polymathic Powerhouse
The Ridiculously Robust Renaissance Man
The Mammoth, Muscle-bound Man for All Seasons
You need to know 3 things about me:
1. I had gained 25 pounds over the past 5 years
2. I am a clothes whore
3. I am 61 years old and have had Parkinson’s disease (PD) for 12 years
Before I met David Johnston, I had been trying desperately to lose the 25 pounds in order to fit into my beloved wardrobe (especially my prized elegant leather suits). I was also attempting to pretend that I had not been diagnosed with PD and to forget that I had reached that time in life when there were definitely fewer years ahead of me than there were behind. I wasn’t very successful at any of the above.
Then I met David. He stood out from the rest of Lifetime’s staff immediately – not only because he is built like a brick shithouse – but because he is smart as a whip, a natural teacher, and a royal pain in the ass.
Seriously, though, he took my case, and actually researched PD in order to develop a program for me. He is a quick study about everything in life, chose this path in life over teaching college-level philosophy, and keeps the workouts interesting not only because they are extremely physically challenging but because he intersperses his patter about brawn with an impressive display of his brains. He continually insists that you stretch your limits, and pushes you to higher performance. He has no tolerance for wusses. “15 to 20…no, I lied, give me 5 more;” “Shut up and do it.” All this while proselytizing the tenets of rational objectivism, the books of Ayn Rand, the derivative of words, and the meaning of life.
OK. So I’m 61. But before David, I couldn’t walk down the stairs because of the progressive neurological erosion that comes with PD. Now, I can. Plus I can dead lift 225, AND fit into my leather suits. And a whole lot more.
Oh…..don’t let him try to tell you he hates people. He may believe that he does, but it is rare that you will meet someone so attentive to you and your particular needs. He’s right about everything else (and will tell you so), but not this. He’s not a hater. He loves his work…and his people.
And he’s damn good at it.
Christine M. LaGana
Aka “Red”
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