Today we’d like to introduce you to Alessandra Mazzamuto.
Alessandra, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My story begins in the small Texas town of Lubbock. At the age of 8, I started swimming competitively. I had a wonderful coach that taught me the importance of health and fitness, determination, goal setting, training programming, and visualization. When I was 11 years old, my coach implemented weightlifting into our weekly routines. These teachings led me to a lifelong fitness journey. My childhood goal was to go to the Olympics for swimming, but I only made it as far as the state championships. However, that competitive drive never left me and eventually led me to the world of triathlons. During my college years, my fitness waivered, and I knew that I needed to get back on track. In 2007, a group of friends decided they wanted to get into shape and set a goal of training for a sprint triathlon and invited me to join their journey. I thought this would be a perfect race to train for, considering my swimming background, and signed on for the challenge. I completed the LA triathlon on 2007, placed 2nd in my category, and was hooked. The following year, I was in excellent shape and about to begin two a day workouts to get me back on the podium for the next triathlon when I had a twist of fate happen. I was living in Las Vegas at the time, and on a beautiful June evening, I attended a barbeque at a friend’s house. That evening, we decided to do group jump into the pool. My swimming background led me to dive in the pool instead of jumping first. The pool had a very quick transition from shallow to deep so that smaller backyards could still incorporate a diving board without having to have more yard space. I was 6 inches too far towards the shallow end when I dove into the dark evening water. When I resurfaced from the dive, I was in shock and bleeding from my scalp. My friends quickly rushed me to the hospital. I had swelling on of the brain and compounding of my cervical spine. They put 7 staples in my head and sent me on my way. Shortly after the incident in the weeks to follow, small oddities began to occur. First, my face began to twitch, then my speech went from normal to complete stutter, the right side of my face began to droop, and I would shake uncontrollably for hours on end. I was in and out of hospitals for years, as the doctors were perplexed to what was causing all of these symptoms. I had to walk with a cane for nearly two years, and due to light sensitivity in my right eye, I had wear sunglasses all the time to shield my eyes from bright light so that I wouldn’t make my shaking worse. Finally, after years of doctor appointments and ER visits, they figured out that I had crushed all the cartilage in my right had jaw socket and slipped the disk over my nerve, which was creating a lot of the facial issues. I had jaw surgery to remedy the issue caused by the dive. Then they discovered the weakness down the right side of my body, that led me to use a cane, wasn’t all neurological; it was torn cartilage in my hip socket sustained during the accident. I had to have arthroscopic hip surgery on both my right and left hip to repair torn cartilage and a flanked psoas muscle. Needless to say, my journey from being a healthy athlete to an ailing patient was a hard pill to swallow. Even with all the surgeries, my doctors weren’t sure if I was ever going to have a “normal” life again, much less get back to athlete status. I never took the situation as a death sentence; I pushed through the years of trauma and told myself that this wouldn’t be my story, a victim. As my body started to heal, I was able to begin my fitness journey again, slow and steady. I rehabilitated myself to the point of being able to race again. When my friends and family saw my transformation, I had a lot of people starting to reach out, asking me to help them on their fitness journey. I decided to get my personal trainer certification to learn how to assist others on their journey. In August of 2018, I began my career as a full-time personal trainer. When the pandemic hit, it forced most trainers to either change careers or open their own business, and that’s exactly what I did. I began The MF Gym in 2020 out of my home with whatever equipment I could get my hands on. It grew from there, and now I have a fully functional gym in Clairemont in our converted garage. My accident was actually a huge blessing that led me down this path. My journey took me from being an athlete to a patient and then a teacher. I never want anyone to go through what I go through. Health and fitness are the catalysts for having a body that will sustain you for the rest of your life. My goal for my clients is to be able shift their mindset to fitness being a lifestyle, not a fad, and them be able to do this pain-free for the rest of their lives. I have a lot of referral clients that are coming back from major injuries and seeking to get their mobility back. When I tell them my story, I assure them that I can relate to exactly what they’ve gone through, and I will help lead them back to the healthy life they want. At The MF Gym, I offer 1:1 and small group training via Zoom or in person. My workout options include strength training, functional training, endurance training, and yoga, depending on your goals. Clients’ programs are tailored to their fit their personal goals. The greatest gift I can ever give anyone is their health; that’s why this will be a “job” for me; it’s my passion and my calling. If I can help just one person regain their health and overcome their injuries, then my journey to hell and back has been worth it.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It’s never been a straight path with my health or with starting my own business; however, all of the obstacles have made me a stronger version of myself, able to overcome and conquer whatever has been put in my way. Starting a business during the pandemic was definitely a struggle. There was no equipment to be found, and because of Covid, people in general were scared to gather together. Luckily, my 1:1 training approach let clients feel comfortable coming to sessions in my secluded gym. I didn’t have a lot of funding to begin my gym, but I slowly acquired everything I needed to become a fully functional gym. As with any business, it’s hard to attract clients when you’re first starting out, but my online presence, word of mouth, and referrals has let me build me business and attract clientele.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about TheMFGYM?
TheMFGym was born from a mindset of no one should have to suffer physically when you can heal the body through health and fitness. My personal experiences, i.e., my accident and all of the physical trauma I have experienced, sets me apart from other trainers. I’m not here to just make you “look good” or have a “bigger booty,” I’m here to offer you a life that you can enjoy for years to come because I teach you how fitness can become a lifestyle, not just a fad. The benefits of inhabiting a healthy lifestyle are endless; it will improve your chances from succumbing to illness in later years and improve your overall mortality. I offer 1:1 or small group personal training either in person or via Zoom. I will tailor your training program to your needs and goals, not just give you a generic workout like other gyms/trainers. In January 2024, I will be launching an online app so clients can workout with set programs virtually, and if they choose, they will have an option to add nutrition/meal plans. My passion to truly assist clients will always set me apart, I care, genuinely care, about each and every one of my clients. They are not just my clients; they’re my family; their journey is my journey. My husband came up with my gym name, TheMFGym, which is a play on words. My IG fitness account was mazzfitphotog, and he thought it would be a cute play to name the gym TheMFGym. Who wouldn’t want to be a “Strong MF’er?” lol
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
Career-wise, the thing that makes me the most happy is seeing my clients hit their goals. When someone tells me they’re able to run/hike again, have the stamina to play with their kids, or aren’t feeling pain anymore from their former injuries, that just makes my heart happy. In my personal life, my family brings me the most joy. I recently got married to my husband, who is my biggest supporter, my workout partner, and my best friend. Learning to be a stepparent, and watch our kids succeed in life is such a joyous feeling.
For me, being outside in nature is a big part of my happiness. Whether it’s surfing, hiking, cycling, or playing at the park with our kids, that’s what I enjoy spending my free time doing. I also am an ambassador for San Diego Koz Events, which put on most all the local triathlons, the cycling grandfondolo event, and the a lot of the running events in town. My husband and I are also dedicated volunteers for two nonprofit organizations, Paddle for Peace and For The Neighborhood, where we teach underprivileged and inner-city youth to surf, teach fitness classes, and teach them about ocean conservation.
Contact Info:
- Website: themfgym.com
- Instagram: themfgym, mazzfitphotog
Image Credits
Jarel Treichel Photography
