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Local trainer knows his fitness ABC’s
Don’t worry about trying to correctly spell his last name, just know that Nick Walejeski knows his ABC’s when it comes to personal fitness.
The local 27-year-old trainer has created quite a stir in north state athletic circles, thanks to his emerging sprint triathlon program, conducted out of Davis Swim and Fitness.
“It’s been great to see the development of our members — not only in the triathlons, but in reaching personal goals (regarding) fitness,” the former San Diego resident explains.
Sprint triathlons are different from their big brothers, like those run in the Ironman series. The relatively new event consists of a half-mile swim, 16-mile bike ride and three-mile run.
“Last year we started with 15 athletes,” Walejeski says. “This year we have a wide range of athletes — from 17 to 55 years old — and more than 30 in our group.”
At Rancho Seco on June 4, 10 of Walejeski’s warriors finished with top-five placements in nine divisions. The personable, toned Walejeski himself took fourth in the division for men 25 to 29 years old.
But Walejeski is not a one-trick pony. The triathlon is the tip of his training iceberg …
A popular personal and class trainer at Davis Swim and Fitness, he has created an outdoor fitness boot camp that meets twice a week. Augmented by indoor training, the boots camps are geared for those in fairly decent shape.
The camps — which meet Monday and Wednesday mornings at Willowcreek Park — are designed as stepping stones to triathlon competition, or molded to a person’s desire to stay in tip-top condition.
“Interested people should come in with a good foundation,” Walejeski suggests. “One is definitely not able to think that he’s going to walk in and say ‘I’m going to be able to hang with the others.’ Not if that foundation of fitness isn’t already in place.”
A nine-week session of the one-hour boot camps started this week, but with a make-up date built into the course, folks could sign up now, report next Monday and not miss anything, Walejeski promises.
“We’re changing it up all the time,” the former Morse High prep volleyball star and ex-Davis High boys coach says. “There is lots of jumping. Squat jumps, push-ups. Ten different exercises with the ropes. Tire lifts. There’s weekly competition within the groups.”
Walejeski came to Davis three years ago, following his girlfriend Katie Ehsan to town. Ehsan is Walejeski’s assistant and student.
The strapping instructor and Ehsan met while attending Cal State San Marcos. Walejeski originally majored in nutrition and kinesiology, but soon realized he had that covered. He changed his course of study to psychology and says the benefits have been tremendous.
“Psychology helps with training. Everyone is there for a reason, whether they talk about it or not,” he says. “There are a couple of (students) that I haven’t gotten to the core reason they’re working out … but eventually everybody talks about their motivation.”
Like Barbara Myslik, a native of Poland who gravitated to Davis for further education in communications.
“He changed my life,” Myslik, 31, says of Walejeski. “His approach to training is incredible. I was overweight and I knew I should be active, but I never really liked (working out) that much. I used to think that people who are working out all the time and liking it must be faking it … it can’t be possible.
“Then I met him. I do really enjoy it now. He has a way of talking to people to make them realize they are capable of doing things (they) didn’t realize (they) are capable of doing.”
Within eight weeks of meeting Walejeski, Myslik ran her first sprint triathlon.
Amanda Crone is a Vacaville mom of four, who, with her husband Shane, owns Davis Auto Works.
Crone says her first meeting with Walejeski was professional — he needed her.
“He came into the shop to get his car repaired,” Crone remembers. “That contact led to my working out. After I lost 60 pounds, Nick suggested I try triathlons. I’ve competed in two. Shane does everything with us, too … and my daughter is involved.
“The physical part of my involvement is evident. It completely changed my life. These boot camps are pretty high-intensity. But he does different things every single time. It’s not monotonous. Wednesday will usually complement what we did on Mondays.”
So what separates Nick from the pack?
“He cares,” Crone responds quickly. “You can really tell with him that he personally cares about what he’s doing. He focuses on your specific needs … that he’s not hurting you in any way. He’s a great motivator. That he cares so much about you and what’s going on with you. That, in itself, is motivating enough.”
What does Walejeski think of television programs like “The Biggest Loser”?
“Love ‘em! Love ‘em!” he says, almost shouting. “I love watching them. They inspire me. I pull from them all the time. And they definitely help the industry.”
Walejeski cautions that their techniques can be “hit and miss,” but adds that he understands “they have a job to get extreme weight loss in a short amount of time … but sometimes the form is all over the place.”
Walejeski’s clan wears shirts that hint at their levels of training. Athletes have “getNICKed” and “triTRAINed” garb.
Despite the intensity of boot camp sessions, the 18 people involved in Wednesday’s workout seemed happy, challenged and pointed in their own right directions.
“As a mom, my life revolved around my children — and I love them dearly — but I thought it was time to do something for myself,” recalls Nadia Battistoni of Davis. “Nick makes these classes so fun, you don’t even know that you’re training.”
Originally from Buffalo, N.Y., the 44-year-old Davis resident hasn’t yet run a triathlon. “He’s pro-actively recruiting me. I suspect he’ll eventually get me to run one,” she says.
It’s a certainty, Nadia …
Notes: Walejeski says there is still time to get involved with a full boot camp experience. With the make-up week, 16 sessions will cost a participant $240. Drop-ins will pay $20 a session. For personal training, or information about workout sessions, Walejeski can be reached at Davis Swim and Fitness at (530) 753-5683. … About those top finishers at Rancho Seco: included were Celine Bertero (second, female 15-19), Amanda Caulder (fifth, 20-24), Ehsan (third 25-29), Lisa Fischer (fourth, 50-54), Kathleen Harbaugh (fifth, 55-59) and duathlon participants Erica Jones (third, 30-39), male 19-and-under (Ray Rodman, second) and the team of Sherine Pahlavan and Derek Greenwood were first in the relay.
— Reach Bruce Gallaudet at [email protected] or (530) 747-8047.
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