Joe Mancaruso

Male

52

Boise, Idaho, United States

boot camp instructor, brazilian jiu jitsu instructor, personal trainer

Jun, 1975

In my garage with a weight bench and cheap set of weights in 1974.

It feels great to be in shape, it's a challenge and it's fun.

I really don't need much motivation, but thinking back to those day's in the hospital receiving chemotherapy, is a great motivator In 1971 I joined the cross-country team to get in shape to play basketball. I really enjoyed running so I stayed with cross-country and also joined the track team to run the mile. I continued running until around 1979. As a skinny kid all my life and running up to 400 miles a month during cross-country I had no muscle tone. One day laying at the summer camp pool a girl told me "your chest looks like it's caved in". With a cheap set of weights and bench I started pumping iron in my parents garage in 1974. In the early 80's I added pick-up basketball and volleyball to my weight training. In 1986 I was in the best shape of my life, until Thanksgiving Day when I had severe pain in my abdomen. Then my battle with testicular cancer started. During my second surgery in 2 months doctors removed 13 tumors in my lymph nodes with one wrapped around one of my kidneys. The doctors put me on chemotherapy weekly and 4 days at a time every month, for 4 months. The chemo was so intense; I was hospitalized during the monthly sessions for 5 days. I lost my hair, had mouth sores, lost weight and was so weak after the sessions it took a couple of days before I could go back to work. At the end of the first go round my blood test were good for 9 months. Then I got the news that the cancer had come back. So they immediately put me back on the same program. This time I almost didn't survive the chemo, my family was told a couple of times I would not survive through the night. After finishing the chemo I started lifting weights, playing basketball, volleyball and tennis, despite severe nerve damage in both arms and legs caused by the chemo. So 22 years later I'm still weight training utilizing kettlebells, P90X and cable machines. Around 3 ½ years ago I discovered a new passion, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu training 4 to 5 day's a week. In addition to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu I have trained in Aikido, Wing Chun, Kajekembo Karate, Shaolin Kung Fu and Taekwando. Today I also maintain a healthy lifestyle and diet.

Competing in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Submission Wrestling at Grapplers Quest and the Pan Americans.