9 Years Strong: Celebrating Our Longest-Serving Members at Marble Strength
Nine years ago, we opened the doors of Marble Strength with nothing but a dream and a passion for fitness. Today, we stand as a pillar of strength in the Freehold community, not just because of the training programs we offer, but because of the people who have been with us since the beginning.
Our longest-serving members have been the backbone of this gym. They’ve shown up, put in the work, and helped create the supportive, empowering environment that makes Marble Strength so special. This post is a celebration of them, their stories, and the incredible journey we’ve all been on together.
The Early Days of Marble Strength
March 20, 2016 – Day One
When we first opened, we had no idea what to expect. We invited friends, posted on social media, and welcomed anyone who walked in. But at the end of that first day, we had exactly one paying member. We were in trouble.
Determined to survive, I spent the next few months going to different businesses, personally asking people to come in and try a class. We offered a free month of workouts just to get people through the door. At the time, we only had a group training model—we weren’t even considering personal training because we didn’t know how to structure it yet.
Our first real breakthrough came when we partnered with a marketing company that helped us bring in our first 50 members. That gave us the opportunity to build something real, and the support of those early members allowed us to grow into what we are today.
Today, Marble Strength has evolved from a small group fitness gym into a comprehensive strength and conditioning facility that offers tailored coaching, personal training, Olympic weightlifting, and small group strength programs. The vision we didn’t have in 2016? We have it now—to help people build stronger, healthier lives for the long term.
Meet Our Longest-Serving Members
These members have been with us for 7+ years, shaping our culture and making our community what it is today. Their dedication, perseverance, and support have been nothing short of inspiring. Here are just a few of their stories.
Jan Glikman – 7 Years Strong
How it started: Jan joined us through a 4-week challenge we were running, referred by a friend. He came in as a gym guy but hadn’t done much conditioning before. Now? He’s an unstoppable machine.
💬 Favorite Memory: 1:1 workouts in the early years at 6AM.
🏋️ Favorite Exercise: Anything endurance-related with deadlifts.
🎯 Current Goal: Maintain strength and cardiovascular conditioning as he continues to age.
Fun Fact: Jan sweats a lot during workouts, earning the nickname Splash Mountain! His whole family—Sara and Rebecca—are a huge part of our community. Thank you, guys!
Erin Fitzpatrick – 11 Years Strong
Also known as my rock, my wife, and the reason I’m still standing after nearly a decade of running this gym.
💬 Favorite Memory: In-house team competitions, especially the final day.
🏋️ Favorite Workout: “It’s always different. I never know what to expect, which keeps it fun.”
🎯 Current Goal: Improve pull-up strength and finally hit a bar muscle-up!
Fun Fact: Erin and I met in a Brooklyn weightlifting gym in 2014. She canceled her other gym membership just to be close to me. (That’s my story, and I’m sticking with it!)
Matt Melone and Denise DiOrio-Patin
Matt Melone – 9 Years Strong
Matt originally found us when his previous gym was about to close. He stopped in one afternoon, crushed Karen (150 wall balls for time) on his own, and did power cleans with me. The rest is history.
💬 Favorite Memory: When his whole family trained here together.
🏋️ Favorite Workout: Murph (Least favorite: box jumps and rope climbs!)
🎯 Current Goal: Build endurance.
Fun Fact: One legendary workout featured his whole family on bikes and burpee box jumps—their legs stopped working mid-WOD, and we all had a good laugh about it!
Denise DiOrio – 9 Years Strong
One of the first women to sign up for a challenge in 2016, Denise has transformed her body and mindset over the years.
💬 Favorite Memory: Placing in one of our in-house competitions.
🏋️ Favorite Workout: Power and hang cleans (Annie, but only when double-unders go well!)
🎯 Current Goal: Maintain a healthy, strong lifestyle.
Fun Fact: Denise has the best handstand push-ups in the gym! She crushes it every time.
Kara Rafael – 7 Years Strong
Kara first contacted us in April 2017 about jumping into a class. She stayed quiet at first, but she stuck around, and we quickly saw her incredible work ethic.
💬 Favorite Memory: “The day I hit a 300 lb deadlift and ring muscle-up was cool… or the time Gina and I partnered up for a game involving stealing medicine balls, and we were the only two who didn’t understand the rules!”
🏋️ Favorite Workout: Snatches—“Year 2!” (Also, box jumps because ‘who doesn’t enjoy fitness with an element of danger?’)
🎯 Current Goal: Summer PRs! “The most weight gets lifted when it’s warm out. #Science”
Fun Fact: Kara has a unique way of doing ring muscle-ups, and she once crashed through the wall attempting a handstand. Thanks for all the laughs, Kara!
The Impact of Community in Fitness
Fitness isn’t just about lifting weights—it’s about surrounding yourself with people who push you, support you, and celebrate your wins. Our members aren’t just clients; they’re family.
A quote that sums it up perfectly: “A great gym isn’t just about equipment or workouts—it’s about the people who show up day after day, push through the tough times, and support each other in the process. Success in fitness and life is about perseverance, commitment, and community.”
Looking Ahead: What’s Next for Marble Strength?
As we approach our 10th year in business, we’re focused on expanding our impact by:
✅ Continuously educating ourselves and our members on best practices to hold them and ourselves to the highest standard.
✅ Offering more and better small group and remote training options with personalized coaching.
✅ Continuing to work with our clients to make them the best version they can be.
We are not just a gym—Marble Strength is a mentorship program to help people live stronger, pain-free, and healthier lives.
We want to help more people live stronger, pain-free, healthier lives. We’re not just here for workouts—we’re here for transformation.
Special shout-out to our longest-serving members:
Shari Back, Nancy Herman, Denise DiOrio, Brian Maisonave, Matthew Galasso, Theresa Sanzone , Matt Melone, Rick Felicelli, Leslie Sanzone, Nora Melone, Erin Fitzpatrick, Keith Edmonds, Kara Rafael, Oliver Guminski, Jan Glikman, Keith Edmonds, Sara Glikman, Deidre Harvey, Louella Marino, Santiago Centurion.
If I forgot you I don’t mean
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