2014JULAUG

www.fbinaa.org

M AY 2 0 1 4 J U N STAYING ON THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD

My wife and I grew up one mile away from each other in Tunkhannock, PA. I am an exercise addict and I’m lucky to have a very supportive wife. I think of my wife and my boys quite often while I train. Finding one more set for in the weight room or 1 more lap on that track will develop better fitness. My job is to become more, not less. I have a responsi- bility to make memories with my family and my body is my gift. My boys watch Mommy and Daddy train in the garage and they are starting to emulate. I will probably cry one day when we can train together. Our parents were our primary instructors in every aspect of our development. They spoke quite often of finding your passion first and then find a way to get paid for it. I do love when the in-laws or out-laws visit us. My boys adore them and I am responsible for getting pictures and videos of these precious moments. We are lucky to have healthy grandparents and I can only hope that my wife and I are in the same position later in life. These men preached intensity, preparation, humility, and they deeply cared about helping others. Coach Mendicino hired a sports psychologist my senior year that met with us weekly. This tool defined forward thinking as our leader. He understood breathing mechanics, goal setting, and self efficacy. I use similar principles today when we dive into our NA class, how ironic. Coach Slick was no nonsense be- tween the lines. There was no difference between practice and a game. He preached effort because we all were not very talented. Coach O hand delivered my first weight bench to my house. It was very clear with his intensions, I had a strength problem. I never thought in my wildest dreams that this bench would turn into a profession. I know I have many screws that are loose. My blame or should I say my leader- ship is because of these fine men. Dr. Rose Ann Neff was my undergraduate professor at Lock Ha- ven University of Pennsylvania. We were responsible for personal train- ing 1-2 faculty members in our curriculum. We learned exercise science in the class and put it into application with our clients. This foundation set the table for me 17 years later in my chosen field. I will never forget the email asking if I was interested in a job with the FBI. She was di- rectly responsible for me getting this health and fitness position here. I am forever grateful for her knowledge, advice, and friendship. Tim Kontos is the Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Perfor- mance at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA. He took a chance on me in 2003 with a graduate assistant coaching po- sition at VCU. I was responsible for the strength and conditioning development of Women’s Track/Cross Country, Women’s Volleyball, Women’s Field Hockey, and Women’s Soccer. I also assisted him with Men’s Baseball and Men’s/Women’s Basketball. There was always a team in at 6:00am and at 5:00pm. Working on my master’s degree at night made this one large grind. No struggle, no progress. Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matter’s” song is my theme slide in my power point arsenal. I will forget what happens at work on a weekly basis. I will not forget or miss birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, The following coaches were my high school drill sergeants: Tom Oldziejewski – Football Carmine Mendicino – Basketball Gary Slick – Baseball

E.J. O’Malley

Driven

M y wife and I were very blessed to add our third boy ( Shane Thomas ) to the O’Malley Irish Mafia back on March 19th. It was another aha moment for us as a family. All I know is that the grocery bills down the road are going to make me cry. Recently, I spent some quality time at home which included the following daily itinerary: • Yes Dear! • Large pots of Starbucks (I converted from Dunkin’ Donuts for more octane) • All laughing turns into crying even with adults • We are wasting money with cable tv (there is no time to watch anything) • Is it nap time yet? I did find some time to reflect on my journey from my home state of Pennsylvania to Virginia. I tell my National Academy students that this ten week journey is your time to reflect. The best in any profession are never satisfied with status quo. I simply cannot read enough to find answers. When I feel that I’ve arrived, I have not. To reiterate from my previous articles, I am constantly chasing numbers in the weight room and in the conditioning arena. It is religion to me to write logs of my training. These numbers represent the battle to improve cho- lesterol, vision, cardiac output, and stress management. My objective these days is to sell longevity and durability. The body/mind can adapt to anything. It is the mindset that may need to be convinced. Most of the time, I cannot control the mental and technical parts of home/ work. The physical stuff is on my watch at all times. Our students have a tremendous opportunity to make adjustments in their game plan of life here at the FBI Academy. I am mesmerized by their stories in the law enforcement profession. However, I must admit that they get my full attention when they speak about their families. They have given me such sound advice on being a better parent and husband in my time at the Academy. In this article I thought I would get a bit deeper on the people that have inspired me on my personal evolution.

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