Athlete of the Month : May 2024
Nicole Ambrosini
This write up is long overdue but the Q&A is well worth the read. Nicole Ambrosini aka Nikki Daytona is and will always be our May 2024 Athlete of the Month, even with the delay in Q&A and post. So many of you can relate to Nicole in one way or another. She is pretty quiet (unless with her girls crew). She is a hard worker, consistent, addicted to the high of fitness, loves food, wine, grew up playing sports, has a sense of humor, has a good group of friends, gets embarassed, is humble and so much more. You won’t get all of that out of just being in class with her, so I’m very happy we selected her as AOTM and get to share some stuff about her. Nicole is one of those few members I can name who will make getting to the gym such a priority that you will see her at the 4:30pm class if she misses the 5:30am. You’ll see her in a 7am Sunday class on a busy social weekend. The dedication is admirable. She is easy to talk to, coachable and we are lucky to have her in this gym community. So with that being said if you don’t know her and see her in class, embarass her by introducing yourself… She’s a good runner too.
Written by: Coach Rob Moloney
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Q&A
Why did you start functional fitness cross-training?
Peer pressure…now who said it was a bad thing…ended up being the best! Annie,
Michelle and Stephanie were always talking about the gym they went to and how great
the classes, coaches and community were and somehow they twisted my arm and
convinced me that it be a great idea to wake up and work-out with them at 5:30 a.m.
3x/week (well 5x for me because I’m crazy) and boy were they right.
What’s your background? (Athletic)
I guess I’d say when it comes to my athletic background I wore many hats. Ever since I
was a kid my parents signed me up for any and every sport imaginable you name it I
attempted to play it (safe to say I didn’t really excel in any but I tried). In high school, I
swam and played lacrosse. I began running a lot when I started lifeguarding but that
was mostly to get me away from sitting in lifeguard chair all morning. Before joining
Island Park Fitness, I also had a membership to every other gym in town…like I said I’m
crazy.
How long have you been a member and how long have you been doing functional fitness?
I’ve been a member since January 2022 and that was the first time I had ever tried functional fitness. Not going to lie for about two weeks I didn’t even know I joined a
functional fitness cross-training gym, I just thought I was working out with my friends at
your standard everyday gym.
What is your favorite thing about the gym?
It’s tough to narrow it down to just one. But I really enjoy working out with a group of
such welcoming, positive, encouraging and dedicated people. It’s not easy getting up at
the crack of dawn to workout and I’m a shy person but walking into the gym every
morning and being greeted by so many smiling faces who are always pushing and
supporting you to do and be your best and celebrating your accomplishments is such a
wonderful thing to be a part of.
What is the biggest challenge you have overcome since joining the gym?
As someone who has never done functional fitness before, I would say the first challenge I had to overcome was learning all of the new movements/equipment…one time I hit myself in the nose with the barbell and I wanted to give up right there and then and never come back but I kept coming back and now l love it, which brings me to my second challenge…picking a rest day!
What is your favorite moment at the gym so far?
When Rob announced I was Athlete of the Month and everyone started cheering just
kidding that might have been the most traumatizing…if you were there and saw my
reaction/face you’d agree haha. The camaraderie that exists at the 5:30 a.m. class is what constitutes my favorite moments at the gym, just seeing/hearing everyone cheer each other on and celebrating in everyone’s accomplishments both big and small inside and outside of the gym.
What is your favorite “cheat food”?
Do we know if wine qualifies as a cheat food? If no, then I’m not too sure I kind of love everything but maybe I’d have to go with a hot dog.
What’s your go to meal to cook?
(516) 889-2266…can’t go wrong with heating up some dumplings, lo mein and chicken
and broccoli.
What would you say to someone who is thinking about starting?
I would say call Stephanie and see if she can give you a ride…she’ll be there in a
second. 100% just do it…you wont regret it.
What drives you?
My 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe…just kidding…I tend to have somewhat of an obsessive
personality so once I start something I’m pretty determined to stick with it. And when I
get lazy or fall into a rut, I only have a day or two before the girls come knocking on my
door looking for me, so they are a pretty big driving force for me as well.
What is your biggest fitness goal right now?
My biggest fitness goal right now is staying consistent, healthy and slowly improving. I’d
like to continue to do this for as long as possible.