Editor's Letter jarc Beyond Muscle Power I "I really came to understand the true meaning of these t tested her physical strength as well as her mental words:' Sherman-Marx said. toughness. And she came away a better person. Listen to her describe the transformative experience. Just by taking part in a cable television show. Many times in our lives, she said, we confront situations Jill Sherman-Marx is a 39-year-old personal trainer and that challenge us both physically and mentally. As we get spinning instructor at the Jewish Community Center in West older, our bodies may fail us, or may weaken on us, in differ- Bloomfield. She's also a competitive athlete. But that didn't ent ways. automatically qualify this mother "When this happens:' she said, "all that is left is our mind!' of three for X-Treme Warrior, a 10- So what do we do? Give up? episode, fitness-based reality show Not a chance. intended to inspire viewers to be con- As a health advocate and fitness enthusiast, Sherman-Marx fident and learn to deal with every- relished the opportunity on X-Treme Warrior. "It taught me thing that life throws at them. that our limit is much greater than we really are aware of' she On the Comcast Local broadcast said. that began in April, a world military Her regimen at Shanty Creek Resort & Club in Bellaire, boxing champ challenges 80 women, where her episode was filmed, included the spider move, a 57 from Michigan, to pull aircraft, roll difficult, signature X-Treme Warrior exercise. It works various logs, climb a tower and ride a bike 13 muscles. It's a push-up position, half down; maintaining that miles as part of an 18-hour workout position, you move the opposite arm and leg up so that your over three grueling days. The women elbow and your knee almost touch on the other side. If you competed individually, in pairs and on teams. Sherman-Marx's moment of truth in this feat of endurance, do that for three minutes a day, you'll be in shape super quick. You'll also know what patience and perseverance really mean. agility and courage came early, five minutes into opening day. "I was suddenly aware that I had absolutely no idea what I Dream Catcher was about to experience she said. Aid was impressed: "Jill is strong, physically yes, but mentally, A triathlete and marathon runner with vigor for life, she's even stronger. No matter what we were doing, she never Sherman-Marx kept a journal until it was taken from her quit, she never hesitated, she never took the smile off her face, about an hour into the high-stakes competition. In the jour- and she never stopped looking out nal, she wrote: "I feel excited, I feel for teammates and never stopped concerned, I feel XTREME!" motivating them!' No kidding. He characterized her as "the kind The women, ages 18 to 64, spent of person who is positive no matter three days and two nights training what!' with Omar Aid at different loca- X-Treme Warrior executive tions around Michigan. They slept producer Leona Larson of West in teepees and trees. The competi- Bloomfield, a former WDIV tors were strangers at the start, but Channel 4 producer, liked Marx's friendships soon bloomed, born leadership. from the raw energy they shared. "Jill was the glue that kept a lot The competition was between of people of different backgrounds Aid, a trainer at Powerhouse Gym Jill Sherman-Marx doing the spider move together;' Larson said. "She was in West Bloomfield, and the contes- so excited after the shoot that she actually recruited more tants, not among the contestants themselves. That took them women to future X-Treme Warrior auditions and shoots." a while to grasp. A Sherman-Marx referral meant a lot, Larson said, because "As an individual:' Aid said, "I can break them but as a "Jill understood, on many levels, what it means to be an 'X- team, they are hard to break!' Treme Warrior."' He said Sherman-Marx understood that from the begin- The 12th-century sage and physician Maimonides champi- ning and worked to keep the group together. "That made them oned the idea of a mind-body connection. Jill Sherman-Marx all stronger;' he said. "When one tried to quit, Jill was the first is a believer. "If we learn to shift the mind, and use it as our to convince her to stay. That was inspiring for all of us!' guide to deeper truth!' she said, "it is likely that our body will That's not surprising. I know Jill Sherman-Marx and can follow these messages and allow us to accomplish more than vouch for her grit and tenacity. we ever dreamed we could." Fl Each episode features a new team. One competitor from each team competes in the season finale along the Lake Log on to www.xtremewarriorcom to check out when and where the Michigan sand dunes for a chance to win a jackpot of up to episodes are airing. Check out You Tube at http://www.youtube.com/ $25,000 for herself and her team. xtremewarriortv for the episode shot at Shanty Creek. Mind Games Aid moved to the U.S. from Lebanon in 2000. Three years later, after working odd jobs, he opened Omar's Planet in West Bloomfield, specializing in boxing, kickboxing and Muay Thai training. He stresses the mental aspect of life. O : to 1- z z What impact does fitness have on your mental state? 0 0 Does being part of a team inspire you? a. CI- We take Tributes personally. 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