Rarely over the past two years in Logan Randall’s life has there been a time for stability, success or support from others. Multiple living arrangements, homelessness, Covid, dropping out of school, supporting himself, holding a job and trying to get his GED have all been part of the balancing act for this 18-year old. 

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“Covid was a hard time to go through life,” explains Randall. “Like a few other kids in this area, I didn’t have a lot of direction in my life and I didn’t surround myself with positive peers. Once I made the mistake of not having school in my life, Covid made it worse because I couldn’t figure how to restart everything. I had to find a place to live, figure out how to pay for it, and try to work at a time when everything was shutting down. For me it led to a slow downward spiral where I began to lose hope.” 

 

Looking for a way out and trying to find direction in life, somehow Marine Recruiter Sgt. Bushika ended up in Logan’s apartment meeting with Logan and his then girlfriend. “The Marines made sense for me.” explains Logan, “I have never struggled with academics and being smart enough, but my life is full of people who have never done anything productive. I want to go into aviation and be a Marine. I knew it was possibly my only way to a future.”

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The challenges didn’t end there, as to be a Marine, Logan had to pass his GED and successfully overcome several health and fitness tests. “The fitness component had me worried. I had gained a lot of weight during the 1st year of Covid and had a lot of work to do to get to a weight that the Marines would accept me for active duty. 

 

Sgt. Bushika referred me to TruStrength Athletics and Coach/Trainer Jesse Wall. I needed someone to show me the way, both with nutrition and exercise. They could not have referred me to a better person. Coach Wall introduced me to Coach Ryan Yates and Coach Jen Gray. Coach Yates put me through a strength and conditioning program and Coach Jen taught me about nutrition education as it related to the armed forces. I had no idea how my diet was impacting my life. I was eating so many empty calorie carbs that I was putting on weight. Coach Wall helped me so much. I didn’t have a dime to my name, but he set me up with the TruStrength Tomorrow Foundation which sponsored my journey. 

 

The TruStrength Tomorrow Foundation is a non-profit arm of the Gym that allows owner Jesse Wall raise money for from his participation in extreme sports competition and give back to needy groups and individuals.  “The economic gap in our country affects kids from how they nourish themselves, to their self image, right down to opportunities for advancement. Having money or not should never be the reason a kid does not experience high quality mentorship. The place in the world that TruStrength Tomorrow can make that difference is through great physical fitness education, training, and classes. We want to provide the bridge for every kid to continue to the journey of discovering their best self.”

Over the next three months and within 10 sessions (which included strength training, cardio, homework and journaling), Logan was ready for the next step. He had dropped his weight to 170 pounds, passed his GED and was ready for his Military placement tests. 

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Logan next passed all of his Armed Services Vocational Battery ASVAB Tests and scored high enough to go into Aviation and Aircraft. “I was so happy when I found out my scores and to know I have a future both with the Marines and in a field that I want to have a career.  My goal 10 years from now will be either continue in the Military or working as a Pilot.”   

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“Coach Walls gym is a very supportive place. There are great people there who will help you develop a workout plan or even help you with a personal issue. They care about you as a person and your future. That was exactly what I needed at this point in my life. I learned about perseverance and toughness. Sometimes you want to quit, but you know you can’t.  Jesse as a person is incredibly nice, but he will hold you accountable because he wants to see you succeed. He’s as much a life coach and he cares about your personal growth”. 

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