Fitness has become an essential aspect of daily life for many people in the world today. When the COVID-19   pandemic pushed the majority of the nation to quarantine, many people began to spend their time adopting a  healthier lifestyle that included a new diet and or exercise routine.

This summer Mercyhurst football player Dante Rodriguez capitalized on the launching of Defy the Odds Fitness, his very own fitness platform set to inspire others into a more active lifestyle.

A Sports Management major at Mercyhurst, Rodriguez is also on the football team.  He  has  been involved in fitness since his youth, playing football and track as a child.

Rodriguez was able to train  at  the esteemed NYC Fitness center in Queens over the summer, and was able to gain access to an out-standing  array  of  fitness  resources. When he realized he could use the  resources  to  promote  fitness  for others, he seized the opportunity and launched Defy the Odds Fitness.

Defy  the  Odds  Fitness  is  designed  for  anyone  interested  in  fitness    training    and    provides    methods and routines to get into shape.   The   platform   currently   offers  a  program  focused  on  calisthenic  training,  allowing  any-one  to  participate  with  minimal  equipment  from  the  comfort  of  their home.

“My goal is to train any and everyone.  If  you  have  enough  passion, there is nothing you cannot accomplish,” said Rodriguez.

Being a New York City native, Rodriguez also had the ability to offer sessions  for  his  clientele  at  venues such as the Yankee Stadium  Track  &  Field  in  the  Bronx  over the summer.

Rodriguez  has  had  the  ability  to develop his training experience over the past two years by working with top prospect high school athletes as well as with Division 1 college athletes.

Rodriguez  credits  his  passion  for football and fitness to his former  high  school  coach,  Coach  George. Even after his high school career ended some years ago, Rodriguez has stayed in touch with the  prior  coach  and  George  has  been a constant figure in his life.

Rodriguez spent over a month designing  how  he  would  launch  the  platform,  carefully  planning  the   organizational   structure   it   would take. He was thrilled when his hard work led to the support of  a  quickly  growing  client  base  shortly after launching.

Rodriguez  has  been  extremely  grateful to see his platform do so well,  and  gives  words  of  encouragement  to  anyone  with  dreams  to  do  something  on  the  same  scale.

“If  you  want  to  create  a  business, I suggest you go for it! Don’t worry  too  much,  even  if  you  do  not think you’re qualified enough yet. All that matters is if you are passionate   enough   and   willing   to work hard for what you want, then you’ll obtain success.”

Rodriguez plans to continually develop  his  platform  to  provide  inspirational   content   and   pro-mote  a  healthy  lifestyle.  He  has  created  various  outlets  to  do  so  across social media and is excited to watch his work reach a greater audience.

Defy  the  Odds  Fitness  is  currently holding virtual training via Zoom  every  Monday,  Wednesday, and Friday at 6:00pm.

If  you  are  interested  in  looking  into  Defy  the  Odds  and  its  available  class  sessions, information can be found at https://dtofitness.as.me/schedule.php  or  on  Instagram @dto_fitness.