Washington Township Buddies Build Character, Strength Through Fitness

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP, N.J. — You don’t have to play a sport to train like an athlete — and you don’t have to pump iron or spend hours on a treadmill to get fit.

Evan Williams, left, and Travis Sample.
Photo Credit: *COURTESY Travis Sample*

Eli Behar of Woodcliff Lake learns to ride a bike with encouragement from Sample Fitness.

Photo Credit: Jill Behar

Sample Fitness leads a bootcamp for youngsters.
Photo Credit: *COURTESY Travis Sample*

Sample Fitness leads a birthday party 9-year-old Leah Behar.

Photo Credit: Jill Behar

Cecilia Levine

01/25/2016 5:30 a.m.

At least, at Sample Fitness you don’t.

Personal trainers Travis Sample and Evan Williams of Washington Township are teaming up in local schools, community centers, homes and gyms to show youngsters that all you need to get fit is a little bit of motivation.

“The world is full of fitness opportunities,” said Sample, 25. “And people are designed to move and exercise but above all, we want everyone to enjoy what they do.”

Sample and Williams first met in kindergarten at Washington Elementary School but lost touch as years passed due to work and school commitments.

Upon being reunited at a local gym, the long-lost friends shared some good laughs and tossed around the idea of growing a “wholesome and inspirational” fitness business, Williams said.

“Travis was trying to get the word out and help people and I just said, ‘Let’s do this,’” said Williams, a Syracuse University alumnus.

Williams tapped into his tech skills to create promotional content while Sample, a certified personal trainer, mapped out fitness regimens for boot camps and exercise programs.

Before long, SAMPLE Fitness — an acronym for speed, attitude, momentum, patience, leadership and entelechy — was up and running.

“It was a natural synergy right off the bat,” Williams said.

In addition to hosting birthday parties and corporate functions, Sample Fitness will work individually with youngsters to hone motor skills or work on anything fitness-related.

They even taught Eli Behar, 12, of Woodcliff Lake, how to ride a bike (SEE VIDEO ABOVE).

“But they didn’t just teach him how to ride a bike,” said Eli’s mom, Jill Behar. “They took their time and did balance exercises. He was really afraid to do it and they just walked him through it.”

Sample Fitness works with Eli once or twice a week, and hosted his sister’s 9th birthday party in the family’s backyard.

“They’re so special and so passionate,” Behar told Daily Voice. “They really care about these kids and they want them to succeed.”

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