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Evolution of a Marine4 min read

Wade Waddick is a former Marine and proud owner of Evolution Fitness in Boca Raton, Florida of where he is impacting lives every day.

Wade shares a little about his evolution; “I’m very proud to say that I served four honorable years as a United States Marine. I loved my time in the service. I was originally inspired by my best friend’s dad to seek out that branch of the military. His father was not only a Marine, but he was also an amazing man that had a very powerful influence on my life. I have always held a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for this man. With that influence, when it came time to join the service, the Marines were the only branch in my mind to represent.”

“As a United States Marine, I was honored to serve in the Security Force Unit at the United States Naval Academy. I was one of forty-five marines that were handpicked to serve this very prestigious assignment. I absolutely loved my two years there. The following two years I served at Camp Lejeune, NC, and Okinawa Japan. My job and responsibility at that time were to train in an infantry unit to prepare for combat. The marines are the first fight and the first on the ground. It was a great four-year career. I loved everything it taught me as it shaped me into a better human being.”

How can we help as everyday people? “There are numerous events held around the country of which you can simply show your support by attending. A lot of men and women come home and struggle in the process of reconnecting to the civilian world, they can feel a little displaced and misunderstand. With you the public just having a level of empathy, caring and compassion towards these individuals can really go a long way.”

“Sometimes we may see someone in a uniform that we may be apprehensive to go over and thank them for their service. I will tell you that I always take the action to go over and thank any veteran for their service. I will also share that thanking a veteran for their service is never the wrong thing to say and will always go a long way. I personally see a lot of World War II Veteran hats on older gentlemen that I always make a point to personally honor and thank.”

What are you now doing to continue in your service to the military? “The first thing is that we really stay active in some of the forums and communities locally. Here in South Florida we have two amazing organizations. The Wounded Veterans Relief Fund out of West Palm Beach is one. We love supporting them as .86 cents of every dollar goes directly to veterans that need immediate financial assistance, whether it be for rent to keep these families in their home to any type of needed monetary assistance. We are very proud of supporting a program of which the majority percentage goes directly to the veteran’s assistance. They’re great, they’re local, the majority of the staff are volunteers and most are themselves, veterans.”

“The second program here in Boca Raton is the Connected Warriors. This program provides free yoga to all veterans. Mental health can be a serious issue of our returning men and women post service. Connecting with fellow veterans in a stress-free meditation type exercise can be very beneficial to the mind and body. Connected Warriors provides free service all over the world for both the active and retired veteran community. They are making a big impact on the mental and physical health of these veterans.”

“Lastly, my partner and I have a supplement line called Patriots Sports Nutrition that we donate a portion of all proceeds to the organizations mentioned.”

What can we do to help Veterans? “Very simply as you are all out there just be aware of attending local events. Engage a veteran, share some time, listen to their stories in addition to getting involved in some local charities. Your money, however, most importantly your time along with a friendly ear of listening will always go a long way!”

Happy Veterans Month

~ Wade Waddick