Meet Jay Martens

We recently connected with Jay Martens and have shared our conversation below.

Jay, thank you so much for joining us. You are such a positive person and it’s something we really admire and so we wanted to start by asking you where you think your optimism comes from?

Can you imagine being in great physical shape, training for a full marathon, being able to doing all the things you need and want to do? Well that was me, then I slowly developed a brain tumor in my pituitary gland and didn’t realize it till i suddenly got double vision. There were signs that I clearly missed, like when i would glare to the left and it took more time for my vision to catch up and focus with my head as it turned. I got my eyes checked out and vision was perfect!! I asked, “why do i have double vision then?” From there, i was told it was either diabetes or a neurological issue. It wasn’t diabetes as i was eating well to train for my full marathon. I got an MRI on my brain and not too much longer i was told that i had a tumor. It had to be removed as it was affecting my vision and would affect more of my functions as well as hormones as it grew. The only problem was I needed 2 surgeons to operate and the earliest appointment was 3 months out. During that time I experienced excruciating headaches, annoying double vision to the point i would have to close one eye just to see better, and the whole time only a handful of close relatives knew of my condition. I continued to work and carry on with my life. It was this time that I truly changed my outlook on life and how I carried myself day to day. I had already a great respect and value of life, so I was pretty defeated mentally. I conducted myself in a manner that everyday is a great day to be alive. I listened to everyone around me and what they said day to day. The things they complained about or had an opinion about, i analyzed if i at one point said the same thing. From there came the biggest change for me, the things i complained about weren’t that important, that the people i have connections with are important to stay in touch, and life isn’t guaranteed at all no matter what. This is where i live life by taking full advantage of the opportunity to wake up, make and create the best life i want for myself.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

My brand is Alwys HLABLSD (pronounced always hella blessed). I consider it more of a lifestyle brand, on living and making the best out of all situations. I’m a big promotor of positivity, especially in the face of negativity or less fortunate circumstances. Mindset and how you handle things have a huge impact on the outcome of what you want or don’t want. I’m a human being just like you. I have a wide spectrum of emotions that i go through and it’s tough to stay positive or focus on a positive, but that’s where the growth happens in those tough times. Things don’t get easier, we just get stronger. I’m a Crossfit & Olympic weightlifting Coach at Social City Crossfit in Las Vegas, NV. These 2 modalities of training have taught me so much more about myself & I want to help the underserved communities through better health and fitness. More specifically the youth that aren’t around the best role models or don’t have the means to join a gym. Besides my health issue that I overcame and changed my attitude, I also grew up in an environment that wasn’t conducive to a favorable lifestyle. I understand the streets and all the paths they can lead you down with the end result of prison, death, and ultimately hurting yourself and family. My ultimate goal is to open up a gym with free programs for youth to have fun working out through crossfit/olympic weightlifting. I want to provide a space that can be a positive outlet for them surrounded by great mentors that can help them grow. The gym will be named “HLABLSD Barbell Club”. I’m currently working with 2 young gentleman donating my time twice a week to train them for the past year and half. They’ve taught me more than i’ve taught them i think!! What excites me most about it is feeling like im giving back and it’s worthwhile. Like i’m able to make a positive impact in the community where i stay. I’m not looking to get rich, just to be able to pay my bills and feel fulfilled by the job i do. I do about 2-3 T-shirt launches in the spring/summer and 1 Hoodie drop in the winter to help support my continuing education of coaching as well as competing in Olympic weightlifting events. A unique thing i do with the t-shirt and hoodie drops is that the design is a one time only thing, so if you failed to get one it’s never coming back. You can stay in the loop by following my IG @hla.blsd for future drops. That’s pretty much the big picture end goal for me, to have a gym with supportive mentors for the youth to grow, have fun, and have an outlet through fitness in a positive space.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Looking back, 3 things that helped my mindset were: Recognizing, Evaluating, and Empathy towards others.
Recognizing where I was at in my life, being where my feet were at and not wishing the should’ve, could’ve, would’ve. Evaluating the situation(s) and focusing my attention at what positive things I did have or can do. Leading with Empathy/Compassion first helped me to be and feel better as a person. I learned this better after my brain surgery, as i was in a room waiting for my specific room to be available and there was a guy that was moaning loudly and it was beyond uncomfortable for me as I was having my own issues. I wanted tell him to shut up, but in listening to the nurses tell his spouse of what happened to him I immediately thought to myself I didn’t have it as bad as him. The moaning from pain and not knowing what was going on, I learned to stop and take a step back in my actions and thoughts moving forward. I think of that time as a bookmark to empathize with people. The best advice I can give is to STOP, BREATHE, control your emotions or get them in check as best you can, then MOVE forward.

What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?

Without a doubt the biggest area of growth and improvement in the past 12 months has been the confidence within myself! I have experienced that imposter syndrome in the area of Coaching crossfit and olympic weightlifting. Being surrounded and networking with so many talented and experienced coaches, I would often compare myself to them. I have learned so much through them, continue my education to learn more in bettering myself to help others, & applying what i learn. I’ve invested so much time into myself and through a coaching program with fellow coaches of various years of experience we learned that we have all dealt with the same feeling. Am I good enough to lead others, do i really know what im talking about and doing? The answer is hell yes, because we put our time and effort into something that we’re passionate about!!! Giving back and helping people move better, feel better, have more confidence in themselves is something you can’t fake like you know what you’re doing without getting them hurt. Now I lift my head high, speak louder and say what i mean with confidence because i’ve put in the work to build a better me and I want that to flow into everyone i connect with.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.alwayshlablsd.com
• Instagram: @hla.blsd
• Facebook: Jay Alwys HLABLSD Roc
• Youtube: @alwyshlablsd