Don’t let his quiet, unassuming demeanor fool you. Carlo Maravilla is an athlete and personal trainer par excellence, and he has a string of trophies and satisfied clients to prove it. His name – Maravilla - means “wonder” in Spanish, and Carlo is truly a wonder for his knack of achieving positive results for his clients no matter how challenging the situation. He’s good. He’s very, very good.
The Vallejo native graduated from Vallejo Senior High School where he was on the wrestling and golf teams before attending Palmer College and Cal Poly Pomona. In college he played volleyball and - like everyone else who has ever played the game - continued his futile efforts to master golf.
The former AFM motorcycle racer is also an accomplished endurance athlete. Carlo has completed more than a dozen marathons, five ultra-marathons, and the annual Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon is on his agenda every year. He also participates in stand-up paddleboarding aka known as stand-up paddle surfing (SUP) and adventure racing.
His favorite movie? Gladiator, of course. It figures. After all, you don’t succeed in sports without a little fight in you.
It was probably no surprise to Carlo or anyone else that his athletic prowess would eventually lead him to help others to achieve their fitness goals. “My brother is a fight coach for some of the UFC fighters,” says Carlo,“and he convinced me to join the training team. Since I was already an endurance athlete spending many hours at the gym it only made sense to consider training as a career.”
However, Carlo knew he needed more than just his own athletic ability to teach others – he needed more education - so he became certified as a personal trainer (CPT) and performance enhancement specialist (PES) through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) with additional training and certification from Competitive Edge Sports (CES), UFC Gym, and TRX.
“I was lucky enough to have had great physical education programs when I was in school,” explains Carlo, “and my daughter is also one of the lucky ones. I think it should be given more of a priority as far as funding in schools.”
As Fitness Manager at the new Bay Area Family Fitness Center in Pleasanton (formerly Express Fitness), Carlo, 37, meets members every day who may not have a strong physical education experience in school – or that experience is now ancient history - and they are eager to get back in shape.
“I like watching people change their lives and become better - better in everything - physically, spiritually, more confident, happier. One of my greatest thrills was watching a client lose 200 pounds in just over a year and then complete the process with a body lift. Still, it’s frustrating for me that I can't personally help all my close friends and family who live far away.
Carlo lives with his wife Lorilei and daughter Jordan, 8, in San Ramon. And, don't forget their pooches Hannah, the Pommiepoo and Bones, the Rescue Mutt either – they’re part of the family too.
Readers can contact Carlo at carlomaravilla@gmail.com or call him at 925-416-1100. He's ready to accept your challenge. What are you waiting for?
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