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MY Sports Club Story: Mark

Feb 23, 2026

Meet Mark, whose story is the ultimate full-circle moment – the student who became the teacher. After years as a dedicated member and familiar face at 125th St, Mark turned his passion for fitness into purpose, stepping onto the podium as a certified group fitness instructor. Now, he’s blending his love of cooking with his commitment to health. With the launch of his high-energy Snatched Cycling class, Mark is serving up equal parts sweat, strategy, and style — and helping you get snatched along the way! 

Please tell us a little about your fitness journey.
My fitness journey started out very young. At the age of 18, I joined my very first gym.  I had been struggling with my weight since puberty, so I was eager to get in a gym and create a new physique. But as with most weight loss journeys, it would take years of yo-yo dieting and countless gym memberships before successfully finding my way.  Like most people who struggle with their weight, you can spend a lifetime trying to figure it out. But I’m happy to say that by my late 30’s I was able to learn and apply proper nutrition habits with consistent fitness activities. And now in my 50s my fitness journey has been given a reboot with my becoming a certified group fitness instructor and nutritionist. 

What keeps you motivated on your fitness journey?
Motivation for my fitness journey has shifted over the years. When younger, you tend to stay motivated by vanity. Specifically, how working out makes you look. But as you age, your motivation shifts to how it makes you feel. So at age 54, I would say aging is what currently motivates my journey. Knowing that as you age, maintaining your fitness does get harder and harder but the upside is you feel the best you have ever felt. That is what truly motivates me to continue on the journey. 

How did you become a certified group fitness instructor at NYSC?  
Becoming a fitness instructor can best be summed up as ‘the student who became the teacher’.  Prior to becoming an instructor, I had been an avid in-studio cyclist for years.  In 2023, I was a consistent ‘spinner’ at 125th St for Tamara Jackson’s classes. When TJ’s schedule changed causing her to release one of her classes, I jokingly suggested I would teach the class going forward. That joke led to TJ encouraging me to get certified.  Once certified, she also pushed me to give it a try and to audition. Ultimately, TJ saw something in me that I had not quite seen in myself, and the rest is history. 

Who are some of your fitness mentors?
I’ve had two fitness mentors that have shaped the instructor that I am today. Craig Hunter, a former NYSC cycling instructor, taught a vigorous class with house music (my favorite music genre)  in the background that created a space that resembled a party but for working out. His class taught me the importance of making your fitness journey as enjoyable and fun as possible. After all, nothing is more fun than a party with good music. My second fitness mentor is Tamara Jackson. TJ is responsible for not only teaching me how to spin but for setting the stage for me to fall in love with it. Her attention to her students’ performance and ultimately providing accountability is top tier. TJ also has a competitive spirit which lends well to being an instructor. Taking her class, I would learn the importance of competing with yourself to achieve higher performance and ultimately higher  results. 

Can you tell us about your new Small Group Training class, Snatched Cycling?
Snatched Cycling is a one-hour high intensity spin class that aims to do one thing; get you snatched. The class is designed to be high on cardio with a heavy focus on three main areas of the body; core, glutes, and legs. This power spin experience is done to the club sounds of disco and house music making it the ultimate workout party experience.

Outside of fitness, you have quite an impressive career as a chef! Tell us more about that. 
Yes! I am a private chef (some would say a celebrity chef) and a cookbook author. I’ve had the great fortune to have written a popular breakfast-in-bed cookbook entitled, Cooking In Boxers with Chef Bailey: 50 Ways To Keep Your Mate In Bed. I’ve also worked with and appeared on reality shows with celebrities that include Niecy Nash, Eva Marcille, and others. And for book promotions, I’ve appeared on Food Network’s Chopped and also a host of food segments for morning television programming from The Wendy Williams Show, The Today Show, The Chew, etc. 

Is there anything else you’d like to share? 
What’s to come you ask? Well, becoming certified in nutrition as well as a group fitness instructor both inspired me to pen my second cookbook. Stay tuned for my new cookbook, SNATCHED that will feature healthy delicious recipes that will help to keep you ‘snatched’, due out this year. 

Do you have a story about how our Club has helped improve life outside our Club? Submit your MY Sports Club Story here.