MWR employee realizes dream in becoming certified trainer

Naval Air Station Corpus Christi MWR employee Luigi Napolano recently completed his training and passed the test to become a Certified Personal Trainer (CPT), realizing his dream of helping people through fitness.

A personal trainer is an individual certified to have a varying degree of knowledge of general fitness involved in exercise prescription and instruction. The trainer motivates clients by setting goals, providing feedback and accountability to clients and measuring their clients’ strengths and weaknesses with fitness assessments. They also educate their clients in many other aspects of wellness besides exercise, including general health and nutrition guidelines.

For Napolano, becoming a CPT was not always a dream. He realized he wanted to have a career in fitness after he and his family relocated here from his native Italy, where he retired after 24 years as a police officer in Naples.

“As a cop, I went to the gym all the time as a customer,” said Napolano. “Once I started this job [at MWR], I realized I loved it and it was what I wanted to do.”

Napolano spent eight months studying and preparing for the certification test, all while adjusting to life in a different country, balancing his home and work schedules and overcoming the fact that all the study materials are in a language different from his own.

“For some [the test] may be easy, but for me, English is my second language so it is a bit harder,” said Napolano. “I also work and my wife works as a nurse and we have kids, so most of the studying came at night.”

There are no current CPT positions open on the base, but Napolano says that he will be ready for his chance at one in the future, as his family is slated to relocate to Florida next year.

“My time here in Corpus Christi will be coming to an end in November 2020 when we move to Tampa,” said Napolano. “My wife is joining the Air Force Reserve at McDill Air Force Base there.”

Napolano said reelocating again will not deter his passion to work as a CPT nor any other goals he has.

“I think having a dream takes time to become a reality, even if it seems like it is progressing slowly,” said Napolano. “I wish to eventually have my very own gym.”