Dan Hornaday
My mom sent me off to the University of Florida so I could get a good education that would open doors in my life. Outside of the University of Florida, I met a man name John Babb that gave me an education on life.
I first met John during the Fall of 97. Walking through the doors of the Gainesville Gym. He was a man of few words. After a few years of making a regular appearance, John offered me a job and with that a friendship was born.
Working at the front desk, I was able to meet a lot of people. It had members from all walks of life. Student, Attorneys, Police Officers, Doctors, Secretaries, Paralegals, Contractors…. Looking back, that is where I first learned the skills of developing a network. After graduating, I stuck around Gainesville for a while. As a new homeowner that needed work on my house, it was a nice to know “I’ve got a guy for that.” I learned to not just talk to people but to listen to them.
The Gainesville Gym was an interesting place. Bodybuilding shows on the projection TV, great music being pumped in through the speakers. There was something special about this place. There were “nicer” gyms in town, but this place had aura. The strongest people in Gainesville worked out here. That place had a certain energy, that drew people in. People from other gyms bought memberships there just to get a taste of that energy. It was kind of intimidating at first. But that slipped away instantly, because John made everyone feel welcome. It was a place to call home. The other members were my brothers and sisters. We were a big family. The people who worked out there had a champion spirit. I couldn’t see it in myself, but John could. He convinced me to enter my first bodybuilding show in which I won. Your entire life you hear the words “hard work” and “determination.” John taught me to apply those things and see them through.
Outside of owning the gym, John was a deep person with many diverse interests. We talked about all kinds of things like Computers, Investments, Politics, Music. To me, he was more than a boss. He was a mentor and a father figure. I lost my dad at age 14. I often recall some of those conversations we had. The advice he gave me and the wisdom he imparted on me.
John always held his family with the highest regard. John would sometime bring his son in on the weekend to open the place up. I was hired so he could have during the day to go home and spend time with his wife and during the summers, his kids. I worked every Sunday so John could be home with his family. So many of us get wrapped up in our careers that we work through the day and leave very little of ourselves available to our families. John knew the importance of family and being present. I hope that his family knows how much they meant to him. He touched the lives of many people. Mine especially. Rest in Peace, good friend. You will be missed.
