MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – A new non-profit named in honor of former fitness coach and athletic trainer Jeff Giosi, Forgiven Warrior, will launch Saturday at CrossFit Morgantown. His wife, Sarah, said the Saturday event is the third-annual Giosi Memorial Workout of the Day (WOD), beginning at 9 a.m.
Giosi was 40 when he died unexpectedly of an aortic aneurysm in January 2021 and has “Forgiven Warrior” tattooed on his body.
“We look at the word forgiveness and breaking family cycles; how are we looking at our own past choices and moving forward in a way that we have more grace?” Giosi asked. “Warriors are people that are fighting for wellness in our community.”
Sarah Giosi said Forgiven Warrior is intended to set and promote examples of wellness in the community to stop cycles of poor health and negative behavior. Above all, Gisosi wants to find a niche where she can contribute to the community.
“How can we fill in the gaps?” Giosi asked. “In particular, how can we look at community leaders and help them to be well, so that will trickle down? That’s the big thought here.”
Forgiven Warrior will not compete with other agencies, but will build on the work of others in making the community a healthier place and amplify it.
“Our entire mission is set up on this idea of looking at our area and figuring out what health and wellness initiatives already exist and are working really well, and how can we amp those up?” Giosi asked.
According to Giosi, this non-profit is starting with a clear goal: looking for gaps in the community and amplifying what is working. But, Firgiven Warrior will track their own activity to make sure projects are impactful and providing benefit to the community.
“Systems, standard operating procedures, policies—things that are going to help us, we’re documenting everything,” Giosi said. “We’re making it to the point where it’s not this idea that we’re just going to do a project every year—there will be a system for everything.”