There wasn’t an open parking house at Legacy Church on Saturday morning. Proper outdoors the entrance doorways of the church, a line of individuals stood ready to enter.
A whole lot gathered collectively to have a good time the lifetime of Michael Grajeda, an area health icon and beloved group member.
Grajeda handed away on Feb. 18. at 58 years previous. He was in the midst of a spin class on the time.
“He was so impactful to so many individuals,” mentioned Linda Herrera, a long-time pal of Grajeda. “In case you ever met Michael, you can not assist however simply love him.”
Herrera and Grajeda met when he opened New Health over a decade in the past. She described Michael as somebody with “tremendous excessive vitality,” the exact opposite of herself.
It was the right match within the health club.
“By life, he and I had our ups and downs, however he was like a brother to me and I felt like I used to be his massive sister taking good care of him,” she mentioned. “I don’t know, we at all times had this particular connection.”
Herrera wasn’t alone in her emotions; the truth is, nearly all of individuals attending the celebration of life advised tales of how a lot Grajeda impacted them and their health journeys.
Nobody was impacted by Grajeda like his daughter, Cecily.
She was born one week earlier than New Health opened, and as an alternative of rising up in daycare, Cecily mentioned, she grew up within the health club.
She spoke in entrance of a church crammed to the brim with individuals, reminiscing about her father. “I’m doing higher than I anticipated,” she mentioned, “however that’s as a result of he taught me methods to take care of that stuff in life.”
Cecily arrange a GoFundMe after her father’s dying to assist pay for his funeral bills, with a objective of $10,000. The fundraiser’s objective was surpassed and sits at $15,835 as of Monday morning.
“He believed we had been introduced on Earth to like and take care of one another,” Cecily mentioned. “He was a dad to everybody. He helped so many individuals … he taught me to like one another to like myself.”
If somebody could not afford to take a spin class or private coaching class, Grajeda made it work, Cecily mentioned, he actually went above and past to assist individuals.
Grajeda was additionally a private coach at Ripped By Rivas. Sal Rivas, proprietor of the coaching middle, mentioned Grajeda was like a brother to him. The 2 met of their 20s and noticed one another 5 days per week.
“Michael Grajeda, my brother, my pal, and at occasions, my legs. Mike was probably the most selfless man on the planet,” Rivas mentioned. “He gave me each ounce of him … Mike was the epitome of affection, plain and easy.”
Rivas defined how Michael not solely helped out within the health club by changing lighting fixtures, putting in mirrors and gear, however he additionally helped out at Rivas’ family.
“Mike would come over to my home and pull the weeds in my entrance yard. Mike came to visit to arrange my daughter’s swing set as a result of I couldn’t,” Rivas mentioned. “Mike did issues like that as a result of he cared about me … he did it as a result of he cherished me.”
Rivas wore a shirt that acknowledged, “Could the winds of Heaven blow softly and whisper in your ear. How a lot we love and miss you and need that you simply had been right here. You could be gone from our sight however you’re by no means gone from our hearts.”
Quite a few individuals, from family and friends, to group members and health club companions, recounted comparable experiences showcasing Michael’s selflessness.
Considered one of Grajeda’s sisters, Trish, described her brother as “somebody who simply needed to assist individuals.”
“Michael was an superior man,” Trish mentioned. “He had the most important coronary heart and gave a lot of himself, and to be sincere, I feel it was form of to a fault. He needed to take action a lot and I feel he felt dangerous he could not do extra for individuals … I do not assume he mentioned ‘no’ typically.”
Trish mentioned she would miss all the things about Grajeda, however particularly his tales and the fervour he had. She mentioned, “we had been the center kids who received misplaced within the crowd. I’m actually going to overlook that reference to him.”
For a lot of within the Central Valley, the health icon’s legacy will stay on.
“I wish to contact as many individuals as he did,” Cecily mentioned. “My dad will stay on via me perpetually.”
Lauren Jennings covers training and information for the Visalia Occasions-Delta/Tulare Advance-Register. Observe her on Twitter @lolojennings. Get alerts and sustain on all issues Tulare County for as little as $1 a month. Subscribe right this moment.