MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. - Former Ultimate Fighting Championship Middleweight Champion of the World, Rich Franklin and UFC Fit Coach Mike Dolce, gave Marines and sailors a motivational seminar aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, May 20.
Former Ultimate Fighting Championship Middleweight Champion of the World, Rich Franklin and UFC Fit Coach Mike Dolce, gave Marines and sailors a motivational seminar aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, May 20.
“The seminar was another opportunity to bring awareness to service members about health, nutrition, exercise and how they can benefit as a person and as a service member,” said Dennis Yeddo, the fitness facilities manager aboard base.
The seminar gave service members the opportunity to learn about various topics such as healthy living and motivation.
“Rich and I talked about health, fitness, exercise, goal setting and motivation,” said Dolce. “We are trying to leave the men and women easy-to-activate action steps that they can implement immediately and start to change their life.”
Mike Dolce, creator of the Dolce Diet, nutritional coach for numerous UFC fighters and UFC Fit trainer, explained the importance of goal setting, nutrition and steps on how to increase over-all health and performance.
“Wake up and set a goal for yourself,” Dolce told the crowd of Marines and sailors. “Too often people set goals, but they don’t set a specific deadline for those goals. Without a hard deadline people are just lost at sea, just floating, hoping they get to shore but they don’t have an actual plan to get there.”
Franklin spoke to the group about motivation and what keeps a person going in tough times.
“A lot of people ask me ‘what motivates you?’ and I think that is kind of funny because it is different for everyone, but deep down we all already know what motivates us, we just need to be reminded from time to time,” said Franklin. “When I was walking into the octagon for a fight, at one point my coach grabbed me and told me ‘You’re not alone in there,’ which reminded me that there were a lot of people who were counting on me.”
Traveling to military installations across the country motivating and changing service members’ lives is not a new mission for the two speakers.
“Mike and I have been doing events like these together for about a year now,” said Franklin.
The seminars are one way for the two mixed martial arts superstars to support service members.
“For me. it’s a way to give back to the men and women who support, protect and defend our country,” said Dolce. “It’s one of our responsibilities as citizens to give whatever we can with our specialized skill sets. My specialized skill set as a strength and conditioning coach, a diet coach as well as a motivator is how I can help service members better perform their duties.”
Working with Marines is always a unique experience for the two stars, even after traveling to other military installations.
“The attitude and intensity – there is just something special about a Marine,” said Dolce. “I love every branch of the armed forces, but there is something special about the
Marines and working with the UFC athletes; I think there is a bond there.”
The seminar ended when the two speakers opened the floor to questions before conducting a meet-and-greet, giving Marines and sailors time to interact with the speakers.
“I know it really started to click for some of the Marines there,” said Yeddo. “Marines hear a lot about these topics, but when they hear it from these elite athletes it starts to open their eyes to what is important. I know the Marines and sailors enjoyed the seminar and they now have a better understanding on how to live a healthy lifestyle.”
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