Hoboken trainer Rob Fletcher has spent a lifetime being a proactive advocate for health and fitness, and with his latest endeavor America’s Next Great Trainer: Health, Fitness, and Wellness EXPO, which was scheduled for May 6th, he is ready to reach the next generation.

“I love seeing people succeed,” said Fletcher. “People have to realize that you have the power to empower. The greatest thing about training is that you can significantly impact the life of an individual or a family.”

As a personal trainer, Fletcher is currently working at Sky Club Fitness in Hoboken with celebrity trainer Jolene Matthews, who has worked with the Real Housewives of NJ. Fletcher met Matthews at Big Brother, Big Sister’s event, which is an organization they were both heavily involved with, and she asked him to join the club as a trainer.

From there Matthews is now working with Fletcher on promoting his America’s Next Great Trainer project. In addition, they are both working together on workout programs for the club, and have plans to film a workout DVD. Fletcher also wants to implement the youth fitness and empowerment program at Sky Club.

“I love Hoboken. I’m very excited about working at the Sky Club and I love Hoboken,” said Fletcher. “I just love the whole area, the whole atmosphere, and the view of Manhattan. It’s just beautiful.”

A year and a half ago, Fletcher’s America’s Next Great Trainer project originally started out as a show concept for reality TV focusing on promoting a healthy active lifestyle. However, while putting it together he developed great working relationships with many trainers, life coaches, nutritionists, and many other experts in the health and wellness field. Soon the show concept became more of program with the goal being to empower people and promoting a healthy fit lifestyle, especially among the youth.

The program has started to get the attention of national health, fitness, and entertainment magazines including Muscle and Fitness and Shape Magazine, and Star Magazine, and OK Magazine.

“I have several friends right now wanting to work with me in putting together 3 to 5 overviews of the concept on a sizzle reel,” said Fletcher.

Originally from the Bronx, Fletcher moved back to the New Jersey/New York area in 2003. He had been living in Naples,FLfor 13 years, where he had his own karate studio USA Karate.

“I personally witnessed the change in people’s lives,” said Fletcher. “The physical, mental, and emotional changes in a person – is such a beautiful thing to see that happen.”

It was that positive energy that Fletcher wanted to magnify and reach as many people as possible. Physical training and health has been his passion for 25 years, especially in the martial arts.

“It all started with martial arts when I was 17 years old,” said Fletcher. “I was always athletic, always into sport, but there was something about karate at the time. I became obsessed with it.”

After years of training, Fletcher’s professional pursuits in martial arts led him to win the North American Kickboxing Championship, and he also traveled to Europe for the World Association of Kickboxing Organizations (WAKO).

“During this time I met a lot of interesting people such as Vince McMahon,” said Fletcher. “I had the great fortune of meeting the Weiders, who own Muscle and Fitness and Men’s Health Magazine.”

Fletcher had met the Weiders at a Master Showcase of Champions, which was a fundraiser to benefit St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. In addition, he also met Arnold Schwarzenegger at the Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic Weekend in Ohio. According to Fletcher, this is the most prestigious national event in regards to fitness and sports. In the early 90s Fletcher participated in the Classic and put on a martial arts demonstration. From there Fletcher continued on performing at different events internationally, and even did TV appearances such as on Acapulco H.E.A.T.

Fletcher says the motto for America’s Next Great Trainer program is “Get up, Wake up, and Move America! Get it…Done! Bring it back!”

One of the biggest components of the program will be to reach the youth on not only health and wellness issues such as childhood obesity, but social issues like bullying.

“We are providing solutions to the problem,” said Fletcher. “With kids it’s all about reinforcement.”

The program is a youth fitness and empowerment program to stop obesity and tap out bullying. According to Fletcher, these programs are structured to go into the school systems similar to the DARE program implemented by local law enforcement.

“It’s a youth organization to build our youth from the inside out,” he said.

If you know someone who is active in health and fitness and lives or works in Hoboken, email: Diana@hmag.com