Art’s Passion for Fitness
Art Mahoney says he grew up as a product of a “mixed marriage.” His father was Irish and his mother was Italian.
In those days – two months after the bombing of Pearl Harbor — that type of union raised eyebrows in his Queens, N.Y. neighborhood where Art grew up in the traditional extended family household.
“I was blessed to grow up in a home where my younger sister and I had a lot of people around to give us squeezes and hugs,” he said. It was a great foundation for what has been a wonderful life.”
Schooled on Long Island, he later went off to Rutgers and then to Boston University where he earned a master’s degree followed by a two-year stint in the U.S. Army.
Art Mahoney Fit for Life
He married a granddaughter of a wealthy corporate magnate and began what would be a life-long career in advertising in Pennsylvania and Colorado. After 17 years the marriage ended.
Art stayed in Denver, became a community leader and saw his agency grow to 30 employees with $25 million in annual billings. And there he met his wife, Pam, who was and is still today, a gerontological social worker. Pam had three children from a previous marriage so Art became an instant father with an instant family.
Today, those children and grandchildren, though living in different states, are central to Art and Pam’s life.
So, what’s next? To put the answer to that in perspective, we have to look back a few years to Art’s interests aside from family, work and community: fitness and health.
Art’s fitness class in Denver was “a happening” for 27 years. He was more than a highly-regarded advertising agency executive, community leader and family man…he was a rock star trainer with a following.
But when he had a seven-way coronary bypass surgery, Art’s passion for fitness took on a whole new meaning.
“It was St. Patrick’s Day, 2004 and I thought it was appropriate since I had inherited a heart condition from my Irish dad who had died from a heart attack, “ he said.
And, so, fitness and health became even more important as Art, now living in Sarasota, Florida, sought – and still seeks – the answer to the question: “How do we stay fit as we age?”
Art’s unspoken formula includes “staying useful.” That may be why, after 42 years in the corporate world, he’s spent the past 10 years working on staffs and boards of numerous non-profits. With a focus on aging, his most recent work includes concept and brand creation for numerous area non-profits.
So. then, what’s on Art’s front burner today? “I’m developing a website and hitting the speaking circuit to help audiences understand what they need to do to stay fit and healthy,” he said. “I’ll not use a stick but humor” which has been a hallmark of his approachable style.
With his passion, creativity, energy and credentials – three impressive certifications from the National Academy of Sports Medicine – Art, at the young age of 74, is on his way to staying fit and launching yet another career. Stay tuned for more.
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