GRAFTON, Wis. — For those who haven't been through the experience, it can be hard to truly understand what our servicemen and women go through each day.
“It’s a daily challenge for a lot of people. Anything that causes that trauma, people must fight it every day,” said Grafton native, Jayson Wissmueller.
It's a fight he says he knows intimately.
“Both my grandfathers served in World War II and Korea, my father served, two of my uncles served and then I served in the Iraq era.”
The Marine veteran was enlisted from 2005 to 2011 and is one of many people who struggled long after ending his service and coming home. That’s when he began using physical fitness as an outlet.
“Getting out, trying to find ways to deal with my physical and mental challenges. Finding that outlet, finding those healthy weapons against that, is very important and I think the gym and physical fitness is a huge part of that.”
He began training to run a marathon which he completed in 2018. Wissmueller tells TMJ4 that crossing that finish line was just the beginning of his fitness journey, which he's now dreaming of bringing to others going through the same thing.
In July, with the help of his fiancé and family, Wissmueller opened Forged in Fire Fitness, a gym in Grafton that is centered around providing a space for fellow veterans and first responders to find a solid community.
“I don’t want people just to come in the door, work out and leave. I want them to really feel like they have a home, somewhere where they're supported,” Wissmueller said.
Step inside the gym and you'll see flags for each military branch hanging proudly on the wall so anyone facing invisible trauma knows they have a place where they can work on their battles together.
“Doing that alone is next to impossible. And unfortunately, we see a lot of service members not win that battle, so I want to make sure that the ones that walk in this door know that there’s someone there for them.”
Wissmueller hopes more veterans and first responders will find a positive outlet within these walls.
The name on the door is another reminder that the strongest people are often made from the toughest challenges.
Forged in Fire Fitness will be holding a Spartan Deka Strong competition on Dec. 16.
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