Clocking Time With…Thomas O’Neill

Get to Know Thomas O’Neill, RTC May Member Spotlight

What Thomas Loves About RTC!

Thomas just celebrated his 3rd anniversary at RTC, and his journey from where he was when he started to where he is today has led him to exceed all of his fitness goals! 

“Before coming to RTC, my fitness experience was minimal,” says Thomas. “I played lacrosse and soccer in middle school, but then took a 12-year hiatus where I didn’t do much. Then, in late 2020, I decided to make a change and prioritize my health. This prompted me to train for and complete the Akron half marathon after nine months of dedicated effort. That experience ignited a desire to discover new ways to stay fit, which led me to RTC!”

Coming to RTC was a decision that Thomas does not regret. “I’m able to do movements and lift weights that I never thought I’d be able to do,” he says.”My main goal is to be consistent, and results will follow. The constantly varied workouts and the incredibly supportive community of coaches and fellow members make each day enjoyable and makes it easy to return the next day.” Thomas credits the RTC community for his success, calling it “the best part of this journey.” “From struggling with my first pull-up to now being able to do them RX in  workouts, the unwavering encouragement and support from everyone has been incredible. It’s a relief to know that no matter how challenging my day has been, I can find positive energy and camaraderie in each class to end my day. I’ve also benefited immensely from the coaches who continually push me to become better. Special shout out to the 5:45 class!”

 Get to Know Thomas!

Thomas, a Senior DevOps Engineer at New Innovations who manages cloud infrastructure and application deployments, says that he is “really close” with his family. He is the middle of 2 sisters and became a “proud uncle” last year. He says that he and his family are big Browns and Cavs fans, and spend Sundays together to watch the games. His family also includes 3 “very spoiled” dogs named Penny and Molly, who live with his parents, and Ellie, who lives with his sister, but comes to stay with Thomas when his sister is in the office.

Fun Facts about Thomas!

• Favorite exercises: rowing
• Least favorite exercises: thrusters or wall balls
• Favorite food: steak (rare)
• Favorite movie: Good Will Hunting
• Favorite book: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Deathly Hallows is a close second)
• Biggest pet peeve: Sports gambling advertisements
• Best vacation spot: Sandbridge Beach
• People would be surprised to know that: I enjoy cooking, especially smoking meats
• Something that always makes me smile: Opening the door and being greeted by my dogs
• If I won the lotto I’d: Visit all the national parks, and go on a BBQ road trip to Memphis, Kansas City, Texas, and the Carolinas 
• Summer is just around the corner! Any big plans? Hopefully attending a championship parade in June

Congratulations to Thomas!