Friedberg JCC trainer Mark Sebesta uses faith, fitness to help those with special needs

Mark Sebesta, a personal trainer and exercise specialist at the Friedberg JCC in Oceanside, has dedicated most of his life to three things: fitness, faith and helping others. Sebesta, 53, works mostly with the special-needs population at the JCC. He moved from Astoria, Queens, to Oceanside in 2014, and found a second home at the JCC. He was hired as a personal trainer in January, after being a member and avid attendee for nine years.

Sebesta is a certified personal trainer, a kickboxing instructor and a black belt in karate. He is also a rabbi, having received his ordination in 2012. He hosts Torah classes and spiritual counseling, and says he prides himself on being able to help people not only physically but also spiritually, which adds to the communal atmosphere at the JCC.

“A lot of places have fitness facilities and training, and the world tends to be so focused on the external, but I think so much of what happens here affects the inside as well, and that’s precisely what (Mark) is doing,” Myra Ripley, the JCC’s director of communications and development, said.

Sebesta grew up in Newburgh, in Orange County. When he was growing up, he wanted to be a cook to help those less fortunate. When he was 11 he worked in a Senior Center kitchen in New Windsor, New York where he washed dishes and prepared food for World War II vets and Vietnam War veterans. His family was involved in law enforcement and the Marines, and at age 21, he took up law enforcement, too, serving as a police officer in Essex County, New York, and later in the 114th Precinct in Astoria.

He left the force with heart issues at age 38, but the experience led him to the realization that he wanted to help people by other means.

“I did what I had to do, and there was another path for me,” he said. “It was like a seesaw to the full path I wanted to lead. Most of the time when something like that happens, there’s a better thing for you out there. Most of the time when I would intervene, I was able to save a person by speaking to them — telling them that the path they’re on isn’t the right path.”

After retiring from the police force, Sebesta had a stint in the pizzeria business, harking back to his time in the kitchen helping veterans, and also trained people in martial arts. He had clients with special needs in Astoria.

His compassion for people with disabilities is due in large part to his experience as a father. His 15-year-old son, Mark Jr., has autism, and over the years he has found that he enjoys helping children and adolescents with special needs grow. After he spent four years working in a pizzeria, he became a stay-at-home dad until he and his wife, Patricia, were able to find the right school for Mark Jr.

“Nobody knows, unless they’ve been through it, what parents are going through with those types of children,” Sebesta said, “going in and out of hospitals and going to different doctors.”

His passion for helping those with disabilities led him to go back to school to become a teacher, majoring in mild to moderate special education in online courses offered by WGU. He continues to attend Southern New Hampshire University online, and is now pursuing a degree in psychology and counseling.

Baldwin resident Matt Ijeako brings his special-needs son, Jordan, to the JCC to train with Sebesta, and appreciates the environment he creates for Jordan.

“It’s convenient, and the atmosphere is great,” Matt said, adding, of his son, “He’s having a lot of fun, and he gets a one-on-one experience, and they really pay attention to him.”

Sebesta doesn’t plan on slowing down anytime soon, and recently self-published two books, “Adaptive Exercises for Individuals” and “Cerebral Palsy: Unlocking Potential Through Physical Fitness and Therapy,” which combine his passion for fitness and compassion for those with disabilities.

After years of being a member of the JCC, Sebesta is happy to be a part of its staff and to help the special-needs population. “Parents feel safe, and want their children to come to a place where (they) are being properly taken care of,” he said. “Here it doesn’t matter who you are. It’s a big community, and I believe this place is for all people.”