A Goal To Help The Children Of America- Michael Torchia

Ciao a tutti,

If you can't tell from listening to the Filippo and the Chef show radio transmissions or our podcast archives, I really enjoy what I am doing. One of the most satisfying parts about what I am doing is doing the interviews.

It amazes me how Italians have risen to the top of so many Industries and it has been a pleasure learning how they did it and what they are doing etc., as I do each interview. The ones that touch me the most however are the ones in which we talk about what the individual's passions are about helping other people or the world.

In a way I have to say that this seems to come out in almost every interview, on some it comes out while we are recording and unfortunately on some, when the computer is off. Though some people use their influence, their art, or their abilities to help others, there are those that are dedicated to only doing that.

That is what I felt from my interview with Michael Torchia. Here is a man who has had great success, and continues to have success, in his field as a health and wellness expert and personal trainer to the stars like Kim Cattrall, Al Pacino, Kevin Spacey, Joe Mantegna, Sinbad, Roseanne Barr and Matt Damon.

Now he is taking his knowledge, experience and influence and putting his passion into helping people live healthier lives, and most of all children. Among the many projects he is involved in and the many ways he is planning on achieving his goals are a podcast and radio show that is well underway called "Shape Up America," and a television show called "On The Road to Celebrity Fitness."

He has taken his message to such shows as, the NBC Today Show, Dateline, ABC News, CBS Morning News, Fox News, E!, Extra, American Journal, Inside Edition, Life & Styles, The Larry Elder Show and the Montel Willams Show.

His biggest passion seems to be caring for the children of this country who seem to be suffering from, among many other things, obesity. In fact, one of Mike's favorite quotes is "The test of the morality of a society is what it does for its children," by Deitrich Bonhoeffer.

He has started a campaign to get junk food out of the schools and to revolutionize what the children eat at schools as well as bring fitness in again to those schools that don't offer it anymore.

That seems to be such a big undertaking considering how much money is made off of selling children junk food and how little parents know about the effects of those foods and the chemical additives in them, both the ones listed on the ingredients and the ones that are legally not listed, etc.

But Michael is bound and determined to see it happen and has aligned himself with some powerful people and organizations. Just like he succeeded in shaping his body to the amazement that it is today and has been for years, I hope and trust he will help take care of the children by shaping up their schools and their bodies too.

Michael went from being 20 pounds over weight as a child to winning Teenage Mr. America, Collegiate Mr. USA, Mr. California, National Bodybuilding Champion to World Bodybuilding Champion.

Now he is championing the health and bodies of the children of America. More power to him.

Hear his passion come through on our interview with him that already aired but you can catch it at our show archives at www.FilippoandtheChef.com.

In the pictures above you will also see friends of Michael, Rona Freeman a Fitness Trainer in her own right, Austin Fuentes, and me with one of those infamous smiles.

May it be just as Michael says for the good of all the children.

Filippo


P.S. While doing research on Youtube.com to find the perfect video for this blog post I came across yet another Italian pop artist I had not yet heard of, Povia. I found this song to be so interesting I am posting it for all my fans that can understand Italian.

The song is called "I Bambini Fanno Ooh!" It translates into "children say Ooh," and is referring to the expression of innocence by children and how beautiful it is when they are looking at the world and being surprised at all they see, experience and discover. In the song he goes on to say that he is ashamed about the fact that he doesn't say ooh anymore and that he should, because he sees the beauty that we miss by our jaded way of looking at the world.

What could be more beautiful than to look at the world through the eyes of a child. I had to post this video to go along with the work that Michael is doing to help the children be children again, happy and healthy.

May we find the child within us too and be able to say "ooh" more often.