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‘You keep moving’: Guide dog navigates Toms River gym to help blind, deaf man work out

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‘You keep moving’: Guide dog navigates Toms River gym to help blind, deaf man work out

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TOMS RIVER – During a recent morning workout at Planet Fitness, Mark Scott was looking to set a personal record on the leg extension machine. His trainer, Francine Forgione, set the weight to 250 pounds and encouraged him to try it once.

Wincing but determined, Scott lifted the bar with his legs. Then he pumped out two more reps.

“Awesome,” Forgione said. “Excellent.”

It was quite the display of strength for a 67-year-old. And not just that: Scott is blind and deaf. He hears with the help of cochlear implants, and he gets around thanks to a guide dog, a 3-year-old yellow lab named Zack who waited patiently next to the leg extension machine.

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If you’re seeking a little inspiration, look no further than Mark Scott. The Howell native was born hard of hearing, and by his early 50s even the best hearing aids couldn’t help him. In his 20s he was diagnosed with a degenerative eye condition; by 2009 he had to stop driving and retired from his job as a heating and air conditioning technician.

“Mark could easily sit at home and wallow, but he’s got such a good attitude,” Forgione said. “He’s like a ray of sunshine.”

‘You can’t put a price on it’

For eight years, after losing his sight, Scott rarely ventured out of his Manchester home. In 2017 he paired up with a guide dog, named Linus, and started coming to Planet Fitness on Route 37 in Toms River. That’s where he met Forgione, a personal trainer who took him under her wing. She coaches him through workouts twice a week — weights, cardio, hydromassage.

“I want to make his life better, and that’s what makes my life better,” Forgione said. “We all have obstacles in our life — I’ve had many. If you can help other people along the way, that gives you strength. That’s when you really get rewarded.”

Though long certified as a personal trainer, Forgione’s original connection to Planet Fitness in Toms River was as a member. When a trainer on the gym’s staff took leave, she filled in — and began volunteering her services to members with disabilities.

“You sacrifice money for something like that because you can’t put a price on it,” Forgione said.

Coming to Planet Fitness helped open up Scott’s world. Feeling better physically and more confident, he and Linus went shopping, out to restaurants, even camping with family members.

“It’s great having her as a trainer,” he said of Forgione. “She’s really helped me out a lot.”

This past summer, however, life threw Scott another curve ball.

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A new challenge

It takes time to develop a bond of trust with a guide dog. In June, when Linus had to retire at age 10, that meant starting over for Scott. To his credit, he adopted Linus as a pet instead of returning him to the guide-dog agency. But he still needed a new companion to lead him around, and that’s when Zack came into the picture.

The gym, especially, was confounding for Zack. So much activity and so many obstacles.

“Zack was distracted at first,” Forgione said. The dog would round corners too fast, for example, and Scott would end up bumping into the wall.

“It takes a good year to get comfortable with a guide dog,” Scott said. “Everywhere I go is different. I’ve got to trust him.”

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It’s coming along. Scott is patient and persistent. He has to be.

“No matter what happens, you keep moving,” he said. “You keep going.”

That’s good advice, both in the gym and in life.

Scott kept going, and that’s why he was able to push 250 pounds with his legs at Planet Fitness.

“When I first came here I couldn’t do 100 pounds — I couldn’t do 50,” he said.

Forgione said he’s inspired the entire gym.

“He’s a fighter,” she said, “and I’m there to fight with him.”

Jerry Carino is community columnist for the Asbury Park Press, focusing on the Jersey Shore’s interesting people, inspiring stories and pressing issues. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com.

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