Following the Story: A Memorial Workout at ADK Fitness
The community that gathered at ADK Fitness for the Iz Memorial Workout. PJ Cote, whose story first brought me to the gym, is kneeling at the bottom left. It was through PJ that I was invited to document this afternoon and given my first glimpse into the community Iz helped build.
Where the Story Started
I originally reached out to PJ Cote after hearing about an event he’s hosting at ADK Fitness in Glens Falls. PJ is a local upper extremity amputee who trains at the gym, and his story caught my attention. I introduced myself through a local Glens Falls community page and asked if he would be open to having me come along with a camera and document the event.
That was supposed to be where this story started.
Before PJ’s event could happen, though, he invited me to a memorial workout honoring Israel “Iz” Deltoro, the founder of ADK Fitness, who recently passed away. So, a little earlier than expected, I found myself walking into the gym with my camera.
One more rep. Surrounded by encouragement, PJ Cote works through the barbell during the Iz Memorial Workout at ADK Fitness.
Remembering Israel “Iz” Deltoro
I didn’t know Israel and never had the opportunity to meet him, so I can’t pretend to tell his story. What I could see was what he meant to the people around him. Iz’s commitment to the community was evident, and his absence was clearly felt in the number of people who came together to remember him.
The memorial took the form of a CrossFit workout. There were weights hitting the floor, chalk in the air and people pushing themselves through another repetition. But I was just as interested in everything happening around the workout: people catching their breath, encouraging each other and the quieter moments in between.
Following Rather Than Covering
I wasn’t there to cover an event in the traditional sense. There was no shot list or expectation that I photograph every participant. I was there to observe and photograph the moments that felt meaningful as they unfolded.
That’s the kind of work I want to make more of around Glens Falls and the surrounding region. I’m interested in the people who make up this area and the communities they create. I don’t necessarily want to arrive knowing what the story is supposed to be. Part of the process is listening, paying attention and seeing where one connection leads.
In this case, I reached out because I wanted to photograph PJ. Instead, that connection first brought me into a room full of people remembering Israel Deltoro, someone I had never met but whose influence on the community around him was impossible to miss.
Where It Goes Next
Next week, I’ll return to ADK Fitness for the event that originally brought PJ’s story to my attention. I’ll spend more time with him, learn more about his story and continue photographing a community that I’ve only just begun to get to know.
I don’t know exactly where the project will lead yet, and that’s part of what interests me about it. Sometimes following a local story means giving it enough time and space to show you where it wants to go.
A selection of photographs from the Iz Memorial Workout. Use the arrows on either side to move through the gallery and follow the morning as it unfolded.
