Master of Motivation works out with Misawa

by Senior Airman Derek VanHorn
35th Fighter Wing Public Affairs

11/21/2013 - MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan -- When the Master of Motivation asked the crowd of about 100 Airmen here if they had ever experienced his creation, nearly every hand shot up in the air. It didn't take long for the remaining few to find out what they were in for.

Misawa Airmen showed up to the base fitness center to workout with Tony Horton, the colorful personality who created P90X, for an hour-long fitness session Nov. 20 that even had the walls sweating by the end of it.

"We got put through the ringer," said Airman 1st Class Camille Van Atta, 35th Fighter Wing Command Post controller, "but it was totally worth it."

Horton came to Misawa as part of an Armed Forces Entertainment tour through Asia, making northern Japan his seventh and final stop before heading back to the U.S. It was Horton's second stop in Misawa, having visited in February of 2011.

P90X is a complete 90-day home fitness system with multiple versions, and Horton led Misawa Airmen through a sneak peak workout from his soon-to-be-released series, P90X3. Horton called it "Brand new, fresh ways to feel the pain."

"It was pretty crazy, I didn't know what to expect," said Senior Airman Joseph Matthews, 35th Security Forces Squadron. "Fitness is important, and being in the military we have a standard to uphold every day. Sometimes that means going above and beyond our limits to get things done."

Horton made the workout more of an experience than a chore, pushing people to get better through encouragement, humor and most importantly, example.

"Tony was something else - he's 55 years old and is working out like he's in his 30s," said Matthews. "He was in better shape than anyone else in the gym."

Horton was raised with a military background, traveling fort to fort while his father served as a tank commander in the U.S. Army.

"I'm a big fan of fighter jets and I'm a big fan of this base," said Horton, who has now visited 44 military installations. "This is the military; I don't have to tell any of you what it means to be intense."

Van Atta said she thought about skipping the event because she thought it might be too difficult, but said the interactions with Horton and Airmen made the pain well worth the gain.

"It helped to have someone like [Horton] around to make you want to do things the right way," Van Atta said. "It's not like when you're at home and want to skip out on those last 10 pushups because no one's watching."

Throughout the day, Horton and his team toured the base, took photos with Airmen and signed autographs before and after the workout.

Following the workout, Horton talked with Airmen about fitness and a raffle was held to award one participant a free DVD set of P90X. The winner was Airman 1st Class Jacob Lombardi, 35th Fighter Wing broadcast journalist.