Will Tennyson and Sal

Sunday night, my wife went off to her float tank appointment, and I found myself with not enough time to get invested in a movie, but not really in the mood to play video games. So, I fired up YouTube, and I saw Will Tennyson had a new video to check out.

Over the past year or so, Will Tennyson has been what has kept me engaged with YouTube. His type of fitness videos are the perfect antidote for all the chest pounding, sales pushing, and arrogance that runs rampant within the fitness influencer communities. His videos are light, funny, and usually pretty interesting. I will say, I prefer his content from the last 2-3 years over his earlier stuff, and he’s really hit a stride over the past year.

His last video was an epic documentary of his first bodybuilding competition. It was a bit different from his usual videos, but an enlightening and enjoyable video, nonetheless. This week, he is back telling another fitness story, and it involves a young man named Sal.

One year ago, Sal was 725 lbs. and now weighs just over 600 lbs. Sal found himself suffering from heart failure and bankruptcy, and that put him on a path to becoming healthier. In the video, Will spends the day with Sal, eating what Sal eats, working out with Sal, and discussing what led to Sal’s condition.

The empathy that Will has for obese people is not something commonly found online nor in real life. In one video, he donned a fat suit for a day, and I think it really opened his eyes to the difficulties that the morbidly obese face in just trying to navigate through their day. The video does an amazing job at celebrating Sal’s wins, pushing Sal, but also giving Sal a platform to discuss the hard stuff.

In one particular scene, Sal discusses the type of comments his videos get on social media. He’s called “Shamu” and told “He’s too far gone” and “His life isn’t worth saving.” It’s one of those moments where you feel enraged, but also incredibly sad for this man, who is showing up and doing his best each and every day. He’s documenting his journey on YouTube and Instagram, and in an ideal world we’d celebrate this man for taking control and doing better, but sadly, this world is less than ideal.

But Sal says he uses it as motivation, and I must admit, I was inspired. Having dealt with some internet hate and misinformation, it’s nice to see that Sal isn’t shying away, but instead embracing it and using it as f you fuel. It inspired me, and I’m not sure if I would have shared this blog with anyone had I not seen the determination and confidence in Sal when discussing the trolls.

I’m looking forward to following Sal on his journey. I’ve subscribed to his YouTube and Instagram, and admittedly, his videos need some editing, but even if I just scroll by the screencaps, I hope to watch this man continue to lose weight, become healthy, and alleviate his shame.