Page Falkinburg -- aka Diamond Dallas Page -- did more in pro wrestling than most of his peers could ever dream of accomplishing.
"DDP" held a world title, married a Playboy centerfold, gained mainstream recognition when teaming with former NBA superstar Karl Malone, wrote an autobiography and parlayed his grappling exploits into Hollywood acting roles. Falkinburg achieved all of this despite not stepping into the ring full-time until the age of 35.
But to Arthur Boorman, none of these impressive feats will be remembered as Falkinburg's greatest accomplishment.
In 2007, Boorman began the YRG (Yoga for Regular Guys) Fitness System that Falkinburg has made his new career focus.
At the time, the 5-foot-8 Boorman weighed 297 pounds and needed canes and leg braces to walk and stand. Hip, knee and back injuries suffered as a military paratrooper in Desert Storm exacerbated his immobility. Boorman was such a mess that his personal physician began raising the possibility of leg amputation. Boorman said a Baltimore-area yoga clinic declined his membership application and told him, "Nobody here can help you. How can you do yoga if you can't even stand up?"
Under the YRG program, Boorman found a way.
Following a fitness regimen that combines diet with cardiovascular and stretching exercises, the 50-year-old Boorman dropped to 166 pounds in 10 months and has kept off the weight. The braces and canes are gone. Boorman can even run once again.
Such a tale serves as inspiration to the special-education students Boorman teaches at Severna Park (Md.) High School.
"At one level, I was a disabled teacher with disabled students," Boorman said in a telephone interview that included Falkinburg. "They had a problem academically; I had a problem physically. Not only do I know what they feel like, I know what it's like to triumph over that."
Falkinburg offered Boorman support beyond the YRG DVDs sold on his website. Falkinburg personally corresponded with Boorman to offer support and learned some new wrinkles to his YRG program along the way, like advocating use of a chair for support if needed for some movements.
"He showed people how to modify and make things easier," said Falkinburg, who has video of Boorman's transformation on the website. "I never thought about adding those things. He took it to another level. I constantly say people should make the YRG workout their own. He embodies it like no one I've ever seen."
Ironically, Boorman wasn't a big pro-wrestling fan when he began the YRG workouts. He does remember Falkinburg from the 1990s when other Army soldiers watched DDP perform on "WCW Monday Nitro" telecasts.
"Even when I was halfway across the room, it was kind of hard to ignore him," a laughing Boorman said.
Falkinburg wants to create more success stories like Boorman's as he pursues a reality television show. With his wrestling days behind him, Falkinburg said he has personally invested $500,000 in building the YRG brand because he believes so strongly in the results that can be achieved.
Falkinburg himself is living proof that YRG works.
While hesitant at first, Falkinburg initially began a yoga routine in 1998 when faced with a career-threatening back injury. Falkinburg recovered and gradually built his own expanded workout through trial and error. At age 54, the 230-pound Falkinburg is now in the best shape of his life.
"This isn't yoga. It's yoga-inspired exercise that involves Pilates, some (mixed-martial-arts movements) and resistance training," said Falkinburg, who also helped singer/celebrity Carrie Wilson get into better shape. "It's engaging muscles when you move from one position to another. That jacks up the heart rate.
"When I finally get my reality show, I want to be able to bring Arthur on and people I've helped because they walked the walk. This is a lifestyle."
For more information, visit www.diamonddallaspage.com.
(Alex Marvez writes a syndicated pro-wrestling column for Scripps Howard News Service. Contact him at alex1marv@aol.com or follow him via Twitter at http://twitter.com/alexmarvez.)
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