G.I. Joe is back.
For the first time since he suffered a stroke last January, the beloved boot camp fitness instructor known for his tough love classes at the Manhattan Beach Pier, Joe Charles, will be offering his signature class through the Manhattan Beach Parks and Recreation Department from January 25 through March 25.
“I can’t do a lot, but I’m going to do as much as I can,” said Charles, adding that he can do pushups and sit-ups.
This time, he’ll be having help from one of his longtime students, Linda Meighan.
Charles still has trouble talking and is using a walker, so Meighan will help lead the group.
“It’s basically what he wants to do — I’m going to guide everybody,” said Meighan, an herbalist.
After 15 years of taking the class, Meighan said, “I can do it in my sleep.”
The routine involves stretching, running up the hill to Starbucks, crunches in the sand and pushups, among other exercises, she said.
“You’re constantly going for 50 minutes, said Meighan. “It’s a great way to start the day.”
The class will be offered Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 6 to 7 a.m. and 9 to 10 a.m.
Meighan said she was inspired to help Charles because of how he helped her during a dark time in her life 15 years ago when she lost her son.
“He came like an angel,” she said.
After Charles promoted his boot camp at Meighan’s office at the time, she decided to give it a try.
“I went and I couldn’t stop,” she said. “It got me up in the morning for 15 years. It made such a difference in my life.”
Now, she said, “He needs help.”
Since Charles’s stroke, his former students and others in the community have rallied around him. He said over $25,000 has been donated to him, by individuals, the Manhattan Beach police, firefighters, Skechers, and others.
Charles struggled to express how grateful he was. He has been trying to make the rounds to show his appreciation in person, although he is dependent on others for transportation.
“Thank you,” he said. “Thank you, thank you, thank you. I didn’t know how they appreciated me. I didn’t know. I was just doing. . .I didn’t know. . .Oh my God,” he said, shaking his head, unable to find the words.
Charles has been working out at the pier once a week with the help of Meighan and another former student, who drive him from his home in Inglewood. He walks up and down the pier, practicing lifting his arms and saying hello to those who recognize him.
“He tries to do whatever he can,” said Meighan. “It helps him to get out and see the people there. It makes such a difference.”
At the pier, Charles is “like a celebrity,” she said.
Meighan recalled how when she took Charles for a visit to the Skechers offices recently, a car stopped on the street and started honking.
“’Hey Joe, waitin’ on you!” the female driver called out, using Charles’s catchphrase.
For more information about G.I. Joe’s Winter Beach Boot Camp or to register, call the Manhattan Beach Parks and Recreation Department at 310-802-5448 or go to citymb.info/registration. ER
