The greatest blessing a child could have is having parents who guide them in the most genuine and positive way possible. I can confidently say that I couldn’t have had it any better growing up and it’s all because my mother and father helped me build my fitness foundation from day one. And the best part was, they never told me what to do. They never forced me to do something. They just did it themselves and led by example. Monkey see, monkey do. Being active and being an athlete is all I know and it’s all because my parents instilled in me from the very beginning that this is how you live life.
My father, Greg Floyd, was a dominant long distance runner at Guilderland High School and he then went on to tear it up at Oneonta State for their cross country team. When I was a tiny youngster, he would always compete in triathlons… and I’ll never forget all of the years he did the famous Pine Bush Triathlon right here in the Capital Region. It was extremely convenient that the bike portion of the race would take my father and other racers right past the top of my neighborhood. Every year during the race, all of the neighborhood families and my neighborhood buddies would gather at the top of the street to watch my pops zoom by us and give us a quick wave. And then in an even quicker fashion, my mom, sister and I would race in the car over to the Guilderland YMCA to see my dad cross the finish line on his feet. It was in those moments when I realized that being fast and being an athlete was something I wanted for myself too. From there on out, my father and I lived on the baseball field and the basketball court. Those two sports were my first loves and I was obsessed with them. Any time I wanted to take grounders or take batting practice, my dad was there to hit and pitch to me. Any time I wanted to get shots up before school or on the weekends, my dad was right underneath the basket rebounding for me. He knew how much being a ball player meant to me, so he would do whatever it took to help me grow as an athlete and as a young man. And then when I got into my teenage years, I knew that running was a pivotal piece to the puzzle of being a monster on the field and on the court. So I started running consistently and that foundation has allowed me to be a dedicated and confident runner to this day. As a 28 year old, I’m in the best shape of my life, and the credit belongs to my dad because he set the example, showed up for me at all costs, and helped me have all of my priorities in line in all areas in my life beyond sports.
I have a dawg of a dad, and if you follow me on social media, you know for a fact that I most definitely have an MVP mom. Nina Floyd is the pioneer of healthy living overall in my family. I’ve never met someone who has a bigger heart in my entire life… and most importantly, she knows exactly how to train the heart and of course, the mind. My mother retired from television news in her mid 20s to have me and my sister, so eventually, she knew she had to find a new career that would be much more flexible than being a TV news reporter. Since she was a three sport athlete in high school and always took immaculate care of herself, she figured that getting into the world of fitness was the proper move. So ever since I was in elementary school, my mom was setting the tone by showing up to the Guilderland YMCA and taking over the local fitness community. She taught kick boxing, spinning, boot camp, you name it. She did personal trainings on top of that too and everyone fell in love with her intelligence, leadership and her ability to provide the most positive overall fitness experience. Since my mom was always teaching classes, lifting weights and working out with her friends, I figured “well I have to do this too”. And as I got older, on top of playing sports, I was getting in the gym with my best friends and we were getting after it like she did. Every single day during my childhood I was either playing sports, playing outside with my friends, running, lifting weights, doing some kind of workout or activity. I didn’t know any other way. Since that was my whole life growing up, it became my whole life in my late teenage years, all the way up until now. And it was always fun because I would do everything with people I love and care about, just like my mom did with her circle of people.
Since there was such a deep foundation built in my fitness life, I’m able to workout every single day now without hesitation because it’s already established into me. I don’t have to think about it. I just do it as a part of my routine every day because that’s how it’s been for well over a decade. If I didn’t have my dad showing me how to be a competitor while doing everything he could to help me to be the greatest baseball and basketball player possible, I wouldn’t be where I am. If I didn’t have my mom showing me that fitness, working out and taking great care of yourself is an EVERY DAY thing, I wouldn’t be where I am. My parents were relentless with their grinds and that’s all I saw growing up, so that’s all I wanted to be. One day, when I have children of my own, they will be on a whole different level because I will lead like how my parents did. I feel my best because I give my best each day and that’s all thanks to Greg and Nina. The greatest parents anyone could ever have.
Bill Floyd
January 13, 2025
NY Fitness Expo 
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