"Why Is My Client on the Balcony?"... The Trainer Astonished to See the Pope

The Pope Worked Out at a Gym Near the Vatican as a Cardinal
Trainer: "I Didn't Know He Was a Cleric... Thought He Was a Professor or Scholar"

An Italian fitness trainer was astonished to learn that a client he had coached for two years had been elected as the new pope.

On the 18th (local time), the Italian daily newspaper Il Messaggero published an interview with Valerio Marcella, 26, who works as a trainer at a gym near the Vatican. Marcella revealed that he had been training Pope Leo XIV, 69, for the past two years.

Pope Leo XIV is sprinkling holy water during a mass held on the 18th (local time) at St. Peter's Square in the Vatican. Photo by Xinhua News Agency

He said, "No one at this gym knew that Leo XIV was a cardinal," adding, "Even I, who was coaching him, had no idea." At the gym, Leo XIV was known by his real name, Robert (Robert Francis Prevost). Leo XIV visited the gym two to three times a week to work out. The gym staff, observing his quiet and calm demeanor, assumed that he was a professor or a scholar.

Marcella described him by saying, "He never came to the gym in clerical attire and always wore comfortable clothes. The pope was very reserved, but he was always kind and never seemed nervous or annoyed. He is a calm and well-balanced person."

Marcella only realized the true identity of his client when Leo XIV appeared on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican after being elected as the new pope. He said, "I recognized him immediately when I saw him on TV," adding, "I couldn't believe I had been coaching the future pope." He continued, "It is truly astonishing, but to me, he was just another client, and he behaved just like any other gym member."

Regarding Leo XIV's physical condition, Marcella said, "He is in excellent shape for his age," and added, "As someone who has never stopped exercising, his muscle mass, bone mass, and body fat ratio are all impressive."

Alessandro Tamburlani, the manager of the gym attended by the pope, told Catholic News Agency (CNA), "We were two or three times as happy to learn that the new pope was someone we knew," and added, "Leo XIV's healthy lifestyle sets a great example for everyone."