MARCO LATERZA
Swiss-born Marco Laterza went from the private banking sector and corporate world to becoming a world-leading personal trainer and motivational coach. Being discovered by chance has led him to being featured on no less than 14 covers. For those who think that you can’t build an incredible physique on a vegan diet, then read on, that is exactly what Marco achieved, and he gives us some great insight into his world as a vegan bodybuilder.
Instaram: @marcolaterza
MARCO FIRSTLY, PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF AND HOW YOUR JOURNEY INTO THE FITNESS INDUSTRY STARTED?
I started out in gymnastics when a meniscus injury at age 17 forced me to take a break. For nine months, I fought to get back in the game. Every day was a struggle, but my physical therapist introduced me to weight training. That’s when the course of my life would change forever. My body responded very well to the weights which sparked my curiosity for the human body. My passion for bodybuilding and nutrition was born and soon I completed my training as a professional nutrition consultant and fitness trainer. While working a full-time job at a bank, I invested all of my free time and money in getting the best training there is. I was being mentored by elite coaches like Charles Poliquin, Wolfgang Unsoeld, and Alan Aragon. In 2014, I went to the renowned fitness fair FIBO and was discovered and soon after my career in fitness started taking off.
THIS IS YOUR 14TH COVER FEATURE! FOR SOME, ONE COVER WOULD BE A DREAM COME TRUE, HOW DID YOU MAKE THIS HAPPEN?
I set a specific goal for myself: Becoming the first Swiss fitness cover model ever. I was still working in a bank, so I started modelling on the side. I read a lot of books about success psychology and decided to make a bold move to turn my dreams into reality. I hopped on a plane to Germany and walked around one of the biggest fitness fairs in the world - half naked. My goal was to attract attention and I did. In the restroom of this fair I coincidentally met a renowned publisher who invited me to the US. Three weeks of photo shootings in LA followed,
