Who Would Have Thought?
 orn to hardworking German immigrants on October 28, 1970 in Queens, NY, Stefan's first years were spent in Germany where his parents returned to be with family after his birth. Upon their return to the states three years later, he began to learn English as a second language. This language barrier led to a very introverted childhood. Stefan pursued swimming, running, karate and catching frogs. At an early age he fell in love with Errol Flynn swashbuckling movies. His father would help him make swords and bow and arrows in a downstairs workroom.
At 14, still consumed with karate, he saw Arnold Schwarzenegger for the first time in 'Conan the Barbarian'. This new role model led to an obsession with bodybuilding and what it could do for his skinny kid body. He eagerly studied everything he could about building his physique, then coupled that with 4 hour a day workouts, beginning at 5:30 am before school and concluding at 8 pm after work. His continued interest in bodybuilding led him to compete in three All-Natural(no steroids) competitions at the age of 18, culminating with a 3rd place win in the New York State Bodybuilding Championships.
At 21, Stefan realized there was more to life than just bodybuilding. He began to explore activities that challenged him in other ways and discovered his newest obsessions, chess and surfing, both of which he still avidly pursues today. His interest in bodybuilding evolved into working as a personal trainer at a small gym. It was there that his greatest challenge presented itself.
In 1992, he set up a meeting between a client and his employers for purchase of the gym, but the deal fell through. The idea of owning the gym so intrigued him that after much research and with a lot of nerve, he was able to secure a small business loan and purchase the gym with a friend. Nine months later their partnership parted ways. Stefan became the sole proprietor of the gym in 1994. With very little capital and the drive to succeed instilled in him by his parents, he began to renovate the run down gym himself, learning along the way to be his own electrician, lay his own ceramic tile, etc. This experience had a lasting influence, teaching him that anything in life was within reach.
To see the results visit Evolution Fitness Club.
His start as a cover model came with an introduction from an artist friend, and he was soon working steadily, and exclusively, posing for romance covers. He's never had an agency to represent him. Four years and hundreds of covers later, he attributes his success to always saying yes and always being on time.
Stefan considers owning and managing his now very successful health club his real job and his modeling work a very fun hobby. Personal discipline and lots of hard work are the heart of his success. He lives for challenges. As he often says, "How hard can it be?"
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