Several years ago, John Watkins struggled with depression after his young son was diagnosed with cancer. But one day, Jess Moore, a Washougal resident, strength and conditioning coach and former professional fighter, invited Watkins, a kickboxing and Jiu Jitsu enthusiast, to train with him — not, he said, because he wanted Watkins’ money, but because he genuinely cared about his friend’s well-being.
That workout session led to another and then another. After a while, Watkins began to feel like his old, exuberant self. Looking back now, he knows that Moore changed his life — or perhaps, he said, even saved it.