Garrett Lee Gonzales of Albuquerque, New Mexico, the First of His Name, Breaker of Deadlift Records, the Giver of Gains, Lord of Legion, and King of Legion Iron Gym, was born into this world in June of 1987. Before his first breath, 'til his unexpected last, on May 18, 2023, Garrett always was and always will be a force to be reckoned with. Since he was a child, Garrett was unapologetically himself, and he never wavered. His wit and intelligence were evident from a young age, and so was his defiance. The only thing he disliked more than rules were celery and carrots -oh, and waking up early. Boundaries and rules were boring, and Garrett liked to make life exciting. He found excitement through humor and amusing those around him. Sometimes (ok, oftentimes), this got him into trouble. In school, he was the proud recipient of numerous detentions, and he unabashedly kept a stack of each detention in his room, like badges of honor -this did not amuse his parents. Hands down, Garrett was always the funniest person in the room – the life of the party. And with his laughter came his smile. His smile was one of those million-dollar smiles that instantly lit up any room. It was infectious. To no one's surprise, Garrett was voted class clown for his senior superlatives. Of course, some teachers dreaded having Garrett in their classroom, but a special few realized he was more than just a class clown. Often underestimated and written off as an underachieving goof, Garrett put naysayers to rest; he received his Bachelor of Science in Nuclear Engineering from UNM and interned at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and The Palo Verde Generating Station. Garrett was also published in the Journal of Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry for his work on "Synthesis of Nitric Oxide Probes with Fluorescence Lifetime Sensitivity." He then completed three years of medical school at UNM while starting his own business, opening a gym, and amassing a loyal following on social media. Often, Garrett bit off more than he could chew, but he preferred it this way. Garrett always did things his way. He lived fast and drove even faster. It would be remiss not to mention one of his biggest loves (to put it lightly), fast cars. Garrett's father once asked him, "What would you do if you had a billion dollars?" With a smirk, Garrett responded, "I'd buy a billion-dollar car." He had the privilege of owning a Nissan GTR (twice), Jaguar, Audi R8, and Porsche GT3 (his medical school preceptors weren't envious one bit when he'd park this on campus). He was one of those annoying people (I can say that because I'm his sister) that was good at everything. He excelled in sports (soccer, golf, and lettered in track), tried out for the first time for football in his senior year of high school, and made varsity. He was good at making music (DJ'd under the name DJ FZZN); marketing his business (having bikini-wearing girls lift outside his gym); making fashion statements (somehow, he made wearing a massive fur coat normal and he was always rocking the sickest kicks); and, he was good at cooking (he made the craziest sushi rolls and the spiciest homemade beef jerky). Safe to say normal was not in his vocabulary. Everything about him and everything he did was beyond conventional. The only thing conventional about him was his deadlifts. Garrett was a dreamer, and he dreamed big. His vision, creativity, and ambition allowed him to turn his dreams into reality, and this was one of the most extraordinary things about him. If he could dream it, he could achieve it. Garrett always strived to achieve a good physique. However, putting on muscle wasn't easy for him. When first getting into bodybuilding, he would sacrifice sleep to wake up in the middle of the night to chug an oatmeal, whey protein, egg white, and peanut butter shake. Though he may not have always shown it, he was capable of great discipline such as this. And yes, Garrett achieved his goal of getting jacked, but his biggest muscle wasn't one you could see. Garrett's biggest muscle was his heart. He was capable of great love, and above all, he loved his family. Those who received his love knew his love was abundant. To be loved by Garrett meant you would be in his heart forever. His love is infinite. As he got further into bodybuilding, he found a passion for powerlifting, especially deadlifting. He had a gift for it. Garrett would have been able to explain to you how his leverages, femur length, and arm span gave him some freak advantage on pulling 700 lbs. at 165 lb. body weight, but I still have no idea how he was so damn strong. When Garrett began powerlifting, he started posting his videos online. That's when he found his stride and a loyal following. He was unlike all those other cookie-cutter YouTubers. People instantly fell in love with his authenticity, humor, intelligence, originality, grit, and how he didn't take himself seriously or care about the opinions of others. His humor and antics provided a beacon of light to those in a world of darkness. Garrett connected with "us troubled boys," someone shared. To some, he saved their life. People identified with Garrett and his struggles, and he became an inspiration beyond the feats of his physical strength. Thanks to Garrett, he inspired many to become nurses, doctors, and engineers, and he even inspired his sister to pursue a career in medicine. But, most of all, he inspired people never to give up. To "Never say die." "Never say die" was a saying passed down from his late grandfather Rudolph Sanchez, and it became more than just words; it became Garrett's philosophy. When faced with various hardships, Garrett fought valiantly. Though he always put up a good fight, sometimes he lost. He would come out bloodied, but he never bowed. He never gave up. And he never, not ever said die. Garrett wasn't done causing a ruckus on this earth. However, he has already changed the world for many and continues to make his mark. His message continues to provide a beacon of light. This is his legacy. Garrett is survived by his father, Jerry; mother, Mona Lisa; sister, Loretta; grandmothers, Elma and Connie; his girlfriend, Serena; and other extended family members. But he is also survived by you. You who find inspiration in his message to pursue your biggest dreams, to be original, to not give a f*ck what others think, and most importantly, to "Never say die." Long live Gary. Garrett’s memorial service will be held on June 16th, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. at the UNM Alumni Memorial Chapel (off University and Las Lomas), followed by his burial at Mt. Calvary Cemetery (1900 Edith NE), and Celebration of Life at 1:30 p.m. at Los Altos Golf Course (9717 Copper NE). In honor of Garrett’s vibrancy and love of eccentric fashion, we ask those who attend his services to wear something colorful. In lieu of flowers, Garrett’s family humbly asks for donations sent to GoFundMe (gofundme.com/f/longlivegary) to cover memorial expenses as well as expenses for Legion Iron Gym.