Town staffer finds balance with tiring work and passion for weightlifting

Matthew Ballew’s days working for public works on Longboat Key are always busy. 

Whether it’s routine maintenance at Bayfront Park or early-morning trash collection before the sun rises, Ballew’s days are tiring, especially in the Florida heat. 

But after the workday is over, Ballew’s day doesn’t end. Since high school, Ballew has been passionate about weightlifting and bodybuilding, which he has intertwined with his daily life. 

Career by the beach

In high school, Ballew was involved in a variety of sports — basketball, soccer, football, baseball and track. Then, in his later high school years, he wound up getting in too much trouble to participate in sports and turned to weightlifting. 

He was hooked. 

Ballew went to Indiana State after high school to study kinesiology, where weightlifting was a hobby and the main social environment for him. 

“From then on, it was like a habit,” Ballew said. “We were all kinesiology majors, sports exercise science, just kind of into that lifestyle and all athletes.” 

Photo by Petra Rivera

Ballew lost enjoyment in the college experience and realized his end goal with kinesiology would likely be a personal trainer, something that doesn’t require a college degree.

His parents had been snowbirds after he graduated from high school. While debating whether to continue his schooling, he took his parents up on an offer to see what the Bradenton area was like. 

“I actually had a plane ticket to go back two weeks after, but I ended up staying and found a job on Siesta Beach working for Sarasota County,” Ballew said. “I fell in love with working on the beach and taking care of it.” 

For a couple of years, Ballew jumped around in similar jobs for Sarasota County, including working on Lido Key for about six years before working on the Legacy Trail for about a year. 

In early 2023, Ballew decided he wanted to go back to working near a beach, and his manager at Sarasota County mentioned Longboat Key had a job opening. 

Ballew didn’t travel to Longboat often before taking the job, but he chose to give the area a try.

Photo by Petra Rivera 

“Over time, I’ve learned that it’s a very peaceful, quiet, safe place,” Ballew said. “It’s very ideal to retire here. It’s like paradise.”

Ballew said he’s been grateful for the town’s emphasis on keeping staff wages competitive, but also appreciates the relationship he’s built with the community members.

“I really love the community part of working here on Longboat and how we try to please our community as much as we can, and be a little more personable and build good relationships with people,” Ballew said. “I’m very grateful for all of that.”

Bodybuilding in the background

Weightlifting and bodybuilding continued to be a big part of Ballew’s life in Florida. 

Typically, his workouts are about 45 minutes of weightlifting, a 30-40 minute cardio session and 20 minutes in the sauna — all of that after a day of working outside on Longboat Key.

“A lot of days you do struggle to get in the gym,” Ballew said. “But once you get in there and get the blood flowing, you’re always happy you made it in there.” 

When he first started his job with Longboat Key, Ballew realized he was consistently losing weight — something that spells trouble for weightlifters trying to put on weight in the form of muscle. 

“That is definitely a big challenge out here, especially since it’s such a long, hot summer,” Ballew said. “When I first started this job, I was consistently losing weight and I was a little concerned.” 

Then, Ballew found that adding a protein shake or bowl of oatmeal helped maintain his weight. Hydration helps, too, for maintaining energy levels. 

Outside of the gym and working long hours with the town, Ballew said meal preparation is essential. At least once or twice a week, Ballew cooks chicken or rice a big batch of carbohydrates like rice. 

“That’s going to help keep from eating bad food,” Ballew said about the meal preparation. 

Courtesy image

On Sept. 21, 2024, Ballew took the stage at the Physical Culture Association (PCA) United States Championships show in Bradenton. 

Competing in a bodybuilding show requires a lot of preparation, including a stricter diet which Ballew started 10 weeks before the show date. This means no alcohol, no fast food or junk food. 

His strict preparation earned him second in the Classical Bodybuilding section of the show. It’s a high honor, but Ballew did not earn his pro card and “pro status,” which had been his goal for the past five years. 

Dieting that hard depletes energy levels, and Ballew said he ate very well in the days after the show to get his energy back up — just in time for Hurricane Helene’s arrival on Sept. 26, 2024. 

“I was able to eat good after the show and kind of get my energy levels back up for the storm,” Ballew said. “And then when the storm hit, we were basically working nonstop for about four to six weeks.”

Ballew said public works staff were working 10 to12-hour days in the aftermath of the hurricanes. During that time, he said he went to the gym maybe once or twice. 

“There’s obviously moments where you’re working hard and you’re just not going to get to the gym,” Ballew said.

Getting back on the bodybuilding stage requires a lot of time and commitment. Currently, Ballew is putting bodybuilding to the side but knows it will always be something that will be there for him. Weightlifting will continue to be a passion of his, though. 

Over the years, weightlifting has been an important outlet for Ballew. 

“I think it’s just a lot of self-improvement, a lot of discipline — being self-disciplined and achieving your goals,” Ballew said. “Bodybuilding taught me a lot about discipline and sacrifice.”