If you've met the Pyszczymukas, you already know — learning how to pronounce their name is the hardest part. (For the record: pish-chih-MOO-kah.) Everything else about them tends to feel surprisingly familiar.
Martin and Ava moved to Beachwalk with their two children from Hawaii nearly four years ago, where Martin had been stationed with the FBI. Like many families during that time, they were looking to escape the oppressive COVID-era policies and find a place where freedom still felt intact. St. Johns County quickly felt like the right place to put down roots.
While the Beachwalk lagoon wasn't the reason they chose the neighborhood, it didn't take long for their two children, Amelia (10) and Luke (7), to claim it as their favorite spot. These days, you'll often find the family outdoors — biking around the neighborhood, visiting local farms, or simply enjoying time together.
Ava starts most mornings quietly, often at Riverfront Park, where she resets before the day begins. Out on the water, often in complete solitude, she moves through her yoga practice before finishing in stillness. It's a rhythm she's come to value — especially in a season of life that has been anything but slow.
Martin's mornings look different, but carry the same intention. He's usually the first one awake, starting his day in the quiet early hours with Scripture time set aside before everything else begins. These simple, consistent rituals have become a steady foundation. Martin recharges through movement, but his workouts have recently taken a backseat to a different kind of endurance test: a fast-growing grassroots campaign for St. Johns County Commissioner.
The campaign has quickly become a full family effort. Ava helps manage the day-to-day flow — coordinating volunteers, distributing materials, helping with social media, and staying connected with residents. Amelia and Luke have also stepped in, helping prepare petitions, joining Martin at local events, and enthusiastically wearing his campaign shirts. Recently, on Martin's birthday, they surprised him with handmade cards filled with campaign slogans and drawings — an unintentional but perfect reflection of just how much this shared mission has become part of their home.
Although new to politics, Martin's entry into the race has been anything but passive. In just a few months, he personally connected with thousands of residents while collecting over 2,800 petitions to secure a place on the ballot — nearly 2,300 of those in April alone. His message, focused on slowing the rapid growth of our county, curbing wasteful spending and preserving the character of St. Johns County, has clearly resonated, earning endorsements from Commissioners Ann Taylor and Krista Joseph, as well as the St. Johns County Republican Assembly.
Martin's qualifications and experience have also resonated with residents. When he served as an FBI agent, he specialized in white collar crime, corporate fraud, and public corruption, and was also a member of the FBI SWAT team. Prior to that, he worked as a Federal Air Marshal. He holds a degree in Economics from Rutgers University, where he was recruited to play Division I football on a full scholarship, served as Co-Captain, and earned Academic All-Big East honors for four years. He later earned an MBA and now owns a small business.