I grew up active playing multiple sports, I was never gifted, the most athletic, or most naturally fit on the team but as soon as I started weight training (Age 14) I developed quickly and it was around that time that I realized hard work & physical training can truly change your body & life. It was also around this time that I learned about nutrition & how the combination of nutrition & training can change your body composition. When sports were over I continued to pursue Bodybuilding & Powerlifting for about 10 years, both in which were a keystone in developing myself both personally & professionally. I decided to pursue formal education and training certifications to be able to share the knowledge & passion I had for both health & fitness. After a few years of training clients & the combination of being riddled with injuries & lack of mobility; I also changed my own thoughts about my own journey of fitness— I began to highlight the importance of functionality, injury mitigation, movement capacity, and transference of training to improve our daily life. This led me to pursue various modes of athletic training: Kettlebells, Olympic lifting, Yoga, Gymnastics Strength Training, Running, Swimming, Martial Arts, and other methods & modalities of training & movement as a practice in itself.
I have had multiple turning points in my athletic career & physical endeavors, the first was when my highschool football coach told me to get into the weight room to mitigate injury. It showed me how quickly one can get strong with diligent strength training which spurred my love for training in the first place. <br /> <br /> <br /> In 2014 I got hit by a car as a pedestrian, I went from squatting 500lbs to having to relearn how to squat and deadlift the bar. This solidified the fact the body is truly resilient and can bounce back from more than you think (I tell all my clients this that are coming back from injury), there are going to be setbacks & injuries along the way but if you stay consistent you can rebuild yourself, multiple times. Also, strength training makes you harder to kill. <br /> <br /> The last turning point I can think of is signing up and training for the Chicago marathon in 2021 and completing it. I was always a heavier person from adolescence, I hated running, along with everyone else and still have thoughts of how hard it was showing up to gym class in grade school and making us run the 1-mile. Also, we are all aware of the way running is used as a form of punishment or conditioning in other sports. I thought I could "never" be good at it. I grew a love for running because I know I'm not naturally gifted or skilled at it, but endurance training is one of the physical attributes that is almost a direct result of how much time you are willing to put in it, everybody can get better by putting the time and miles in. Also, I set the intention to complete the marathon because I wanted to know if I have the mental ability to endure it. But also, to choose something and stick to it until completion. I knew I was going to complete it as soon as I signed up. I didn't have the best training year going into it due to injury and a busy schedule but showing up anyways and the refusal to not finish was on my mind the entire time.
My purpose is to enlighten clients on multiple varieties of training & to truly enjoy the type of physical activity they choose. I also believe your training should enhance your life and not hinder it. I also want my clients to experiment with movement and do physical activity outside of their comfort zone. The human body is one of the most capable & adaptable thing on the planet.
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