I am not sure exactly, at what age I began drifting away from my core values in life. It was an early age and granted, I probably had no conscious idea about what my core values were. Starting in middle school I veered into the party scene and really dove into alcohol…hard. Being young, and in the bottle, I couldn’t see the faults, consequences and compensatory nature of my choices and actions.
You see, I LOVED sports and anything involving athletics. It was part of my soul and something I really wanted to excel at although I never really shared my dreams and goals with anyone. At heart, I also wanted to be a good kid, excel in everything I attempted and be friends with most anyone I came into contact with yet I never fully applied myself.
Luckily I made it through college with a suitable GPA despite spending most my time in the bars and simply being lost in every meaning of the word. There were bouts of depression, despair, disappointment and real darkness.
If I had it to do all over again, I would certainly do things very differently AND in the same breath I am grateful for where my journey as led me!
Through it all, one constant in my life was the gym.
Though I was not always there in a “positive” way nor even consistently… the gym always had a way of grounding me. At several times in my life, getting a training session in was the most, if not only, authentic thing I did for myself.
Now, nearly 12 years sober, the gym is one of the things I most enjoy sharing with others! No matter where one is on their health and fitness journey I genuinely want to meet them there. Yo-yo dieter, fast-food aficionado, macro manic…I’ve done it. From zero experience in the gym to chasing personal bests…I’ve been there.
My philosophy now resides around finding your own balance and training in a way that keeps you able to do the things you WANT to do in life. In my opinion, this entails finding your own path versus diving full on into any one dogma…unless of course, you have health parameters and/or compete in a specific domain that requires such.
In order to assist people in their journeys and fulfill on one of my life’s passions I have accrued numerous certifications and attended several specialty courses from CrossFit to Strongman, Gymnastics to Traditional Program Design, Nutrition and more. I have completed courses with Tony Robbins and Landmark Education. If it has to do with bettering oneself on any front I find interest in diving deeper and I do not ever see this drive coming to an end.
Your health and fitness are paramount pillars to living your most enjoyable and fulfilled life. Bluntly put, they are serious matters. Yet, pursuing growth and quality of life through health and fitness does not have to feel so serious. It CAN be fun. It CAN be play. I believe health and fitness can free you from innumerable pains in life and I believe I can help you on your journey … because I was able to help myself!