A Little Bit About Me
“No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.”
― Socrates
My passion for fitness started after a serious injury when I was 17. I fractured my vertebrae and herniated 3 discs in my lumbar spine. It was the worst physical pain I've felt in my life. More devastating, however, was the prognosis of the doctor saying that the pain would never fully go away and that I wouldn't be able to participate in high intensity sports. This was devastating to hear for a 17 year old, highly active person.
Being stubborn, I slowly started testing my body's limits once the pain wasn't unbearable. I became aware of movement and habits. I began to listen to my body. I found what I could on the internet in 2005 and started trying exercise programs to learn to build strength. I read every tip I could find and tried everything I could think of. I got massages and saw chiropractors, but the most effective long term solution seemed to be strength training. Slowly but surely, with consistency, I got stronger and more confident. So much so, that I got back to a 500lb deadlift and played rugby in college. All with no pain. I love telling the story of my last radiologist looking at my MRI and wondering how I have no pain.
Through this experience, I have been able to relate to so many people. I would share my knowledge with friends and family which usually helped them in some way. This helped keep my interest because I always loved sharing knowledge and learning. It's why I decided to get my mechanical engineering degree. I loved experimenting and problem solving. I loved coming up with systems for solutions.
Eventually I moved to California to get my Master's in robotics. I wanted to help develop smart prosthetics. I thought it combined my passion for the human body and fitness nicely. While I waited to establish residency and get accepted to a school, I earned my personal trainer certification and began taking on clients. Once of my first clients was a middle aged lady that couldn't remember the last time sleeping or waking up without back pain. After a few months of training, she entered our training session ecstatic. She had woken up without pain for the first time in over 5 years. I still get goosebumps thinking of that. That's when I realized my true calling in this world was not engineering but training.
Too often, I hear stories of people accepting pain; I hear stories of doctors telling people not to move; I hear stories of people saying they can't do something because they're afraid they'll get hurt; I see people disconnected with their own bodies.
Being happy and healthy go hand in hand. I want to empower people with movement. I want to help them realize living without pain should be the norm.
“The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.”
― Pablo Picasso
You can also follow me and my actions as Fitness Director at https://trainerscoalition.org/