Diego D

Journey

At age 13, I began my weightlifting / fitness journey. Growing up in the 80s and 90s, I was inspired by He-Man, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone. In my teens, I played football, wrestling, tried Karate, and boxed (but I didn't enjoy getting punched in the face), but after high school, weightlifting became my focus. My passion for weightlifting led me to quit my job as an electrician apprentice, to work for 24 Hour Fitness from 1998-2005. In 2002, I competed in a bodybuilding show, the Mr. Natural Universe.

At the end of 2005, I was recruited to work for a private personal training gym in Tustin, which worked with the 50+ population. In the evening, we did strength and conditioning coaching for the local Tustin and Irvine high schools. We worked with Foothill, Northwoods, and Beckman. As a strength and conditioning coach, I trained athletes individually, and entire teams.

Career

I worked my way up to fitness/athletic director. As much as I enjoyed working as a strength and conditioning coach, I decided to focus my career on the 50+ population. Attending state championship games was exciting but helping a client gain enough strength to get up from the floor or overcoming their fear of falling was more fulfilling. Over time, I noticed that several clients were experiencing chronic pain due to osteoporosis, arthritis, and orthopedic injuries, so I had to refer them to physical therapy. I enjoyed helping them with their PT exercises, so I decided to get a specialization certification in corrective exercise. I loved the idea of helping people with chronic pain, but I did not see myself working as a PT.

My preference was to stay in a gym setting, not a medical office. I found a school that had a unique program, a bachelor's degree in Kinesiology, with a subdiscipline in pre-physical therapy. In 2010, I became self-employed and began networking with orthopedic surgeons, physical therapists, and European osteopaths. My networking and education allowed me to help clients with their prehabilitation, which prepared them for surgery and sped up recovery. I provided services to clients referred to me by healthcare providers, and I was able to help them with post-physical therapy so their injuries would not recur.

When I am not lifting weights or training clients, I love spending time with my wife. I play PC virtual reality video games; we both listen to Christian apologetic podcasts. We also like to take drives to new cities, to explore their downtown, restaurants, and vintage thrift stores.