
The story of YSP stems all the way back to when I was an 11-year-old kid standing on a scale that read 199 lbs.
I was embarrassed. I was ashamed. I was afraid. These are emotions no parent would ever want their child to experience. I was about to start middle school, and I weighed nearly 200 lbs. At that moment, I knew I didn’t want my life to be a battle with weight—a battle that so many of my family members had endured. So, I decided to make a change.
I cut out soda and started working out.
As an 11-year-old, my workouts were simple. They consisted of pushups and sit-ups in my dad’s office, and I would shoot hoops in our driveway. But to my surprise, it started to work—the scale began to drop! By the time I was heading into my freshman year, I weighed 160 lbs.
This process made me fall in love with health and fitness. I started reading bodybuilding magazines and trying to implement some of the things I learned. As soon as I was old enough, my mom took me to get a gym membership at Anytime Fitness.
After I graduated, I knew my passion: I wanted to help people in any way I could. I had experienced firsthand the power of training and a solid diet, and I wanted to help others who were struggling with similar challenges. So, I became a trainer.
On May 15, 2015, the Yakima Athletic Club hired me as a Personal Trainer, and I never looked back. Over the next five years, I learned from a great staff and incredible mentors while training anyone and everyone I could. I was fortunate to help many people change their lives, some of whom are still my clients today.
Along the way, I discovered a deep passion for athletic performance. I had always admired athletes and the process of preparing them to perform at their best. The Yakima Athletic Club gave me the opportunity to work with athletes and teams, and I embraced the challenge. I trained three state championship-winning teams and a few Athletes of the Year. It was incredibly rewarding.
Then came 2020, and with it, the COVID shutdowns. Like many people, I used the time to reflect and reevaluate. I had always dreamed of opening my own sports performance gym, and after long talks with my wife and clients, I realized it was time to make that dream a reality. So, I did.
For the first two years, I worked out of my parents’ garage gym, traveling to clients’ houses or meeting athletes in the park. It wasn’t easy, but I was determined. Eventually my client base just got to big for my parents garage gym and we had to find some extra space. And just like that, Yakima Sports Performance was born.
Today, YSP is bigger then I had ever pictured in my head when I first started out. I couldn’t be more thankful to everyone who has supported me along the way. But most of all, I’m thankful to my 11-year-old self for setting me on this incredible journey.
Looking ahead, I’m excited to continue expanding Yakima Sports Performance and helping more clients and athletes achieve their goals. This is just the beginning!