I was lucky to be raised in a family that believes in living a healthy and active lifestyle.  Their support, education and guidance has shaped me into the person that I am today, and I can’t thank them enough for that!  I grew up playing a wide variety of sports, such as football, basketball, baseball, surfing, skiing, snowboarding, dirt bike riding, and skateboarding.

My football career as quarterback began in high school and led me to play for the University of Valparaiso.  After a challenging first season of going 1-10, we turned it around the following year and won our conference championship.  I was also selected as a First Team All-American athlete.  Once college was over, I tried out for some professional teams and was blessed with a chance to play professional football in Italy for the Bergamo Lions.  It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that combined living in the country my family originated from and playing a sport that I loved!  Our team ended up winning the Italian National Football League Championship!

Once my football playing days were over, I transitioned into endurance sports.  I wanted to challenge myself with an individual sport and gravitated towards mountain bike racing and triathlons.  These sports helped me stay active and kept my competitive juices flowing.  

Unfortunately, around 2010, I suffered a few injuries that required surgery.  These injuries caused my health & fitness levels to suffer dramatically.  Being in uncharted waters, I needed something to help shift my focus during the recovery process.  It was during this time that I turned to another passion of mine: cooking!  Cooking has always been part of my life and I’ve always enjoyed watching and learning from others in the kitchen.  Following after my mom and both grandmas, being in the kitchen became my savior when I was recovering from my surgeries and setbacks.

Educating myself on foods that could heal the body from the inside out became my new passion.  I remember the first Vitamix blender I got from my parents back in 2012 like it was yesterday.  I started mixing different fruits, vegetables, spices, grains, nuts, seeds, and healthy fats, experimenting with different ratios, and trying to find the best smoothie combinations.  That blender was the gift that truly kept on giving, as it led to a smoothie delivery business I started in 2013.  As my body started to heal with all of the healthy, raw, plant-based ingredients, I found myself returning to the sports and activities that I was forced to put on pause.  My experiences gave me a new perspective on how I needed to take care of my body, mind and spirit as I worked towards improving my health & fitness levels.  They also allowed me to be able to connect and relate more to my clients who experienced similar obstacles and setbacks.  I developed a better understanding of how to coach and guide individuals through challenging times in their lives, bringing them one step closer to their personal goals daily.

That was also the start of my transition from a traditional Western diet of eating high amounts of animal protein to a plant-based, 99.9% vegan lifestyle.  My wife, Giselle, played a huge role in this lifestyle shift, and I can honestly say it changed my life in so many positive ways.  We continuously support, challenge, and motivate each other with our personal health & fitness goals.  That type of support in your corner is amazing.  I feel so fortunate to be able to share my passion of living a healthy lifestyle with my clients, friends and family!