"I didn't become a Corrective Exercise Specialist because I read about it in a textbook. I became one because I broke down myself, and had to find my way back."

Before any of the certifications, there were two decades of showing up for people on their worst days. I spent 25+ years in pastoral ministry — real counseling, real crises, real people trying to rebuild their lives. Long before "whole-person wellness" was something I'd put on a business card, it was just what the work required.

Athletically, I've always needed to move: I competed in two sports in college, spent years as a competitive mountain biker, and coached swimming through USA Swimming and NFHS. But nothing shaped how I understand recovery like five major knee surgeries.

One of those surgeries put me in bed for twelve weeks, hooked up to a passive motion machine for twelve hours a day. I wore a brace for an entire year, only to find out afterward that the surgery hadn't done what it was supposed to. For part of that season, I had to go to work in a wheelchair. By the time I was 39, I'd had a total knee replacement. Somewhere in the middle of it all, a doctor raised the possibility of amputation. I was also juggling a high-pressure job and constant travel, and on top of everything else, found out I had a hormonal imbalance working against me the whole time.

I didn't get through that on willpower alone. It took real education, a lot of hard work, a supportive community, and finally getting my nutrition dialed in before I could change my trajectory. That's the whole reason I do this now. I know what it's like to be told your body might not come back, and I know what it takes to prove that wrong. It's not an easy road — but I can promise you this: I won't leave you to walk it by yourself.

Coach Lee