It was a combination of factors in 1989 that started me on the road to a life in fitness. I started running simply for exercise at a time when I knew I needed it. My passion for exercise and a healthy lifestyle grew over the next several years as I competed more seriously in the sport of triathlon and ran marathons. It was then I knew a career in the health and wellness field was for me.
In 1998 I earned an M.S. in Exercise Science from the University of Illinois-Chicago. Until that time I had informally coached friends in the sports of running, cycling and triathlon. I also earned a Strength & Conditioning Specialist certification from the National Strength & Conditioning Association. I began my career in the corporate wellness arena at the worldwide corporate headquarters of the Quaker Oats Company in downtown Chicago. I spent five years keeping employees in corporate America healthy, well and productive. Upon moving to Phoenix in 2002, I began working for Sun Health Corporation performing fitness testing, writing exercise programs and doing personal training for the senior population of the Sun Cities area.
In 2000 I became a Level I Triathlon Coach through USA Triathlon. I coached beginner to advanced triathletes for the Lakeview YMCA in Chicago. In Phoenix I have continued my triathlon coaching with Racelab and helped several athletes successfully complete the inaugural Arizona Ironman triathlon (2.4 miles swimming, 112 miles cycling, 26.2 miles running).
After more than fifteen years of my own exercise and helping others exercise, I have seen the difference a healthy lifestyle, including exercise, makes in a person. After seven marathons and thirty-five triathlons-Ironman included-I have developed a confidence and belief in myself and my abilities which guide me through every day. I have witnessed the joy of a spouse completing an Ironman, seen my clients lose as much as 100 pounds, helped people stop taking prescription medications for Type II diabetes and hypertension, and watched as clients performed activities of daily life previously thought lost forever. Exercise is the key to a long, healthy and happy life. And it’s my passion to assist people of all abilities improve their own lifestyle.
Chuck Eier