About Me

Name: Dan LaBerge

Aka: Trainer Dan
Certifications: NCEP 2006
Standard Certification
Holistic Nutrition
Advanced Flexibility Specialist

What drew me to a career in personal training was my own injury and rehabilitation. After a career ending back injury in the Fall of 2003, I was offered little promise of becoming fully able bodied again. After multiple physical therapists, orthopedists and neurosurgeons I was left in chronic pain, disheartened, overweight and no idea what I might be able to do vocationally.

Wanting to avoid surgical options that all seemed less then promising, I turned to a personal trainer. This proved to be the best investment I have ever made. In three months filled with hard work, I learned more about why I was in pain and the root causes of how I probably wound up injured in the first place.

As life will often provide, when one door closes another one opens. In addition to working on repairing my body, I also began to work on my brain. I explored many classes to keep my mind sharp and attempt to find a new vocational opportunity. One of the classes I took was a personal training certification course. I never intended it to be any more then a chance to further my knowledge, but at the end of the class a job was offered to me. As I wasn't doing anything else and hadn't been employed for two years, I thought "Why not?"

Nothing prepared me for the feelings I experienced after working with my first client. Helping someone allowed me to pay forward the gift of health that I had received.

Now finishing up my fifth year, I have been named Trainer of the Year four consecutive years by the gym that employs me and I have found a vocation to which I can truly say "I love my job!" But my real reward remains helping others. Whether it is to lose weight, gain strength, address chronic pain or dysfunction, or just feel better about themselves.