Although I did not know it would be an important part of my life at the time, I began my competitive swimming career at the age of 9.  I had achieved a high level of success by the time I reached college, with several Junior Olympic appearances and a podium swim, multiple records broken, and a top finish in the NYSPHSAA Championships.  However, my swimming career really took off at the collegiate level.  This is when I began to realize that food, sleep, and time/stress management, all affected my recovery, and thus my performance.  As I made the decision to take my collegiate swimming career to the next level, I started to dial in everything I did not only in the pool, but outside of it as well.  I was the collegiate athlete saving money to purchase supplements and organic food.  I would research what top athletes were taking and eating, save my money, and purchase the same supplements and food.  I can’t say that my interest in nutrition was the direct cause of my success, as there were many factors involved, and hundreds of hours spent training, but I finished my career with a trip to the NCAA National Championships.  I broke more than 50 records throughout my four years competing at the collegiate level, had 13 First-Place Middle Atlantic Conference Championship finishes, was named team MVP four consecutive years, and was named Misericordia University Athlete of the Year two years in a row; at the time, the only athlete to have ever been given that award two years in a row.  In 2013, I was named to the MAC All-Century/Decade Team.  In 2021, I was inducted into the Misericordia University Athletics Hall of Fame.

The reason I explain all of this is not to boast about my achievements.  For those that know me personally, I almost never talk about my swimming career, unless I’m asked specifically to talk about it.  I note my athletic achievements to allow you to understand the level of dedication that I have put forward in order to know and understand how to realistically achieve a goal.  Nutrition, training, recovery, and overall health lifestyle has been an interest of mine for decades.  To this day, I look back at what I was doing throughout my career, wishing I knew then what I know now, and to be completely honest, wishing I had a nutrition and lifestyle coach to guide me.

I completed my undergraduate Bachelor of Science degree in 2010, and went on to complete my graduate Doctor of Physical Therapy degree in 2013, both from Misericordia University.  From there, I worked in a hospital, multiple outpatient physical therapy clinics, and for the majority of my career, in the home health setting.  As the world of health care changed over that decade, I began to find myself unfulfilled in my role as a physical therapist.  It was about the same time that I developed eczema on my chest.  Over a two year period, it spread to my entire chest, down both of my arms, and onto my upper back.  It got to the point when I would contemplate taking a shower each day, as I knew the warm water (I didn’t dare use hot water) would significantly exacerbate my symptoms.  My dermatologist, whom I greatly respect, told me that the best treatment option was a topical steroid.  While realizing this would likely help, I couldn’t help but wonder what the real, underlying cause was to the eczema.  The topical steroid, while helpful, was more of a band-aid to cover up the symptoms stemming from an underlying cause.  With thanks to my wonderful primary care physician, I underwent food allergy testing.  The test results showed a positive allergy to gluten, dairy, and eggs, all three of which I was consuming on a regular basis.  I removed all three of those foods, which was a complete lifestyle change.  I did need to use the topical steroid to clear up the eczema. However, once the eczema disappeared, it would only return when I consistently consumed food in one or more of those categories.  The underlying cause of the skin issues, was a problem with food, not with my actual skin; the skin issue was a symptom of the real problem.

In 2021, I heard God call me to start a nutrition coaching business, to share quality information with individuals who are seeking to hear it.  However, it took until 2023 for me to realize, that God was calling me to this career change full-time, not part-time as I was trying for two/three years.  His calling, my listening, and my obedience (after several years of pushing back), has led me here, to Gen1 Nutrition.  In the beginning of 2024, I completed the Precision Nutrition Level 1 Coaching Certification.  I spend much of my free time, including pretty much every time I drive anywhere, reading the most up-to-date nutrition publications, and listening to several different nutrition and lifestyle podcasts.  For me, this is not a hobby, this is a dedication that I hope to share with many individuals looking to make positive changes in their lives.

I look forward to the opportunity to guide you along your own journey, as you define what “healthy” and “optimal performance” mean to you.