Hey, I'm Ford! 

In December of 2019, after years of HIIT workouts and pushing myself through painful runs, I became interested in strength training. Feeling this would help me achieve a different physique and be gentler on my body, I reached out to a personal trainer asking for an at-home program. Working out in an environment I could control was the only way, at the time, I was able to manage my erythromelalgia, the heat-reactive chronic pain condition I live with. The trainer simply told me "I don't do that." Which was fair, not their expertise. However, after mulling this over and thinking about the all the trans, queer, chronically ill, and countless others who might prefer working out at home or need some sort of other program modification for so many reasons, I thought "Okay, then I'll do this." and in June of 2021 I was certified as a Personal Trainer.

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I'm queer and trans, live with chronic pain, and despite my best efforts am not immune to societal views. This being said, my relationship with my body has had its ups and downs. I've never been a "traditional" athlete in any sense, I've never played any sports, and a lot of my early efforts were fueled by the "no pain, no gain" mentality. Through my certification and subsequently working with clients, I've completely changed not only the way I work out, but also my thinking surrounding workouts. I like to focus on all the amazing things our bodies CAN do, the outstanding benefits movement has on our daily lives, and the feelings of accomplishment after putting in the work. 

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As a trainer, I've leaned into healthy aging, including strength, balance, and neuro-cognitive training, supporting runners through run-specific strength training, and helping people feel knowledgeable and confident in moving their bodies.