Meet Walter

I was exposed to religion and church at a young age by my grandmother who remains to this day the strongest, most inspiring and loving woman I have ever known. She instilled in me the relevance and importance of having true faith and believing in a Higher Power that is alive and working for good in my daily walk when I allow Him too. Initially my favorite Bible verse was Philippians 4;13 which says “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me”. Perhaps that’s why my second focus is regarding Wellness, to be strengthened. I to this day in many ways enjoy being strengthened by The Word of God and His direction for my daily walk. I have and continue to stumble from time to time, however I remember Philippians 4:13 and get back up rejuvenated.

Recently my favorite verses I enjoy sharing with my family and friends are Proverbs 3:5-6 which says Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Trusting is an avenue I work on daily and I believe helps me to learn more about faith in God. Similar to trusting my efforts when I exercise will reap healthy results, I continue to learn to trust in God and when I do I see positive benefits.

My immersion into the fitness industry began when I was in Army Basic Training and I enjoyed the opportunity to help a fellow soldier be able to keep up in forced marches which in 1975 was a common activity. He was about a foot taller than me yet he struggled to maintain pace. He and I hit it off so one evening after a gruelling 12 plus hour day of Basic Training I asked him if he would like for me to help him and he said yes. So we began to run 2-4 miles each evening. I kept up with our time each day and I said we have to improve on yesterday’s run time and even though he was uncomfortable he pushed on. He soon became strong enough to not only keep up but lead and he was ecstatic.

Later when I came home, I continued to workout in at the time very primitive gyms and most of the exercise equipment was home made. Looking back I’m surprised I wasn’t injured because cables were not vinyl coated as they are now and many were frayed. The upholstery was torn to the point often I was actually sitting on the wood just above the metal frame. There were no changing rooms, water fountains, or air conditioning, and the floor had holes where folks had dropped the weights. But man those were the good old days, seemingly when I walked into the gym I could sniff the gym air and get stronger. The gym only had about 40 – 50 members but every single one wanted to be there and worked out hard. And everyone wanted to help newby’s that came in if they thought they were serious. No formal training programs existed and most of the routines were learned by what I call, “monkey see, monkey do”. Unfortunately this still goes on today unnecessarily and another reason I enjoy being involved in the fitness industry.

I have been a Wellness Leader for over 50 years now, not always certified but in honesty we all know certifications don’t make the professional a true professional. I have gone to the training programs and gotten credentials for my specific sport of the season; in strength training, lifestyle management, and cycling. Generally I didn’t learn much I didn’t previously understand or could share but I enjoy learning to this day and when I can glean a bit of education then the effort is worth my time.
I enjoyed and was blessed to be a Personal Trainer in the Buckhead area of Atlanta for over 20 years in a training studio and in homes. Previously and simultaneously I managed and later owned a specialty exercise equipment operation online and a few physical locations. I provided commercial exercise equipment to corporations, other fitness dealers, and individuals, all over the country and even out of the USA. My desire today is to continue to help folks who want to help themselves improve through faith and fitness which I believe go hand in hand. Jokingly I say to most who exercise with me you better be praying for the endurance you need to complete the workout session you requested. And once we begin our workout they understand the correlation. I love exercise of several types and sharing with others. I pray and hope via this blog and other information within this website you may become healthier, and share with your family and friends the positive results you have.