Today we’d like to introduce you to Tristan Pursley.
Hi Tristan, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My passion for fitness and personal growth has guided me to where I am today. During high school I would put in extra work for the sports that I played; and later, in the Marines, I found exercise and training to be a source of relief from the stresses that I encountered in that line of work. As I gained appreciation for the intricacies of training the body and mind, I decided that fitness was the field in which I would make my way.
In college, studying Kinesiology and Dietetics, I continued to learn and fuel my love of fitness. It was there that I began training in a professional capacity at the school’s recreation center. Upon graduation, I immediately began working in the commercial and private gym settings. The desire to develop my skills and deliver better results to my clients prompted me to start my own business, Semper Fi Fitness, in 2019.
Since that time, Semper Fi Fitness has been providing clients with personalized physical training for anything from everyday activities up to field and strength sports. My passion continues to drive me, and I work by the motto, “No Body Left Behind!”
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Once I struck out on my own, there were significant challenges that continue to know, namely, the pandemic shutdowns and ensuing health and economic concerns. My style of coaching has always been hands-on, so remote training was not an option for me. I am indebted to the loyalty and understanding of my clients as we have navigated these times together.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a certified personal trainer with degrees in both Kinesiology and Dietetics. My work is mostly attenuated to training powerlifters and strongman competitors; however, I have many clients who are simply seeking to move and feel better every day. My efforts have resulted in athletes garnering success in competition as well as people with physical limitations being able to live with greater ability. It is the combination of these results that I am most proud of. When a client is able to overcome physical or mental limitations and achieve success in a chosen endeavor, competitive or otherwise, it fills me with the greatest pride and satisfaction. What differentiates me, I think, is my ability to teach exercise to a client in such a way that it makes them comfortable with their own body and empowers them to take charge of it. I want my clients to understand the human body as I do- a highly adaptive machine that can be developed and suited to whatever that person wills.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
I have learned that the greatest attributes a coach or trainer can have are humility and flexibility. Humility allows the coach to step back and critique his work, learning from others and realizing that his clients are entitled to respect and empowerment. Flexibility allows the coach to apply basic tenets of biology that meet the unique demands, aspirations, and abilities of each client. In short, a good trainer is not necessarily an all-knowing authority with a perfect method into which he shoehorns his clients. He approaches each client individually, becomes familiar with their situation, and applies the most appropriate tools for their benefit at that time.
Pricing:
- $65 per session. This includes programming for other training days.
- $45 per person in a semi-private session
- Membership to Raw Performance Labs is $45/month for individuals
- Membership to Raw Performance Labs is $75/month for couples.
Contact Info:
- Website: semperfi-fit.com
Image Credits
Cheryl Corbett
