Exploring Life & Business with Terrance Juwon of Gymdorks Fitness

Today we’d like to introduce you to Terrance Juwon. 

Hi Terrance, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Briefly after I completed my enlistment in the Air Guard, I started fitness coaching Veterans and Wounded Warriers. Then upon completing my Master’s in Exercise Science, I was able to work with individuals and groups that disclosed medically controlled mental illnesses – mostly people on the severe side of the Autism spectrum. I also had the pleasure of training people post-bariatric surgery. My first gig out of grad school was at an outpatient clinic, Green Door, in Washington DC, where I facilitated physical activity clinics and group therapy sessions to people with severe-persistent mental illnesses. Although I had already been working with the disabled population, I also facilitated daily Overeaters Anonymous group therapy sessions. Green Door is where I truly fell in love with working with this population. Due to the severity of the illnesses and rough lifestyles that these clients/patients had, many of them had grave physical ailments as well. I was able to educate the clients/patients about their conditions and motivate them to take charge of their health by employing them to work and communicate with their medical physicians and care teams. 

I resigned from Green Door to go work for the Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BUMED – Navy and Marine Medical Headquarters). At BUMED, I led a 3.2M contract for training programs supporting the efficient transition of 4K Service Members (such as Wounded Warriers) with complex care needs from the Department of Defense (DoD) to the Veterans Administration (VA). 

I moved to California in 2017, where I managed the Personal Training programs for the University of Southern California (USC) Recreational Sports facilities. I was able to coach and train Personal Trainers to include and fitness train people with Cerebral Palsy, Paraplegics, and medically controlled mental/behavioral illnesses. I also managed an assisted animal therapy program called Pause for Paws. 

I started Gymdorks Fitness LLC in January 2021, where we specialize in assisting those with disabilities (Superheroes) to reach their full potential by creating and facilitating fitness plans and educational clinics for them and their caregivers. We realize the complete integration of the disabled population into the fitness community by actively promoting independence and inclusion. 

I mostly train my clients in my home along with Gymdorks Fitness mascot, Kobe, where we have completely converted a 619 sq ft studio apartment into a full-service fitness studio. I’m also a competitive bodybuilder and I also train myself at home. 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been a smooth road, but it has and is WORTH IT! The pandemic and economy as of lately has made it a little more challenging with access to the disabled population. Of course, with specialized equipment, capital is a maj0r key in being able to provide proper strength training – so access to capital has been challenging. However, Gymdorks Fitness is getting more buzz and attracting new prospects. 

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
At Gymdorks Fitness, we specialize in assisting those with disabilities (Superheroes) to reach their full potential by creating and facilitating fitness plans and educational clinics for them and their caregivers. We realize the complete integration of the disabled population into the fitness community by actively promoting independence and inclusion. 

We welcome general population as well because we like to see EVERYONE working out together and enjoying total inclusivity. I am most proud that not only my brand promotes inclusion but independence among the disabled population. Because of my career, education, and military experience, I have had the pleasure of training many populations and learning from them as well. 

We offer: 

In-person Fitness Training 

Group Fitness Training 

Virtual Training 

Physical Activity Education Clinics 

Nutrition Coaching 

Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
What has worked well for me is building and nurturing a strong network. Incubators, accelerators, and just reaching out to people who are doing what you want to do or where you want to be is EXTREMELY beneficial. 

Contact Info:

• Website: gymdorksfitness.fit
• Instagram: @gymdorksfitness
• Facebook: Gym Dorks

Image Credits
Zack Wentz
Royale Coalition
Elvis Piedra Studios