Community Highlights: Meet David Cota Muro of Relaxate Sports Recovery

Today we’d like to introduce you to David Cota Muro.

David, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My journey began almost 20 years ago in Whittier, California, and interestingly enough, massage therapy wasn’t originally the career I had planned for myself.

I was actually preparing to enroll in a nursing program. I was sitting with the school director, almost ready to sign the paperwork, when my mom picked up the school brochure and noticed that they also offered a massage therapy program.

My mom had always told me that I had a gift in my hands. She believed that if you are given a gift that can help other people, you shouldn’t keep it to yourself—you should find a way to share it.

That day, she convinced me to reconsider nursing and give massage therapy a chance.

The school allowed me to try the program for three months before making my final decision. At first, I was convinced it wasn’t for me. During those first couple of months, massage felt very personal and intimate, and I couldn’t picture myself doing it as a career.

Then I reached the Sports Massage Therapy module, and everything changed.

That was the moment I fell in love with this profession. I became fascinated by the human body—how it moves, how muscles respond to stress and injury, and how the right type of treatment can help someone move, recover, and perform better. I also discovered something important: I was good at it.

Over the years, I continued developing my skills by working alongside several chiropractors, doctors, and physical therapy professionals. Those experiences gave me an education that went far beyond the classroom and helped shape the therapist I am today.

Around 2016–2017, I decided it was time to become independent. I started working out of my home, building my own clientele one person at a time. There was no big facility or major organization behind me. It was simply my hands, my experience, and people trusting me enough to come back and recommend me to someone else.

I continued working independently from home until the pandemic changed everything.

Coming out of the pandemic became another turning point in my career. I began working with Rocket Fitness and La Puente CrossFit, and that experience introduced me to a completely different side of sports massage.

CrossFit especially changed the direction of my career.

I began seeing firsthand what these athletes put their bodies through and how sports massage and recovery work could directly impact their training, mobility, recovery, and performance. I became fascinated with understanding the demands of the sport and adapting my work specifically for athletes.

From there, the opportunities started growing.

I began working at local competitions throughout Southern California, including Battle Royale, Bridgetown Throwdown, SGV Throwdown, Battleground, Fallout, and many others. Every competition gave me more experience working under pressure and treating athletes before, during, and after competition.

Eventually, those local events opened doors to much larger stages.

I have had the opportunity to work at the CrossFit Games in 2024, 2025, and 2026, as well as Wodapalooza Miami in 2022, 2023, and 2024 and Wodapalooza SoCal in 2024 and 2025. Along the way, I have had the privilege of working with incredible athletes, including Brent Fikowski, Mariana Meza, Victoria Campos, and many others.

In 2025, my career expanded beyond CrossFit and into international rugby. I had the opportunity to provide sports massage and recovery work for international rugby teams representing Japan, Spain, Argentina, Fiji, New Zealand, and the United States, including Japan’s women’s team.

That experience was another major milestone for me. Working with athletes from different countries, different training systems, and different styles of competition pushed me to grow even more as a sports massage therapist. It also showed me that the work I had spent nearly two decades developing could translate across different sports and at an international level.

Then, in 2026, another dream became a reality when I had the opportunity to work with the New Zealand national team during the FIFA World Cup.

For years, one of my biggest goals was to reach a level where I could be trusted to work around elite athletes and major international sporting organizations. Being given those opportunities is something I never take for granted.

When I look back, the journey is almost hard to believe.

Nearly 20 years ago, I was sitting in an office in Whittier preparing to sign up for nursing school. My mom happened to read a brochure, saw “massage therapy,” and reminded me about a gift she had always believed I had.

That one conversation changed the direction of my life.

From working alongside chiropractors and physical therapy professionals, to becoming independent and treating clients from my home, to rebuilding after the pandemic, working inside local gyms, traveling to competitions, working with international rugby teams, and eventually reaching some of the biggest stages in sports—every experience has built on the one before it.

What started as something I wasn’t even sure I wanted to do became my career, my business, and one of the biggest passions of my life.

And almost 20 years later, I still feel like I’m only getting started.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. Becoming independent meant building my reputation and clientele from the ground up, one person at a time. Then the pandemic forced me to stop working and eventually rebuild almost from scratch.

I’ve also had to overcome rejection and learn how to run a business while continuing to grow as a therapist. There have been many “no’s” and unanswered opportunities along the way, but I learned that sometimes “no” just means “not yet.”

Those challenges pushed me to keep growing, from working out of my home to eventually working with major competitions and international athletes. Every obstacle has been part of building the business and therapist I am today.

We’ve been impressed with Relaxate sports recovery , but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Relaxate Sports Recovery specializes in sports massage, bodywork, mobility, and recovery for athletes and active individuals. With nearly 20 years of experience, our focus goes beyond traditional massage. We help our clients move better, recover faster, reduce muscular tension, and stay ready for training, competition, and everyday life.

Our services include sports and deep-tissue massage, soft-tissue work, stretching and mobility, cupping, scraping, percussion therapy, compression therapy, and pre- and post-event recovery.

What sets Relaxate apart is our hands-on experience in the sports world. We’ve had opportunities to work at major events such as the CrossFit Games and Wodapalooza, as well as with international rugby and soccer teams, including working with New Zealand during the World Cup. At the same time, we continue to support local athletes, gyms, competitions, first responders, and people from our own community.

What I’m most proud of is that Relaxate started from zero. Starting from zero is what has kept me on my feet. Building this business from the ground up taught me to keep pushing, adapting, learning, and believing in what I do, even when things get difficult. Every opportunity—from helping someone in my local community to working with athletes on an international stage—reminds me how far we’ve come.

Relaxate is more than recovery. It represents years of hard work, experience, relationships, and the belief that no matter where you start, you can continue growing without forgetting where you came from.

Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
The biggest advice I can give is: don’t be afraid to start from zero. Starting from zero is actually what has kept me on my feet. It teaches you to appreciate every client, every opportunity, and every small win.

When I started, I wish I knew that growth doesn’t happen overnight. There will be slow seasons, mistakes, rejection, and moments when you question yourself. Keep showing up, keep learning, and don’t compare your beginning to someone else’s success.

Also, build relationships, not just a client list. Some of the biggest opportunities I’ve had came from people who trusted my work and recommended me to someone else.

Stay humble, know your value, and never stop improving your craft. You don’t need to have everything figured out to start—you just need to start and keep moving forward.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://davidcota19851337.booksy.com/a/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/relaxatesportsrecovery
• Yelp: https://yelp.to/TGpoOuTqiR

Image Credits
Thanks to pudgey and shotbybobby for the pics