Hi, my name is Fabian, and I’ve been a Certified Personal Trainer since 2014. But, my love and passion for fitness started in 2010 following a suicide attempt.
At the time, I was a soldier in the United States Army and had just come back from my second combat deployment from Iraq. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was suffering from severe PTSD.
PTSD wasn’t evident until it was almost too late. It wasn’t apparent until late one evening when I got close to slitting my wrist. Fortunately, my daughter walked in, and I started playing with her, which prevented me from going through with it.
The next day after work, I decided not to go home because I feared following through with it. Instead, I found myself in a gym, and after two hours of working out, I walked out feeling like I mattered. I walked out knowing I wanted to live. It was then I realized the power fitness has to improve not only physical health but also mental and emotional health. My experience is why I am so passionate about teaching my clients how to use fitness as a tool to improve their mental, emotional and physical health.
Fitness has been the anchor and has kept me grounded since I started in 2010 following my failed suicide attempt. It’s a constant reminder that life is beautiful. It’s the thing I rely on for strength, constantly reminding me that I have what it takes to do and be whatever and whomever I choose and or desire. There is no doubt that the love and passion I have for fitness and my business comes from this, and it’s this love and passion I bring to each training session with my clients.
Three years after my suicide attempt, I earned a Personal Training & Nutrition Certification from the American Council on Exercise (ACE). I’m also CPR, and First Aid qualified – a qualification I earned from the American Heart Association. I also hold a master’s degree in mental health psychology from Chaminade University. My degree in mental health psychology provides me with the tools and training to help my clients change negative habits – to live healthier lives.
I realized that helping others improve their mental, emotional and physical health is something I’m passionate about three years after my suicide attempt. It’s something I want to do for the rest of my life. As a result, I started Change iz Fitness, a holistic lifestyle personal training service business that combines fitness and psychology to help clients “Be Their Change.”