Today we’d like to introduce you to Chip Turner.
Hi Chip, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I can honestly say that I got into fitness when I was on Active Duty Air Force when I was stationed at my first base Ramstein Air Base, Germany. I was going through a lot at that time frame. I would use alcohol, partying, and travel to deal with things I was going through being brand new in the military and wanted to change it up from that type of lifestyle. I got deployed in 2013 to Kyrgyzstan and being in that environment you have to find a way to balance things out ad the gym was that thing I needed. My father Al Turner is the biggest influencer in my life to where I’m at today.
My father retired Msgt. Turner was very big in the fitness industry especially when he was stationed in Okinawa, Japan, and running the fitness center there. I started working out while in Ramstein in 2013 but didn’t really take it seriously until I moved to Beale Air Force Base in California. When I got to California in 2014 I was at the lowest in my life and the gym really saved my life. The gym was my sanctuary and I was going in there going let off any steam that I had. I met a TSgt Parham & a SrA Stewart and those were my workout partners from there it was a gym family I had and we constantly pushed each out to our limits and above. People around me started to see my results very fast but to me, I was just doing what I loved to do which was lift weights with my people and help others who had things going on in life, especially with their mental health which was one of the main reason it pushed me to lift. The best crew that I can say that pushed me out of my convert zone was at Ft. Bragg Callahan gym where my dad ran the fitness center there when he retired. The crew consisted of Al Turner, Champ, Bushantae, Larose, & Mr. B. Whenever I would visit North Carolina I knew I was going to “Put the work in” with them at the gym. I transitioned out of Active Air Force in 2016 and joined the Air Force Reserves in Alabama and I started to attend the University of Alabama majoring in Kinesiology & Exercise Science. I had the opportunity to work with the University of Alabama Athletics department. I interned as a Strength & Conditioning Coach where I coached The University of Alabama Football, Baseball, Women’s Tennis & Soccer during the season and offseason.
I was able to work alongside then Head Strength & Conditioning Coach Scott Cochran who is now the special team coach for the University of Georgia. I learned a lot from him and would also pick his brain to ask questions. 2 major people who I can say played a major impact while at the University of Alabama while doing Strength & Conditioning was the Assistant Director of Strength & Conditioning Coach TJ & Kerry Thompson who is was the prior Director of Sports Performance at Grambling State and now with Fans Controlled Football. I used all of those experiences to become an entrepreneur as a personal trainer. I look at myself as more than a personal trainer because of my background and what I do with the knowledge I have. GetFitWithChip is not just a slogan with a brand that trains, educates, and pushes people past their limit on a physical aspect while being able to incorporate what we stand for in everyday life.
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 hasn’t always been a smooth road. Some of the struggles that came along the way were just second-guessing if this is what I wanted. I always have people reaching out to me to train them, educate them, or just be an influencer because of the knowledge I have and the passion they see I have for fitness, kinesiology & working out. One of the biggest challenges I had that became the biggest blessing was mental health. As an African American male growing up, I was told you just deal with whatever you’re going through.
You don’t talk about it you just do it. I used things I was dealing with and would take them to the gym as an outlet to use. When people ask “Why do you workout so much or why is your passion so big for it?” I say because I had some mental things such as depression I was dealing with and didn’t know how to deal with it and found a positive outlet such as the gym to deal with it.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a fitness trainer/influencer at GetFitWithChip where I specialize in workout programs, meal plans, health promoters, and strength & conditioning coaches in my free time.
My everyday job is actually in Information Technology where I’m an HR System Administrator for the University of Florida where I support 32,000 plus employees running the PeopleSoft system. I have a background in Cybersecurity where I’ve gained knowledge in this role and also as a current graduate student pursuing a master in Science in Cybersecurity & Information Assurance. I think what separates me from others is my work ethic. I’ve been like this since I started working at my first job at 14.
I’m a self-starter who is going to achieve whatever goals I set up for myself and constantly want to grow. I’m most proud of the man I’ve become today. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, and I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. I’m proud of where I’m at in life today and excited about where my future takes me.
What does success mean to you?
My definition of success is living life and truly being happy.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.linkpop.com/getfitwithchip
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getfitwithchip/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GetFitStayFitWithChip/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexander-turner-71723a208/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@chipturner5906
