Today we’d like to introduce you to Donny-Joshua Felix.
Donny-Joshua, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I have been an athlete my entire life. I began playing soccer for West Pines United at age 11 until age 19. My time at WPU taught me the importance of teamwork, commitment, and fitness. Additionally, it laid the foundation for my athletic career. In 2011, after graduating high school I achieved my goal of playing Division 1 soccer at the prestigious Howard University @howard1867. That is where I became self-motivated and learned the true meaning of hard work and the importance of trying to daily better my self. While at HU, I was a 4-year starter on the Men’s Soccer team (Only HBCU with a Men’s Soccer Program). After graduating from college in 2015, I spent 3-1/2 years pursuing a career playing soccer professionally. However, due to injuries my aspiration of playing professionally was derailed. It was a hard pill to swallow but as the saying goes, “what doesn’t break you, only makes you stronger”. Those very same injuries and setbacks cultivated a desire to learn the techniques on how to properly train and move from the inside out. My goal is to train athletes in proper movement and to help them reach their optimal performance as well as decrease their chance of injury. Train the mind and the body will follow is a mantra I have adopted, I believe wholeheartedly, “whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve”. It is my purpose to not only optimize movement and nutrition but to also empower the mind to develop a healthy lifestyle. I Keep God first & I remain hungry & focused. #DonnyJFitness
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Far from that! Multiple injuries starting in 2016 (the final one in February of 2019, a week before a trial which landed me in a cast for the first time in my athletic career for nearly 2 months), setbacks, detours & battle with depression. It is said that, “every setback is a setup for a comeback” & that is true for me. Those setbacks only served to make me stronger and dig deeper. They help build my mindset and taught me to go through any storm or circumstance with a positive attitude knowing it won’t last forever. I have finally found my purpose and passion in life and I have a vision to change the world via health, wealth, and fitness.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about DonnyJFitness – what should we know?
My business Donny J Fitness LLC is fairly new. Birthed a little over a year ago, but it was officially established this past March 2020. It is a fitness brand! Being that I am a former D1 athlete, I was fortunate to training with a few professional teams and have studied under some of the top trainers in the industry. I am a DBC Level 1 Certified Biomechanics Human Performance Coach and currently working on adding various exercise science certifications to my resume. I’ve spent the past three years dedicating my time and interest learning to become an above-average personal and life trainer. My passion, dedication and athleticism have helped me build a strong desire and enthusiasm to help others in my community to stay healthy. My coaching and programs are beyond just the workout and healthy eating. I educate my clients on personal development, mental performance, and the importance of appropriate amount of rest and recovery and so much more. In April I started a #runwithmechallenge on IG to encourage millennials like myself to cultivate a fit and healthy lifestyle. My new found love for running has moved me to also raise awareness to the many atrocities against Blacks in this country. Donny J Fitness has established a tee shirt fundraiser to help raise $10,000 for Ahmaud Arbery’s family. 100% of the proceeds will be donated. #irunwithmaud #iamahmaudarberytoo #blacklivesmatter
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
God deserves all the credit for everything that happens in my life. After that my family for their endless support throughout the years. Then every coach and teammate I’ve had over the years, they might not know but they help build this mindset and pushed me to be the best that I can be… Now it’s my clients who push me to be better every day to I can provide the top service to them on a daily basis. Last it’s all the students I’ve worked with because a lot of people don’t know since graduating college I’ve been a substitute teacher. And it made me realize these kids need someone positive to look up to because some of them do not have that at home and I couldn’t imagine where I’d be if I didn’t have the positive influences in my lifetime.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://donnyjfitness.bigcartel.com/
- Phone: 3057251495
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @DonnyJoshua
- Facebook: Donny-Joshua Felix
- Twitter: @_FelixEra
Image Credit:
@theechelonfirm, @dgaoimages, @taylornn_
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