Energy, Vitality and Well Being as Executives
James received Masters degrees in Exercise Physiology and Psychology from the University of Texas at El Paso, where he also served as an instructor for the departments of Health Sciences, Professional and Continuing Education, and served as a strength coach to a number of collegiate athletes. He brings 25 years of professional coaching, nutritional guidance, and a lifetime of athletic experiences to his clients.
James holds advanced coaching certification with USA Cycling and USA Weightlifting, and is a certified sports nutritionist and strength and conditioning specialist. He has held numerous licensures for sports performance, nutritional counseling, and classroom teaching over the years.
His research background, physiology expertise, and focus on sport-specificity training have allowed him to successfully design training plans for athletes and executives in a variety of competitive arenas. In the spring of 2005, James founded Performance Driven, a consulting company focusing on the advancement of athletic performance, health, executive fitness, and lifestyle balance. Soon after, he was hired on as a faculty member and lead trainer for the Center for Creative Leadership in Colorado Springs, an organization dedicated to leadership education, research, and unparalleled expertise in solving the challenges of senior leaders and organizations around the world. James was instrumental in developing the center’s fitness coaching model and currently consults with a number of the organization’s leadership program graduates to bring better health, fitness, nutrition, and lifestyle balance to their busy lives.
James serves as a mentor for junior coaches, contributes article and book content to a wide range of publications and websites, and has presented leadership, health, fitness, and nutrition related topics at seminars around the world. His athletes have stood on the podium at national and international athletic events at the professional and amateur levels. In 2007, he was asked to join forces with USA Cycling’s BMX program as a coach and consultant to help prepare our Olympic hopefuls for the sports debut at the Beijing games and later served as the National Team Coach from 2010-2014. He is the recipient of the 2011 US Olympic Committee Coach of the Year award and coached the team at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
With an ongoing passion to be part of a mission greater than self, he joined forces with the Wounded Warrior Project in January of 2015 to direct the organization’s Physical Health and Wellness team, offering programs and services nationally to some 75,000 post 9/11 veterans. James has since added the Soldier Ride team to his directorship portfolio, while the veteran membership has neared 100,000. He spearheaded the redesign of the team’s program platform to deepen the impact on the health of the warriors they serve. Bringing life changing programs and services to US veterans, while being part of an amazing team, has truly opened his eyes to the healing powers of sound health and nutritional practices.
James has been a lifelong athlete in a number of sports, beginning his journey as a competitive swimmer, boxer, and cyclist. He participated in most all team sports through school age, transitioning to more individualistic pursuits as an adult. James currently spends his free time mountain biking, surfing, snowboarding, trail running, weightlifting, and climbing rock and ice. He has also spent decades training and instructing in several combat arts, achieving black belt ranks in Shotokan Karate and Bujutsu Kumiuche
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