OUR MISSION
VFT aims to disrupt the online health and wellness space by providing personalized, scientific training programs specifically designed to help you reach your individual health and fitness goals - and stay there!
STRONG, ACTIVE; ENERGY
Values
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Empathy/Compassion
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Practice what we preach
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Hard work rewards in the opportunity for more work
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Progress/Growth
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Communication
Meet The Team
Hi, friends!
I’m Brandon, and I live in Canton, IL with my best pal, Bob. I currently work as an Exercise Specialist in Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation where I get to work with a wide demographic of patients with an array of health concerns and health/fitness goals. When I’m not at my 9-5, you can find Bob and I on the local hiking trails, at the dog park, or anywhere near water!
Growing up, I was always active with my friends and family and spent most of my time outdoors doing whatever I could to avoid sitting still. I was always involved in sports in school, but didn’t discover my passion for health and fitness until the desire to improve my own physical performance and conditioning outweighed the fears and doubts I had about doing it.
Over the next ten years, I worked hard to turn this passion into a career, obtaining my Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science from Western Illinois University and starting in my position as an Exercise Specialist shortly after. Currently, I am in the process of obtaining a Clinical Exercise Physiologist certification through the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM-CEP) to enhance my skills and ability in the utilization of prescribed exercise, basic health behavior interventions and the promotion of physical activity for individuals with chronic diseases or conditions included, but not limited to, individuals with cardiovascular, pulmonary, metabolic, orthopedic, musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, neoplastic, immunologic and hematologic diseases.
So many trainers, gyms, and fitness programs market themselves as “for everyone”. Not VFT.
VFT is for the people who are in the same place I was 10 years ago. It’s for those who have finally decided that they are ready to change. For those tired of the “start tomorrow” attitude. For those who know the “why” but not the “how”. VFT is for those committed to being better - and staying better.
Thank you for being a part of the VFT family and for taking the time to read about us. Most importantly, thank you for making the choice to invest in your health and fitness. VFT’s mission is that this is the last time you’ll have to do so.
Live Actively,
B
Hi everyone,
My name is Randy and I live in Canton, IL, with my dog Wilfred. I’m currently the Wellness Coordinator for the local hospital where I run both community and employee wellness, and all fitness instruction. On the rare opportunities I get to see the outside of a gym these days, I like to spend my time either hanging out with some close friends or out in my kayak.
I struggled with my weight and self-esteem for most of my childhood but as I got older, I started joining sports and became more active. I started to like how I looked and who I was for the first time. Growing up, I watched my mother struggle with her health every day and I always wished I could do something to help. In high school I was very into sports and even more into working out. I was always trying to get my friends to join. It was that initial enjoyment of the field and wanting to help people like my mother that inevitably led me to my studies, but I had no idea the road that lie ahead.
Over the last ten years, I have earned my B.S. degree in Kinesiology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, became a Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) from the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), worked for and personal trained at nine different gyms across Illinois, marketed myself as an independent trainer, and finally took on the role of Wellness Coordinator for the local hospital where I have now been for two years. I received my CrossFit - Level 1 Coaching Certificate (CF-L1) in 2019 and just recently completed my NASM Certified Nutrition Coach (CNC) course so I could better assist clients with their nutrition.
I’ve always hated the online fitness industry because it has been diluted with misinformation and conflicting data that gets even more confusing than the myths. Because of that, five years ago I decided I wanted nothing to do with online training or the online fitness space. But now that I’ve been at this for some time, I realized I have the power to begin fixing those issues. For those of you that have ever been confused by the fitness industry, that have been told one thing only to find out the opposite is true, join us. We’re here to clear up the confusion. We’re here to get rid of the myths. We're here to make a change.
Stay Focused,
Randy
