Today we’d like to introduce you to Steve.
Hi Steve, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I started my journey into fitness training almost 20 years ago when I was a high school wrestler. I was a scrawny 125 pounds as a freshman and felt like I was always being pounded by the bigger kids. I started lifting weights that summer and came back 25 pounds heavier. By my senior year I was working at GNC and skipping high school parties for gym sessions. I turned 125 pounds to a strong 190 pounds throughout my time in high school, earning me the “most changed” accolade in my senior yearbook and helping me break school wrestling records with the most wins in a season and most pins in a season. When it came time for me to decide what to study in college my heart was set on exercise science. I went back and forth between wanting to be a PE teacher or a strength and conditioning coach, but at the end of the day my passion turned out to be helping people in the gym. After getting my bachelors degree and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist certification I began my personal training journey in Connecticut in 2015. Working in big gyms and helping hundreds of clients achieve their goals I gained experience with a wide variety of clientele and even gained management experience leading a team of personal trainers. Due to an unforeseen change in circumstances that uprooted my life, I moved to Tampa in 2019 right before the pandemic and had to figure things out from the ground up. I started personal training at Crunch Fitness where I continued to use my skills to work with a wide range of clientele. I eventually connected with Food Network star Robert Irvine and was offered a position as his personal trainer. This gave me an opportunity to start my own personal training company and travel with Chef Irvine. Since 2023 I have owned and operated Stronger With Steve, where I work with my clients out of a gym in Westshore called Flex and Flow Fitness. I also work for the Robert Irvine Foundation where as their Physical Wellness Coordinator I put together monthly workout videos for their newsletter and run a program called Mission: VetFit which helps local veterans improve their health and wellbeing through our partnership with EoS Fitness. I also collaborate with Golf Away Tampa Bay, offering a program that helps golfers fix their swing by correcting physical limitations through strength and mobility training. I am so grateful for the success I’ve had in Tampa Bay and look forward to helping many more veterans and clients alike through my fitness programs and personal training services.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has not been a smooth road, in 2019 I went through a divorce with many complications that caused me to relocate to a new area. After moving to Tampa I was in a bad place financially and had to start over with a completely new book of business. It’s unbelievable how things have turned out in just a matter of years. My life and career today are beyond anything I had in Connecticut. I feel very lucky and blessed to have relocated to Tampa and met the people who have helped me elevate my business and my life.
We’ve been impressed with Stronger With Steve , but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
My personal training business specializes in functional training to achieve any goal. I combine strength training and mobility work, along with nutritional guidance to help my clients succeed. I pride myself on being knowledgeable enough to handle any case thrown my way and I enjoy the challenge of working with complicated situations. I currently have experience working with amputees, people with heart, liver, and kidney issues, diabetics, injury rehabilitation, and people on GLP-1 drugs and/or with various dietary restrictions. I enjoy the thought that goes into getting creative and finding a tailored approach to help each client make progress. I also really enjoy building lasting relationships and friendships with my clientele. I find my work to be truly rewarding and when my clients succeed, I too feel the reward. At this point I would say the work I am most proud of is my efforts to lead Mission: VetFit through the Robert Irvine Foundation and EoS Fitness. This program took me years to organize and though the program is still young it is an honor to feel like I am making a difference for our veterans. We are looking to scale this program nationwide and truly make a big impact. To see a program that started as an idea in my head begin to grow wings and take flight is a very cool experience.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
Many others deserve credit when it comes to my success. First, I thank my parents for raising me with good values, leading by example, and always being there for me through good times and bad. I thank my wife Chloe Wrona for her continued support, and my daughter Braedyn for motivating me to be a better person each day so I can lead by example as a father. I’d like to thank the Svec brothers, my wrestling coaches in West Springfield Massachusetts who convinced me to join the team in 8th grade and were the strongest role models and leaders throughout my high school career. Professionally, I have a list of people to thank. Derek Janko, my first mentor who trained me when I was new to personal training and taught me a lot of the fundamentals I build my success on today. Mike Subach, owner of Lift Health and Performance in Ridgefield, CT, who helped me continue to expand my knowledge base when I moved to a new part of Connecticut and switched gyms. Dr. Alan Molina, a Tampa chiropractor and functional training expert who mentored me after my move to Tampa. Christi Slaven, owner of Professor Posture in Tampa, who taught me a different way to approach postural imbalances. Dr. Nick Tanner from Forward Physio in Tampa, who continues to help me improve as an athlete. Kevin Gregory owner of Underdog Fitness in Wallingford, CT, who inspires me as an athlete and has taught me so much about proper running technique. Joe Polanin for his guidance and mentorship in business. Albert Donaldson for helping me form the earliest concept of Mission: VetFit and connecting me with his Golf Away network. Most of all Thank God! For connecting me with all these great people and giving me the skills necessary to help so many people through fitness.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Strongerwithsteve.com
- Instagram: @strengthcoachsteve
