Drake Chaves

I have known Tom and worked out with him since December 2014. If I had caught wind of him and Momentum Performance, I would have been there a lot sooner.

I believe Tom’s greatest trait is inspiring success in others. He has an amazing track record with the athletes who are committed to him. Everyone who trains at Momentum has confidence and I believe that stems from Tom. He is extremely qualified and never stops learning. He is always showing me a new technique or thought process that he has discovered and incorporated into his training regimen at the gym. In addition, Tom is not just a trainer; he is a life coach. He and I have had so many great talks about life and its many challenges. He has had a huge impact on how I evaluate what is important in life.

This is my favorite aspect of Momentum Performance. When I am there, I feel like I can be myself. I do not feel pressured and am not being unnecessarily judged like in most gyms. I am very calm and comfortable. Everyone who trains there are positive and hard-working people. They are not there to take selfies. They are there to put in the work.

I started working out with Tom through a referral from my friend Andrew Stich. I was heading into the winter before my senior track & field season at Lakewood and I really wanted to make positive strides in my off-season performance. He told me that he had a great experience during his time at Momentum and that I should go over and check the place out.

Being at Momentum Performance is an experience. It is not just a workout, but a full-on experience. Being surrounded by good people who genuinely care about you and who enjoy telling stories is a rare thing to come across. That is what drew me to the place and locked me in after just a few days of going there. I have made many relationships there over the past 4 years that will last a very long time.

I have many stories, but this particular story is very special to me. My last two years on the track team I had primarily been a sprinter. I had never really thought of branching out to another event. In the middle of February, Tom and Coach Paul Johnson, who had been working at Momentum for a few years to work with athletes on event specific techniques & running mechanics, suggested that I give hurdles a shot. My initial thought was “Holy crap.” I had never even considered hurdles before that. We had only one month before the season started. Prior to that, I had been training on my strength, speed, and breathing technique for the sprints. I said, “Let’s give it a go.” I really wasn’t expecting a ton; I was just going to work my butt off and see what I could accomplish that season. That month was very tough in terms of adjusting to the hurdles. It took me a while to grasp that you are supposed to sprint over the hurdles, not jump over them. The day before the first day of practice, Tom and I had a chat about my expectations for the season. I told him that mine were to make it to districts, but he told me that his were for me to make it to state. I was blown away to be honest with you, but I attacked the season with a renewed perseverance. Week by week, my times got faster, and I grew more comfortable. Eventually I had made it to the district finals, and I couldn’t believe it. The top 4 athletes in the heat would go on to compete at state. I cannot remember anything during that race after the gun, but I ended up placing 4th and punching my ticket to state. I was stunned. The following day after school, I went out to the gym and told him what happened. This is where the special story comes in. His response was, “Of course you did. What did you think was going to happen?” I was shocked to see how much confidence he had in me and was so glad that I chose to stick with Tom and Momentum. I am also sure that many other athletes have had experiences just like that one.