Paige Shimkus

Before I started lifting at Momentum I had never participated in strength training of any kind. I didn’t feel comfortable going to a public gym given my inexperience and in many ways I lacked the incentive to go because I felt like I was “good enough” at javelin. After I began to develop tendonitis in my throwing arm from muscle weakness, I knew I had to make a change. When I started working with Tom in the winter before my junior season, I had no idea just how much more successful I could be with the right mentorship and conditioning. Momentum is a place where anyone can work to meet and exceed their goals in a comfortable and personalized environment. Having trained there for about three years now, I can confidently say that I formed lasting friendships with some of my fellow gym-goers, with Tom and his family, and taken my love for javelin to an entirely new level. Tom has a high regard for safety and proper form in weightlifting and I am always confident enough to push myself out of my comfort zone every time I come in for a lift. At Momentum I have seen all sorts of phsycial activity, ranging from rehabilitation to intense strength training, and never once have I seen someone get hurt. I know I can trust Tom’s program because although I’m now a much more experienced lifter, he is just as attentive to my form and progress now as he was when I first came in. In my junior season of track, I met my goal of breaking the school record and was left with a hunger for more. In my senior season, I walked away with as a nationally-ranked athlete with the confidence to pursue bigger things at the collegiate level. I am certain that Momentum played a massive role in my physical and mental growth as an athlete and without Tom’s careful training I would not have had as much success. The skills that I learned from Tom are continuing to benefit me while I train for my first season as a Western Washington University thrower, and all of my friends at Momentum still support and encourage me every step of the way.