The Human Performance Fitness Center is there to help people create happy and healthy lifestyles. Kim Rasmussen and Matt Kathol come together with a business that helps people thrive. Human Performance is a small fitness center that really focuses on one-on-one training. The personal trainers take into consideration what you want and create workout programs encompassing your needs and desires.
          My tasks as an intern were to shadow and maintain some of the equipment. Health and hygiene are vital components for a thriving gym. In addition to my job of keeping the equipment clean, I did maintenance jobs around the center keeping it a safe environment for all.
          As my time working at Human Performance continued I went from shadowing to actually doing. I slowly began changing weights and getting gear ready. Soon I was helping to train a young boy whenever a trainer was late or could not make an appointment. This type of hands-on learning helped me to really experience what firsthand training was like.
          When starting this internship, my goals were to learn specific techniques and things about the body. While I did learn a lot of this, I think that the most important thing I learned is that everybody is different. No two bodies are the same nor are any two people’s desire; when training you must take everything into consideration.
          Through the tasks that I performed I was able to create relationships with people of all ages and backgrounds. Farrah, a young college student juggling two jobs, came to work every day smiling and having fun. She made the fitness center a place to be by helping to maintain a light atmosphere. Dion, “the crazy Philippino guy,” cracks jokes left and right but is one of the most athletic guys I have ever had the privilege of meeting. Through this bunch of characters I learned how to talk to a person as you have different objectives. There are times to talk relaxed but you must know when to be professional.
          This internship experience has allowed me to really look at what I want to do as a career. Before I always wanted to be a physical therapist, now I want to train more with an emphasis in rehabilitation. Personal training has a more relaxed atmosphere and the fact that they make more money is just another plus.
          Many of the skills I learned here will continue to help me for the rest of my life. This specific internship has been another way to open doors to even more options and possibilities. The people here also allowed me to build up my confidence as not only an athlete but as an intellectual person. They helped me to realize how comfortable I am with myself. I know that even though the University of Vermont is all the way across the country, I am confident that I have made the right decision and that I will succeed as a student athlete. Kim Rasmussen and the rest of the Human Performance Fitness Center have helped me realize all of this and more. I will never forget the experience I had here and will continue to build off of what they taught me.