Seiji Ishii

My personal fitness and wellness journey might be in the reverse order of many, But it does give me a unique perspective on the potential paths to improved fitness, function, and wellness. And it provides a framework proven at the highest levels of competitive sports. 

 

The Beginning

 

I grew up as the son of two Olympic-caliber athletes. From a very young age, being fit was paramount. I did all the stick-and-ball sports growing up, but in high school I gravitated towards endurance sports and started racing bicycles at 14. That propelled me to the University of Texas at Austin, as the city was a mecca for elite cycling, and the first collegiate competitive program started the semester I enrolled. 

 

I also started rock climbing after an injury kept me off the bike for a summer. It came naturally to me, and I quickly progressed. My proficiency in endurance sports made alpine climbing and mountaineering attractive as well. 

 

I wallowed around in majors that honestly were chosen for the projected income, but my heart wasn’t in it. And after seven years of full-time studies, the university threatened to kick me out unless I quickly attained a degree. I asked what the closest degree was to cycling; the response was kinesiology, and I graduated with that degree 18 months later. Yes, a decade as an undergraduate, but I’d do it all over again. 

 

During my last few years at UT, I earned a sponsorship to race mountain bikes and did so regionally. I also earned product sponsorships for rock climbing and pursued it almost as seriously as cycling. I branched out in climbing and learned I had the knack for all forms of what was then a fringe activity. I started ice climbing and alpine climbing, with some mountaineering sprinkled in. 

 

First Professional Career in Personal Training

Upon graduating, I managed Austin’s first rock climbing gym, then designed outdoor gear for a manufacturing company. I advanced to Vice President of Product Development and earned my first substantial paycheck. But as lavish as my corporate office was, I looked out my 8th-story window constantly wanting to be outside. 

 

I got laid off, which I now know was a blessing. I became a personal trainer at one of Austin’s first studios, Timberline Fitness Studio, and my career blasted off into the stratosphere. I trained chart-topping musicians on tour, elite athletes, and “normal” fine folks in Austin. I also started online coaching, which was brand new back then. 

 

Eventually, I opened my own studio, Pinnacle Elite Fitness, which operates as Austin Fitness Clinic today. During my time as a business owner, I was approached to train professional motocross and supercross athletes. And again, my time in an office administering a business only led to a yearning to be outside again. So, I became a full-time trainer to the world's best motocross and supercross riders. 

 

During my 11-year career in pro sports, I helped my athletes win 65+ amateur national titles and one professional title. I had a child during this time, and when she was two, she asked me why I was home. I knew right then I had to switch careers so I could be home more often. 

 

Journalism Career

When I left professional sports, working from home was rare, but it seemed ideal for raising kids. This was especially true on a ranch, where I built motocross tracks to train my clients. 

 

Writing in the outdoor space was an obvious spot for me. So, I started as a humble freelance contributor. I covered cycling, climbing, camping, and backpacking. I also contributed to motorsports magazines and occasionally penned articles on training for racing and climbing. 

 

I was eventually promoted to a position as a full-time editor for cycling, climbing, fitness, powersports, and travel. I felt like I had hit the jackpot and was extremely happy with what I did for a living. It kept me outdoors, using the best gear on the planet. And I could do it from anywhere. 

 

But during this career, a life-changing event altered my perspective on fitness and my life. 

 

The Crash

In 2018, the day before my kid’s 5th birthday, I crashed on a motorcycle I was testing. I tore almost everything in my left knee, but the prognosis was good. I wasn’t at all upset as I had made it to the age of 48 without significant injury. And I was looking forward to the expected six months of downtime to hang out with my family.

 

But fate intervened. To make it short, I had two consecutive staph infections, leading to 11 medical procedures over a year and a month of stays in hospitals and rehab centers. I couldn’t stand or walk, and had lost 40 pounds of muscle mass. I had gone from being extremely fit and capable to being unable to sit up or put my socks on without assistance. I was humbled to the core and needed 24-hour care. 

 

This experience also uncovered mental health challenges that I had stomped down with hard physical efforts my entire life. Being unable to do anything physical or outdoors, my mental state hit rock bottom. Incredibly, I was placed into suicide detention twice, followed by a cascade of traumatic events that changed my life in the biggest ways possible. 

 

Altered Perspectives

As traumatic and negative as the experiences related to my motorcycle crash were, it did leave a few gifts that made me a much better trainer and human. 

 

I had to rehabilitate myself, with a lot of help, to the activities of daily living. To give context, I had gone from shoulder pressing 55 pounds in each hand to being unable to lift 8 pounds. I went from riding 100 miles rather comfortably or rock climbing at a high grade to being unable to walk in my home. 

 

I had to use tools to pick up anything off the ground, and I needed assistance to move from a bed to a chair. I couldn’t go to the bathroom or shower without someone stabilizing me. I also couldn’t drive. 

 

And my overall health deteriorated. Between being immobile almost 24 hours a day and being on both IV and oral antibiotics for a year, I was a shadow of my former healthy and robust self. I didn’t at all recognize or want my body. 

 

And through it all, my mental health teetered. 

 

The Return

It was a solid five-year effort to return to my activities, health, and wellness. I had 165+ physical therapy sessions and countless doctor’s visits. I also seriously addressed my mental health. 

 

Before the accident, I admit I was elitist towards fitness and athleticism. I only worked with the best of the best and enjoyed decades of seemingly unlimited physical capacity. But the universe kicked me to the bottom, and I lived the journey from being unable to sit up to returning to all my prior activities. 

 

This return gave me a different perspective on fitness and wellness. I no longer viewed elite-class results as a goal. It took over five years of rehabilitating myself to return to even recreational activities. 

 

I was humbled, and my value paradigm changed; winning a competition or being the first to achieve a climbing objective paled in comparison to rebuilding function, health, and overall wellness. 

 

I still consult and train some elite athletes. But my professional training goals are not in that realm. I am determined to help others in their journeys to fitness, health, and wellness that will support a longer and more active health span. 

 

Back to Personal Training

In 2025, digital outdoor media was struggling. It was hard to deny that my position wasn’t stable. My superiors told me so multiple times. Eventually, I lost my job.

 

After soul-searching and discussions with those who know me best, I am determined to go “home.” The most significant way I can contribute is personal training. 

 

So, here I am. I’m excited to be a part of your journey.