About Us
Freeplay Athletic Training is a personal/group training company that specializes in facilitating wellness development through fitness and sports specific training. We serve those striving for total body fitness and cater to those with an interest in sports. We strive to incorporate fun with fitness/sports training to obtain fit living!!
Julius Thomas Jr ( JT) is the Lead Trainer for FreePlay Athletic Training. (JT) was born and raised in Columbia, SC. He is a product of both Richland One and Richland Two schools. He graduated from Spring Valley High School. At Spring Valley, he received many accolades for his athletic achievements including captain of the football team, Most Valuable Player of the track team, and earning 5 varsity letters in football, and track & field.
He later received his BS degree in Biology from Morehouse College. At Morehouse, he received a full athletic scholarship to play football. There he had the opportunity to work in Sports Medicine as an athletic trainer. He also gained a year of experience on the collegiate level as a football peer coach. After graduation, he continued his education at Ashworth University and graduated from the School of Allied Health. He also earned personal training certification through (NESTA) National Exercise and Sport Trainers Association www.NestaCertified.com , (NASM) National Academy of Sports Medicine and NASM Performance Enhancement Specialist certification www.NASM.org. (JT) was formerly employed with Gold’s Gym as their Personal Training Manager.
DarrinEaddy is the Fitness Consultant and a personal trainer for FreePlay Athletic Training. Darrin as been in Columbia for over 19 years and has been in the fitness industry for 15. Darrin started his fitness career as a sales manager at Hampton hill athletic club where he became a bodybuilder, it was there he discovered the benefits of having a personal trainer.
Darrin began to pursue his goals in fitness by accepting a management position at Gold’s gym where he became a certified personal trainer with (NASM) National Academy of Sports Medicine. With 5 years of management and fitness consulting experience, he made the transition to Personal Training manager for Custom-built personal training and Gold’s gym. His motto is “Fitness is where you find it” !
Jennifer is an accomplished personal trainer that holds specialized training working with Competitive athletes, Special populations, and Children. Jennifer was part of Syracuse University’s Track and Field team from 2002-2007 competing in High jump, Triple jump, and Long jump.. While at Syracuse she earned a Bachelors of Science in Biology and did further work towards a Masters in Exercise Science, with focus on fitness program development for aging and special populations. After Syracuse she accepted a post baccalaureate research position at University of Rochester School of Medicine, and worked at the YMCA of Greater Rochester, helping to develop a workout circuit for children and adults. Jennifer is currently a student at University of South Carolina School of Medicine studying towards a PhD focused on Bacteriology and infectious diseases.
Laura Nielson has been an avid exerciser since she was 13 years old. She has a bachelor’s degree in Health/Fitness from the University of S.C. She worked in cardiac rehabilitation and wellness programs before returning to nursing school. She has a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and has worked as a nurse for almost 20 years. Most of her experience in in the area of cardiology, especially open heart surgery. She has much experience in helping people make lifestyle changes, including incorporating exercise into their daily lives and making healthy dietary choices. Throughout her nursing career, Laura continued to make exercise an important part of her life, mainly as a runner. She has run 5 marathons, placing second in her age group in the 2001 Grandfather Mountain Marathon. Currently, Laura runs 12-15 miles each day and works out with free weights. She is nationally certified as a personal trainer through the International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA). Laura loves teaching about health and fitness. She helps people reach their fitness goals by taking into account the unique needs and motivational factors that each person has.
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