MEET TOMMI "THE TRAINER"
Tommi Paavola, M.S., C.S.C.S., YCS
Tommi "the Trainer" Paavola is the founder of Discover Movement. His expertise and passion is in Youth Conditioning and Physical Education. He holds a Master's degree in Physical Education and is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach. Tommi created the Movement Skill Program for young athletes that has already been taught to over 1000 sport coaches in Europe. He also got recently certified as a Youth Conditioning Specialist by IYCA.
Learn more about the Company Discover Movement
TOMMI'S THOUGHTS OF TRAINING AND LIFE
A coach and a student
When I started as a personal trainer, my goal was not to stay in this profession for long. I already had a degree in physical education and my plans were in the world of educational establishments. As I spent my days helping people achieve their individual goals, my perception of professional career slowly changed.
I noticed suddenly that instead of just counting repetitions I was building relationships every day and I had a chance to participate in the various processes of life with my clients and athletes. I came to the realization that I was a coach, a change agent, an encourager and little by little maybe even an expert of my field. That said, having been frequently humbled by the complexities of all the dimensions of movement, I finally committed myself being always first 'a student'.
Eyes open for untapped potential
My education had given me a good foundation to begin my work within practical exercise science. I had studied in three different countries and I counted that very valuable. However, it was truly the desire and interest to learn more about human movement that helped me form the training philosophy of my own. This was the culmination point of truly starting to see the true potential in each athlete and individual. I progressively became more and more aware of the factors that limited each person's potential and I wanted to see the athltete's health, function and performance elevated to a new level.
Ankylosing Athletics
My journey and work of physical training and conditioning could have easily become just an extension of my own "weight lifting" -hobby without the ankylosing spondylitis. AS is an auto-immune condition that affects the spine, joints, eyes and unpredictably pretty much any body part. My condition started as frequent iritis, then became semi-chronic sacro-iliac inflammation, lower back pain and migrating muscle inflammation. It gave me a gift of empathy for others in pain and also a refreshed appreciation of just being able to move. I learned that walking is not a less of a miracle than squatting a full rack of weights. Through the experience of ankylosing spondylitis my own exercise became a necessity even more than a passion and I gained a new perspective to life in general. I know now that the abundant grace of God will prevail and strengthen me even in the midst of sickness and adversity.
I believe the gifts and talents that we have received are for a reason. They are to edify and to build someone else. I seek to be a specific part in the "big body" and I hope to help my neighbor live a fulfilling life and to coach him or her in reaching their dreams and goals in recreational, olympic or familial fields and courts.
Please, send me an email if you have any questions. I am more than happy to help any way I can.
Take care!
Tommi
"By His wounds we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5)