Douglas Sham, M.Ed. Health Sciences, ACSM-CPT, NASM-CPT, AASDN Nutrition Specialist
Sarasota, FL
From the age of 4 I was doing some type of sport or activity that my mother had signed me up to do. I remember holding my breath for my first swimming lesson to my first chance at swinging a tennis racket. After those first few years of knowing what my body could and couldn’t handle, I was always moving.
I grew up playing sports or competing in community events. Whatever it was that I did, I trained hard to be on the top. My achievements as a child included first place in a tennis ladder league; first and second places three years straight in the junior olympics for running; always placing in the top four in swimming meets as a member of the Boys&Girls Club swim team; and coming first and second place in Tae-Kwon-Do tournaments.
I kept pursuing my love of fitness and health by joining sports teams throughout high school where I landed first place in pole vaulting in our division for Track & Field. After high school I ended up majoring in Physical Education at Springfield College to teach children the benefits of physical activity. I went straight into my Masters degree at Springfield and obtained a Masters of Education in Health Sciences. The path towards teaching lead me to Silver Bay YMCA of the Adirondacks where I was the coordinator of an afterschool program and the coordinator of the fitness facility on campus. I concluded my teaching to children after I realized that there was a greater need to promote healthy lifestyle activities to the aging adult population. I had been training some college friends while working on my degrees and I enjoyed helping them get their results they wanted. Since I had the pre-existing knowledge and experience from college, I became a certified personal trainer through the National Exercise and Sports Trainers Association and later received another certification through the National Academy of Sports Medicine. Training is my passion. To teach people how to stay healthy and the reason to do it was empowering. As time went on and I found the value of combining proper nutrition with exercise, I got certified through the American Academy of Sports Dietitian and Nutritionist as a Nutrition Specialist. I recently passed the American College of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer exam, which allows me to provide people with the latest information and practices in medical fitness.
I moved to Sarasota to work as a personal trainer and TRX Suspension Instructor for Sarasota Memorial Healthplex; a medically integrated fitness facility. I also supervise the Cardiac Phase III program for post-rehab patients coming out of cardiac rehab. In addition I am the lead supervisor of the Bone Builders Osteoporosis program. The reward of working with outpatient care and special populations clients are worth the long hours and early mornings. Healthplex recently changed management and now is fully run by Sarasota Memorial Hospital. Our name is now HealthFit – Powered by Sarasota Memorial and I have been prompted to Fitness Center Lead. My new responsibilities extend to overseeing the personal trainers, group exercise instructors, and exercise specialists. I also work closely with the Manager of Ambulatory Services to create and implement new clinical integrated programs. I still have time to personal train some clients. My mission is to provide an enjoyable experience through science-based exercise programming to ensure lifelong wellness to everyone.
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Life in Complete Balance
