Saturday, August 14, 2004

denver fitness, denver athletic club, denver personal trainer, personal trainers training athletic clubs, physical fitness nutrition counseling Tom and Dawn Terwilliger told their very romantic startup story at the IDEA Cafe yesterday. Tom had a TV show on Fox and covered a competition in Boulder, Colorado. "I saw Dawn and instantly knew she was the one. Why she was interested in me, I don't know," Tom laughed. "Since then we've be joined at the hip in everything we do," added Dawn.

Tom's decision to become a professional trainer came just as quickly. "I was working in a gym making $6/hour. I won the Mr. America competition in 1986 and was invited on the Regis Philbin show. He became my first client. I'd been working with individuals in the gym, but not charging. Others were doing the same thing, but no one else had the knack and joy for it that I did. I charged Regis because I knew he had the money. I don't think he came in expecting to pay!"

The Fox TV show also came quickly. "I was invited to participate because of being Mr. America. We made a demo in about 20 minutes and sent it to Fox." That lead to a 16 year run, until he met Mrs. Terwilliger.

"We worked at another studio as independent contractors and were happy until it changed hands. That lead to a kitchen table decision to open their own facility. It took about a year to find the right location and put it together. In 1999 they opened Definitions in Larimer Square, and 3 years ago they opened this.

Looking at their life together, their business, and the fact that a TV producer and actor who wants to start a fitness TV show that I'd met months ago by accident finally decided to attend the IDEA Cafe, Dawn said, "Every thing happens for a reason. I really believe that."

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