Phil

Welcome to LightSpeed Fitness, I am Phil Carpenter Lee the founder and primary instructor. My career in fitness began as a small boy who wanted to be like the older children in my neighborhood who could run, swim, skateboard, and ride bikes. They taught me how to overhaul bikes and skateboards, how to run and even basic auto repair. I entered a 40 mile charity bike ride at around 10 years old and watched as the older kids flew by without even needing to stand up on hills. I was hooked on sports and wanted to do something as often as possible. I was lucky that I grew up in a safe neighborhood where I could play every sport known to children, enter leagues, and ride my bike anywhere I needed to go. That led to participating in sports in high school and college prior to joining the Marine Corps. It was in the Marines that I learned how to train myself and others. I volunteered to join the Second Force Reconnaissance Company and made it through the Indoc and eight other military schools including Ranger, Amphibious Reconnaissance, Military Freefall Parachutist, and Special Forces Combat Diver. These schools not only challenged me, but reshaped how I approached my health and fitness. When I left the Marines, I began working as a swimming instructor where I had to apply my military skills to babies and toddlers while managing demanding parents. It is my years of experience with children that shaped my approach to fitness. Could I communicate complex skills to a talented four-year-old and to an 80-year-old WWII veteran who has never swam before? There a no certifications that address these topics, in fact, my certifications have had little to no impact on my knowledge of fitness and teaching. I am an amalgamation of all the people I have worked with and helped solve problems. How do you teach a seven-year-old who is afraid of the water, but too embarrassed to admit it? You have to take your time, earn the child’s trust with warmth and openness, and then work with the familiar. Chances are they already have the strength and range of motion to accomplish any swimming skill, you just have to patiently show them how great they truly are.

This philosophy is everywhere in my work.All people are great and all people can be better.It is not just words, it is how I live.So, when a big strong football player comes to me, I show him things that will make him better.I do not give him a canned workout from some magazine that claims to know how to train athletes.There is no formula to make someone better because everyone is different.What injuries have you had?Which hand or foot do you favor for most tasks?What position do you play?What do you do for a living?All these factors affect everything about your training.

Another major component in my training is my fitness.I exercise and eat healthy as part of my career.I challenge myself to improve as an athlete by participating in Masters competitions in track, swimming, and cycling.Recreationally, my favorite sports are Rock Climbing, Skydiving, SCUBA diving, and open water swimming.I learn something from every training session and I improve my fitness and my ability to train others with every session.You will see this whenever you work with me