Donald Gardner, Jr., known to friends and family as Donnie, has had a lifelong interest in sports. In his youth, he played a variety of sports but by high school narrowed the field to basketball and his favorite, baseball. In high school he sustained a knee injury that led him to try strength training, a practice he continues to this day. While attending college at Clemson University he was a part-time fitness counselor who worked with both staff and students to help them achieve their fitness goals, and his interest in strength training expanded to include body building and power lifting.
After graduating with a degree in Management in 1992, Donnie lived in Atlanta and then Los Angeles. In both cities he worked as a trainer to celebrities, professional athletes, and business professionals. He decided to move back to Greenville because he felt it is a great place to raise a family and a great place to open a business. In late 2002, he founded Performance Fuel with his sister Sonia Gardner Rudisill. They offer a wide selection of sports nutrition from the hottest brands along with their own line of performance supplements that can be purchased in their retail store in Greenville or online, and shipped anywhere in the US. Read on as Donnie shares a bit about his family and lifestyle and tips for incorporating healthier habits. “My wife Kelly and I met online in 1999, and got married in 2000. She’s a Cardiac and Vascular Sonographer. While running a test on me she found a heart defect that has made me change my training style to focus more on endurance training and muscle conditioning rather than heavy weight lifting.”
“My wife, kids and I love the beach, especially the Caribbean. If we could live anywhere it would be on the beach. Even on vacation I like to participate in physical activities, particularly beach volleyball.
TIP:“Supplements are designed to do just that — supplement your healthy diet. It’s an efficient way to take inTIP nutrients and protein that you may be missing. It’s not a replacement for healthy eating, it simply enhances it.”
“Kelly and I have three children, Alex (7), Evan (3), and Sara (1). Having a family has made me a better trainer. In my 20s, when I had no family commitments, I worked out all the time and wasn’t very sympathetic to clients who complained that they couldn’t find time for fitness. Now that I experience the same family commitments and career challenges that they face, I am far more understanding, but I have also learned creative solutions to those problems that I can pass along to my clients to help them be successful in reaching their fitness goals. I think they feel comfortable with me because our lifestyles are alike. Most of my clients are in my age group (late 30s) and are interested in fitness for their health and to feel better as they get older, not just to look better.”
TIP:“The more often you eat, the more efficient your body will be at processing nutrients. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day; try never to miss it. Time-crunched? Try a protein smoothie (can be made in 20 seconds) and a banana. It’s quick — you can eat it in the car.”
Visit www.performancefuel.com to buy smoothie kits and learn more about their line of nutritional supplements that can benefit your life.
