About Your Coach – Jak Wawrzyniak, aka “Coach Vav”
I didn’t know whether to put my CV/resume here or to write directly about myself. One part of me feels like the industry is too full of resumes and lacking in experience; and another part of me thinks there are too many social media “fitness gurus” out there with plenty of training experience and not enough coaching experience and/or qualifications.
What is true for all though, is that, first and foremost, your clients need to know that they’re in good hands, are being supported by someone who sees them as priority number one, and who has the proven ability to help them achieve their goals.
I suppose a hybrid of the two then…
My Personal Background
{Insert cliche (but nevertheless true) interests}: Dogs, travelling, burritos, happiness, etc.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been physically active and sport obsessed. I started training “officially” aged 15 by joining a local gym (that I later went on to work at) and fell in love with the process instantly.
My motivation for training always came from my sport, Lacrosse. In the past 12 years I’ve represented England in one U19 World Championship, three Men’s World Championships, and one European Championship. I’ve also played at US high school, NCAA Division1, and professional levels in-between that time frame. Needless to say, I’ve been very fortunate to have such experiences; learn from amazing coaches & mentors; and share the field (and gym) with tremendously gifted athletes and teammates.
During my lacrosse career I have had the opportunity to undertake qualifications, degrees, internships, and occupations surrounding psychology, sport, coaching, health & fitness, and athlete-specific strength & conditioning. All these experiences have formed together to create Intrinsic Athlete Ltd; a bespoke online training service, with the ambition of reaching former student-athletes to support them in seeking continued excellence in their daily training habits; just like their collegiate years. *Additionally, I have expanded to coaching lacrosse athletes since the inception of IA; with current clients coming from PLL, MLL, national team, club, and youth programs.
Without a doubt, I owe most of my success, both on and off the lacrosse field, to the time spent in the gym. This goes for every part of my life from academics, to athletics, and beyond; because training your body also has a profound training effect on your mind. It teaches you to push yourself further than you thought possible, be consistent in your approach to struggles, see failure as an opportunity to learn, and that you must sacrifice in order to be successful.
How does this help personal training?
Simply put, training has been the ultimate “life hack” tool. So why wouldn’t I want to share it? Creating this platform just made sense to me.
My Academic/Certification Background
REPs Level 2 Fitness Coach
NGB Level 2 Coach
BTEC: Sports Development, Coaching, & Fitness National Cert.
First Aid & CPR Qualified
Criminal Record Check/2019 (UK & USA)
Personal Insurance
Facility Insurance
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.): Social Science (Anthropology, Psychology, Sociology)
Master of Education (M.Ed.): Counselling & Guidance
Master of Arts (MA): Educational Research
How does this help personal training?
My academic experience and qualifications help me understand the vast array of issues faced by clients from a physical, mental, and social perspective; in terms of both health and human performance. In addition, my research degree supports an evidence-based approach to all of my programming and content. Aka. I backup what I say/do with a no-bullshit focus on evidence and what is proven to work.
My Occupational Background
- Fitness Coach (Virgin Active, UK)
- NCAA Division1 Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach (Providence College, USA)
- NCAA Division1 Assistant Lacrosse Coach (Providence College, USA)
- Assistant Sports Psychologist (Clinical & Sports Consulting Services, USA)
- Coach/Personal Trainer (Strength & Performance Gym, UK)
- Online Coach/Personal Trainer (Intrinsic Athlete Ltd, Worldwide)
How does this help personal training?
Training is about more than just performance, muscle-gain, fat loss, and dieting…its about challenge, achievement, lifestyle, and a feeling of self-confidence. My occupational background has taken me in to a diverse range of health, fitness, athlete-specific, and human performance roles. This allows me to draw upon the knowledge and experiences gained working with renowned coaches and mentors to deliver the best service and holistic results possible to my clients. Combined with my academic experience, I have over 10 years experience in sports coaching, fitness coaching, strength & conditioning, and mental health/sports psychology practice.