Our Why

Throughout the development of the Functional Health app, many individuals and groups have contributed their expertise to the foundations, principles, concepts, and ideas that have resulted in this app.

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First, and most important, is Teresa Till, the wife (and better half) of Functional Health founder Kevin Till. Teresa reignited Kevin's passion for fitness by introducing him to the invigorating world of Functional Fitness Bootcamp classes at Empower Fitness. Empower Fitness is owned by Emlynn Hewitt and is where Teresa works as a coach. It is at Empower Fitness that Kevin underwent a transformative shift from his previous fitness routines. No more would Kevin use soccer and the all too common but less than functional aesthetic bodybuilding dumbbell and isolation machine-based weightlifting for fitness. Kevin recognizes the experiences and exhilaration of the unparalleled benefits of functional fitness for his body, by immersing himself in the world of compound movements and Olympic lifts. The motivating and encouraging atmosphere at the gym serves as a catalyst for Kevin's embrace of this new approach to fitness. In the early development of the app, both Emlynn and Teresa have been key reviewers and have provided innumerable valuable input to help steer Kevin to improve his experience for other users.
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The dynamic Erin Foster, owner of CrossFit Santa Barbara, works with Kevin as he dives deeper into the world of functional fitness. Erin, a Doctor of Physical Therapy and coach at CrossFit Santa Barbera, creates a tight knit community at her gym, where she fosters an environment where every member is valued equally. Founded in 2008, CrossFit Santa Barbara prides itself on its inclusive programming, challenging athletes of all fitness levels. Kevin, inspired by Erin's dedication and expertise, found new avenues to explore in his training regimen, expanding his passion for functional fitness. In Spring 2023 Kevin earned his CrossFit L1 trainer certificate and currently coaches classes at Crossfit Santa Barbara. Kevin continues to dive further into his search of functional health, using his increasing ability to help others with their fitness journey. Erin has been instrumental in teaching and guiding Kevin through his process of learning to coach, and continues to mentor Kevin. In the development of the app, Erin has also been a significant early reviewer and has given numerous important contributions to assist in guiding the direction and content of the app.
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In his journey of functional fitness, Kevin drew further inspiration from fellow Empower Fitness athlete Omar Flores. Omar is a former United States Marine Corps Sergeant and is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. Omar has immersed himself in CrossFit and Olympic lifting, using his certifications as a Clinical Weightlifting Coach and Clinical Athlete Practitioner to work specifically with athletes striving to improve their performance and to increase their strength. Kevin was influenced by Omar's expertise and his tailored approach. Kevin used Omar's influence to create the Functional Health app, to offer similar benefits to others who are looking to improve and maintain their health and fitness. In the early development of the app, Omar has also been key a reviewer and has provided innumerable valuable input to help steer Kevin to improve his experience for other users.
 

In addition to the advice and counsel of Teresa, Emlynn, Erin, and Omar, Kevin also found motivation and wisdom in the functional fitness community, found in several podcasts as well as in print. Podcasters who influenced Kevin include Ben Bergeron and Patrick Cummings of Chasing Excellence, EC Synkowski and Patrick Cummings of The Consistency Project, and Pat Sherwood and Adrian Bozman of Varied Not Random. Also, author Ryan Holiday provided further inspiration and influence. All of these people helped shape Kevin's vision for the Functional Health app
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Kevin, now armed with new experiences and the inspiration garnered from these exceptional figures, embarked on a journey to create an effective health and fitness app, with the goal to help others live long, healthy lives. Kevin aimed to provide an app, by working with a team of talented developers, to enable and facilitate users to help them build and follow a healthy habit program, by tracking and analyzing their progress of their habits, by increasing their functional healthy through physical performance assessments.
 

The Functional Health app's primary goal is to help people live long, healthy lives by helping them to build and sustain effective, healthy habits by measuring and encouraging resulting functional health improvements. The app draws on all the invaluable contributions and influences of these outstanding people. Join Functional Health to create your own exciting adventure to empower you to unlock more of your full potential and to embark on a transformative path toward a healthier and fuller life.