ABOUT
FOR THE KING
BUILT FOR PERFORMANCE. ANCHORED IN PURPOSE.
FTK was built on the belief that endurance sport can shape more than performance. It shapes discipline, resilience, leadership, and character.
We coach athletes to pursue excellence at the highest level through structured endurance training, performance testing, strength development, and intentional preparation for race day.
But performance alone is not the mission.
In the hardest miles, early mornings, and unseen moments of training, we believe people discover what they are truly built on. FTK exists to help athletes build a foundation that lasts beyond sport.
Every plan we write, every athlete we coach, and every conversation we have is rooted in purpose, stewardship, and excellence. We use endurance sport as the vehicle — and leadership, growth, and faith as the deeper pursuit.
OUR CORE VALUES
Guide Everything We Do
FAITH-DRIVEN EXCELLENCE
We pursue excellence in training and competition as a form of stewardship and discipline, honoring Christ through effort and integrity.
Discipline Over Motivation
Progress is built through consistency, structure, and daily commitment- not temporary inspiration.
Evidence-based training
All programming is rooted in exercise physiology, progressive overload, and performance science.
Individualized performance
Every athlete’s physiology, schedule, and goals are unique- and their training should reflect that.
MEET THE COACHES
FOUNDER & COACH
HUNTER AMES
Hunter built FTK out of a conviction that endurance sport is one of the most powerful tools for spreading the Gospel and developing disciplined, purposeful people. His background in exercise science and his own experience as a long-course athlete shape every system he builds.
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Ironman Florida — 12:37:04
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Ironman 70.3 Galveston — 4:45
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Ironman 70.3 Rockford — 4:24
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2026 70.3 Ironman World Championship Qualifier
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M.S. Exercise Science — Baylor University (2026)
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B.S. Exercise Science — Hope College
COACH
Joel Tarzoho
Joel combines endurance performance, strength development, and faith-driven leadership to help athletes build confidence, discipline, and long-term resilience.
As an endurance athlete, HYROX competitor, Certified Personal Trainer, and youth mentor, Joel brings a coaching style rooted in hard work, intentional growth, and serving others through fitness.
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3x Full Marathon Finisher
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6x Half Marathon Finisher
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Ironman 70.3 Ohio Finisher
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HYROX Athlete & Strength Specialist
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Certified Personal Trainer (CPT)
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Youth Leader & Ministry Mentor
COACH
will Herwig
Will Herwig coaches with one conviction: the work you put in when no one's watching is the work that changes you. He meets athletes where they are — from first-timers to seasoned racers — and builds them toward something bigger than a single result.
His approach is simple and demanding in the right ways: consistency over intensity, discipline over motivation, honest coaching over empty hype. But the why matters more than the science. Will coaches the whole athlete — body, mind, and spirit — because the discipline you build chasing a finish line is the discipline that carries you through everything else. We don't train for the medal. We train for something greater.
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MS in Exercise Physiology
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15 years swimming experience
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4x ncaa second team all-American
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2:43 Marathon
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2026 70.3 Ironman World Championship Qualifier
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70.3 Happy Valley — 4:28
HEAD COACH
Brad Bischoff
Brad believes great coaching starts with a relationship built on communication and trust — the foundation for lasting results and success on race day.
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Coaches to the individual: he learns each athlete's physiology and how they respond, then places the emphasis where real adaptation happens. Methodologies exist, but no two athletes respond the same, so the approach has to stay flexible.
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Years of experience with triathletes, runners, and cyclists — guiding athletes to Ironman World Championship events, Boston Marathon qualifications, and state criterium wins.
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A professional triathlete in his third year of pro racing, bringing real-world experience at the highest level to the feedback and advice he gives his athletes.
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Holds a bachelor's in Kinesiology & Human Performance with a minor in Nutrition, and is a certified USAT Level 1 coach.
