Gregory H.

Emily Swanigan - Former DI Collegiate Athlete (Testimonial)

I've wanted to run for a Division I collegiate program ever since I was a freshman in high school. As I entered my senior year, I believed that I was fast enough for the programs I was looking at, but I felt that I was capable of lowering my times even more before committing to a university. I decided to look into a personal coach for the winter and spring track season and was blessed to discover Coach GJ. Full of energy and love for this sport, I knew he would push me just the right amount and provide me with the confidence in running that I never had before. I spent many long hours on the track with him through that year. Coach G challenged me daily, but stuck with me through my ridiculous complaints and protests to horrible repeats. He worked with me during my worst, but was also there to celebrate with me at my best. He helped me accomplish a 20-second PR in my 1600 and over a minute PR in the 3200. He gave me such valuable skills that helped equip me for college running. He's been a coach to me, but also a best friend. I'm so thankful for you, coach; you're the best.

Duncan Gotfredson - Former DI Collegiate Athlete (Testimonial)

I have been working with Coach G and Talon Track for about 7 months now. Since I started, I have seen my desire to run increase greatly. Coach G has pushed me, motivated me, and encouraged me to be the best runner that I can be. Through personal workouts, countless meetings at the track, strength conditioning, and phone calls, I have been able to see improvement in my running, even in the off-season. Thanks to his training, I have gained more confidence heading into the next season and anticipate my best season yet. Having a coach constantly communicating with me on workouts keeps me accountable to put in the work that I need to. Because of Coach G and Talon Track, I regained my love for running and cannot wait to see the results of our hard work coming this fall. In terms of Coach G himself, I have never had a coach take such a personal interest in my athletic and personal life as him. He has such a desire to see me succeed, and he will do anything he can to help me improve. He is willing to drop everything to help me, and he is always eager to write workouts, meet me at the track, and follow up to see how it went. I am very thankful for his passion for his runners, as he has taken a genuine interest in my running, and I can’t wait to continue working with him.

William Welden - Former DIII Collegiate Athlete (Testimonial)

I started working with Coach G in middle school, when I was still figuring out who I was as an athlete. He was there to guide me through that experience and help push me to be my best. It takes a special kind of coach to really connect with their athletes, and Coach G is that kind of coach. When working with him, what really stood out to me was how he would explain his workouts. He was not afraid to explain exactly why we were doing something, and he always had a good reason for what we were doing. Each practice with him was a learning opportunity to learn about myself and how to become a better athlete. Coach G valued me as more than just an athlete. If I were dealing with an injury, we would find a way to work around that, and if I had something that was bothering me, he was there to help with that, too. Coach G was one of the only people I have ever met who believed in me more than I did. I was constantly told by other coaches that my goals were impossible, but Coach G helped me reach and surpass those goals and never once told me they were impossible. He helped make me into the athlete I am today. He taught me resilience and fueled a love for the sport that will never die. Through training with Coach G, I learned many life skills, one of the biggest being how to deal with failure, and how not to give up when things get tough. When the COVID-19 lockdown started, many thought that marked the end of the track season before it had even begun, but I didn’t want that time to go to waste, so I decided to train on my own every day and do time trials on the roads. Coach G gave me a detailed training plan to help get me through all of that, and I ended up dropping a lot of time. It set me up to have an amazing senior year and some of my best seasons of my career so far. He supported me through my college decision and helped me with my transition to my new team, even though I was no longer working with him on a regular basis. He was still there for me to chat with when I needed someone to talk to. Ultimately, I would not be the man I am today without Coach G.

Megan Roach - Former DI Collegiate Athlete (Testimonial)

My name is Megan Roach, and GJ coached me from my 8th-grade year in middle school until my sophomore year in high school. All I can really say is there is no other coach that would literally run the race you are running with you at a meet, encouraging you along the way, yelling out ideal times, and making funny code words to tell you that you need to get moving. In simple terms, he is trusting because of his serene past, grounded to promote confidence in his athletes, and encouraging to make one's future hopeful. Around my freshman year, I heard we were going to have assistant coaches. I was beyond skeptical until I heard that one of the coaches competed at the University of Alabama. On a side note, college was the biggest thing known to man in my freshman mind, so this guy was cool. His credibility seemed fitting to coach. When he got there, our training definitely changed. It was structured and had more of a purpose. We, our small team of about 10, laughed a lot more during practice since the practices became co-ed, but also felt more accomplished after a meet due to our improvement. Improving because we had specific instructions. I can remember, in a pathetic moment of panic, asking GJ how in the world I should run the open 400 meters. He told me three different strategies. I remember thinking, “How in the world does he know three different methods to run in a circle?” However, it worked. I chose the method that included accelerating the first 100 meters, “floating” the next 100 meters, building at the next 100 meters, and giving the last 100 meters everything you've got. Easy enough. When I say Coach G is grounded enough to produce a balanced pride in his athletes, I look back to when I transitioned from freshman to sophomore year. I began to see track as a job rather than as a fun sport I did with all my friends. Nervousness would captivate my thoughts because something inside my head (who knows what) told me I had to perform better than the time before…no matter what. I felt no one would understand that because I felt I was better than everyone else (I was extremely wrong, but overconfidence fed that thought). From this performance-driven mindset, I began to overwork myself. Life was track at this point, and that voice told me it would never be different. I only wanted to be around coaches who would nourish this thought of “get better, get better, get better”. However, I remember after doing a hard workout, I felt a weird twinge in my back. I kept on working out because of the fear I would somehow lose my running talent if I didn’t finish this workout. Wrong. That is the point where GJ pulled me aside and said, “why don’t you just stop?” I finally began to explain how I don’t think I enjoy what I do anymore. Again, he looked at me and said, “you don’t have to compete.” Again, without a coach who can look at you and see how you are hurting mentally and physically, track becomes a very grueling sport. He promoted a character trait in me that allowed me to pull away from my identity in track and become my own person. Now I am running in D1 track at Samford University. That last paragraph already showed how GJ affected my future, but he still came to my graduation, still smiles, and still encourages all of his athletes, no matter what they are doing or are working on.

Jay Baker - Former DIII Collegiate Athlete (Testimonial)

Since the very first day I met Coach G, I knew his mind was set to push his athletes to their full potential. That is exactly what he did with me. In addition, GJ's knowledge and personal experience with track have made him a great coach who can sculpt workouts that individually pertain to each athlete. GJ greatly cares for his athletes and fully invests in their lives.