Chris Vega shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Good morning Chris, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
As I sit for this interview, I find myself taking care of my 2-week-old newborn baby. Ever since my wife and I found out we were expecting, we began preparing and planning for this moment, from building the nursery to researching baby brands and learning how to change diapers. Yet nothing could have prepared us for how amazing this new chapter would truly be.
It has been a humbling experience, starting from knowing nothing and figuring things out day by day. I like to think my son Thiago already appreciates the effort.
While I am deeply focused and excited about continuing to grow my brand in Austin, TX, I also find tremendous joy and fulfillment in spending time with my family and making sure I give them the best version of myself.
More than anything, I now feel refreshed and motivated to keep moving forward, knowing I have a very important reason behind everything I do.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Maybe you have been through this yourself or know someone who has. You deal with pain or nagging aches, you go to rehab, and after a while, you feel good enough to walk around the house. But the moment you try to get back to training or playing at a higher level, the pain comes right back.
I am the Founder of AthleX, and we specialize in helping people who have already been through traditional rehab but are still in pain. Our focus is on getting you back to training, exercising, and performing at a higher level than before.
Traditional rehab is excellent at helping people feel better in the short term, but it often falls short in preparing you for the real demands of training and sports. It is not designed to offer a lasting, long-term solution. On the other hand, trainers know how to get people stronger, but most do not have the tools to safely guide someone coming out of an injury.
That is where AthleX comes in. We bridge the gap between rehab and performance. From the very first day, you will understand exactly what is going on, and you will have a clear plan that adapts as you progress. Our goal is to get you not only pain-free but also performing better than ever before.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
Feeling powerful can mean very different things to different people. For me, it has always meant feeling capable and recognizing that I have control over my life.
As a kid, that sense of power came from being physically able to run, sprint, swim, or even fight. I realized early on that if I wanted to feel that way, I had control over it through exercise and practice.
What I did not know back then was how much that same lesson would shape the rest of my life. I discovered that when I focused on something and devoted my time, energy, and resources to it, I could get very good at it. That is why I have often found myself starting from zero. I enjoy the process of mastery, of building something through my own effort and persistence.
Today, I know I have control over my life, my profession, and my health because that is where I direct my energy. They are all connected, and I value my health above everything else because it allows me to show up fully as a husband, father, and professional. The healthier I am, the better I can be in every role.
The discipline I have today comes from deciding what is truly important to me and setting clear goals. Those goals are broken down into daily and weekly actions that allow me to keep becoming the person I want to be.
What’s something you changed your mind about after failing hard?
I moved to the US in 2012 with the goal of studying aviation. For a long time, I was fixated on that dream. All I could think about was being in the air and traveling all over the world.
But after moving, I faced a major challenge. My English was improving, but it was not strong enough for me to fully communicate while flying. That made me scared, and eventually I decided to put my dream on pause until I could communicate better. At that point, I felt like I was failing at life. I saw my friends moving forward with their careers while I felt stuck and without a plan.
For so long, I thought I knew exactly what I wanted in life. I had a plan and a clear picture of how it would look. When that plan fell apart, I no longer knew who I was or what direction to take.
But sometimes, in order to truly find yourself, you first have to get lost.
After putting my aviation dream on hold, I started working at the university fitness center. Because of my passion for exercise, I naturally found myself inviting my friends to train with me. Soon, other students began asking me for advice or to teach them how to use equipment and perform exercises correctly.
That inspired me to get certified as a trainer. At first, I thought of it as just a side gig. I cannot say I knew right away that I was meant to build a career in fitness and health. Growing up, it was never presented to me as an option, and my family’s expectations were very different.
After a few years of going back and forth with myself, I finally decided to go all in. I pursued my bachelor’s degree, earned every certification I could, learned from the best in the industry, and studied relentlessly so I could provide as much value as possible to anyone who came my way.
Today, I have my own business, and I truly love every second of what I do.
This journey taught me that failure is not always a bad thing. Sometimes, it is exactly what you need to find yourself and come back stronger than before. The only true failure is letting setbacks define you and choosing not to do anything about them.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
I love this question because today my industry feels very divided on how to approach things.
When I say my industry, I am talking about rehab, recovery, health, training, and performance. The way the professions are structured, each one is separated into its own category with different professionals.
If you want rehab, you go to a chiropractor or physical therapist who provides treatment.
If you want health and training, you go to a trainer who pushes you, makes you sweat, and holds you accountable.
If you want strength and conditioning, you go to a performance specialist who designs a full program.
The problem is that these areas should not be so divided.
If you need rehab, a simple adjustment is not going to solve the problem. You need a custom plan that addresses alignment, improves movement restrictions, and retrains your body to move better.
If you want to train, you should have a professional who truly understands the body and can design a program to get you where you want to go. Unfortunately, entry requirements for trainers are very low, which creates a huge gap between highly skilled experts and people treating training as a side gig.
Performance and conditioning also should not be exclusive to athletes. Everyone should have access to a professional who emphasizes sprinting, jumping, moving explosively, building strength, and developing real conditioning. These are the qualities that keep people healthy and capable for life.
So my question is, why is the industry so divided?
I believe chiropractors and physical therapists should know how to coach and train people. Trainers should have deeper knowledge of the body, how to coach movement, and how to write programs that go far beyond body composition. If we stopped putting each discipline in a silo and started combining knowledge, people would see much better results.
Will this shift happen anytime soon? Probably not. But we are already seeing professionals who are committed to gathering as many skills as possible in order to provide more value and push the industry forward.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What will you regret not doing?
I would regret not fully committing to my business, my family, and my passions.
Before I started my business, I came across a question that really stuck with me:
If you were 90 years old, what would you regret not doing?
For me, the answer was clear. I knew I would regret not starting AthleX and not sharing my philosophy with the world.
The decision was not easy. In fact, it was painful at times. But it has been worth it, because what I do does not feel like a job. Every day, I get to inspire people and help them accomplish their goals.
Now, my next step is to go all in and expand throughout Austin, bringing high-quality training to more people and continuing to push the industry forward.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.athlexatx.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/athlex.atx/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/athlex.atx
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/athle-x-austin-3
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@athlexatx
Image Credits
Carolina Arias
