For more about Josh's adventures, click on an image.
Weightlifting
After he left football, Josh was not quite sure what to do with his life. He wandered into a gym in his hometown of Savannah, Georgia. Don McCauley invited him to try Olympic weightlifting and mentored him tremendously. Josh instantly loved the sport and started competing successfully.
Coach Kang
At the local gym there was a little Korean man, Shin Ho Kang. Josh watched him everyday. Turns out he was the former head weightlifting coach for South Korea. Josh knew he wanted to learn from Coach Kang. So he began training with Coach Kang and learning his ways.
Bulgaria
Coach Kang always told Josh to train with the best and learn from them. So Josh went to Bulgaria to train with Coach Norair Nurikian, Bulgaria’s only two-time Olympic gold medalist, for three months. He lived in the National Sports Academy and trained side by side with some of the greatest Olympic weightlifters of all time! Josh also trained with the men’s and women’s national teams. That summer proved to be a profound period of mental and physical growth.
UCLA
After 2008, Josh began to make the transition into coaching. He had been working with youth and now wanted to combine his love for weightlifting and football. He applied for an internship at UCLA to work with their strength and conditioning program. Because of his experience in Olympic lifting and coaching at Georgia Tech, he was accepted!
Team Josh
Coach Kang moved to Atlanta, and Josh felt lead to follow him. So his second family, Clifford and Quinton King, helped form a team of generous supporters to sponsor him on his journey, Team Josh Trust. He moved to Atlanta and was on his way! Josh traveled all over with Quinton King training and competing. Josh helped coach at Georgia Tech and even became friends with Lee Haney, one of his sponsors and role models!
China
In 2015, Josh had the opportunity to train in China. He met many world champions and Olympic medalists. It was in China that the lessons Josh learned from Coach Kang and in Bulgaria really began to make sense.
Tom Platz
The last couple of years, Josh has had the opportunity to train with one of his childhood heroes, Tom Platz. Of all the high level athletes and Josh has come across, Tom would have to be the one Josh learned the most from. Tom is the mentor that introduced Josh to the true power of the mind!
Venice Barbell Club
Since 2015, Josh has served as the head weightlifting coach of the Venice Barbell Club, a weightlifting team, club, and facility in Venice Beach, California.
Russia
In 2018, Josh had the opportunity to comeplete his coaching educational triangle by training in Moscow, Russia with World Champion, Dimitry Klokov, and Mikhail Koklyaev.
Chinese Strength Coach
Josh was named the head strength & conditioining coach for the National Chinese Sprint Team. They came to train with American track coaches, John Smith and Bobby Kersee.
Ironman Magazine
Pics from Josh's photoshoot in Ironman Magazine