Meet The Ultimate Potential Team

Michelle Van Otten - Owner & Founder of Ultimate Potential

As Northern California's expert in health, wellness, fitness, nutrition and personal development, Michelle Van Otten has pioneered one of the most unique and well rounded lifestyle programs available. Her love and passion for the outdoors was instilled in her heart from the very beginning. Having the exposure of life on a ranch in the Santa Ynez Valley in Santa Barbara and summers at her grandparent's home in Lake Almanor exposed her to many outdoor activities and environments. As a young child, she was always spotted outdoors either riding her bike, swimming, climbing trees or exploring trails.

Michelle is a competitive multi sport athlete with a passion for outdoor adventure sports. She competes in the multi sport discipline of Adventure Racing: trail running, kayaking, mountain and road biking, navigating, orienteering and ropes. She trains and races primarily to prove to herself and others that the only limits we have are those that live in the confines of our own minds. She is passionate about breaking through "barriers"; both self-imposed and those we perceive as real in our everyday lives.

The experience of living in a family prone to cancer has fueled her desire to make health and fitness a top priority in her life. Michelle has spent the past 20 years studying nutrition, fitness, wellness and personal growth to create a successful holistic system that educates and empowers you to live your best life. Her successful approach to recreating yourself lies in mastering the balance and attention needed to heal your four bodies: Physical, Mental, Emotional and Spiritual.

With her innovative approach to health and fitness, she inspires you to step into the outdoors and transform your body using her successful outdoor training techniques that condition the body in a way no gym can. As one of the original pioneers of outdoor fitness, she has taken personal and group fitness training to a whole new level with her groundbreaking, resourceful training programs.

Michelle's certifications and qualifications offer you the very best, well rounded expertise to serve your needs. Her trainings and certifications include:

• Professionally Trained and Certified in Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) & Master NLP From Bennett Stellar University
  
• Clinical Hypnotherapist
  
• Neuro-Linguistic Life Coach®
  
• Time Line Coach™
  
• Usui Reiki I, II & Master
  
• Optimal Health Institute, San Diego; Optimal Nutrition, Health & Wellness
  
• USA Triathlon Level I Certified Coach (USAT)
  
• American Council on Exercise (ACE) Certified Personal Trainer
  
• Chi Running Technique
  
• Outdoor Action Fitness Level II Certified Trainer
  
• White Lotus Certified Yoga Instructor
  
• Reposturing Dynamics Practitioner
  
• Member of the US Adventure Racing Association (USARA)
  
• Additional private mentoring, training and certifications in functional training, biomechanical assessment, postural analysis and realignment
• Certified Biofeedback Therapist
• Holistic Health Coach
• CrossFit Level One Certified Trainer
• Certified TRX Suspension Trainer

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Brandon Nugent - Fitness Trainer

Background:

• ACE Certified Personal Trainer
  
• USAC Certified Cycling Coach
  
• 18 years of cycling
  
• 15 years of triathlon
  
• 4 years of adventure racing

Coaching Goals:

• Provide safe, goal-based training
  
• Teach the importance of recovery
  
• Measure success
  
• Convey racing and competitive strategies

I grew up in a household where goals were paramount. My mother started out as a 10k runner, then a marathoner, then a triathlete, then an IronMan (or is that IronWoman?) The title may not be important; it's what she did to get there. She taught me the importance of setting small, achievable goals, and making your life your own. She was 'Just-do-it' well before Nike just-did-it.

It's important to me to translate the value of safe training – many people look at training as an all-out effort every day, every week. Workouts need to cover a wide range of efforts: each session has a purpose, an underlying goal to take you to your next race better than you were before and at your top level of performance. Building recovery into a program is not just a nice-to-have; it's a critical component that cannot be ignored.

Success, if it is to be defined at all, must be measured. Whether it's a picture of your former self, a race result, a journal, it's about transformation and seeing progress. There also needs to be balance regarding the measurement. Sometimes you need a run, just for a run's sake and its ok to leave the watch at home.

Racing and competition are an important part of my life. You can find me anywhere from 10k's to multi-day expedition racing and I believe strongly in our ability to push each other and attain new heights of physical capability. I believe competition isn't about beating someone else, it's about getting pushed (and allowing yourself to be pushed) by your fellow competitors and discovering you are suddenly capable of attaining something you thought out-of-reach.