The DS Training and Performance Story

Owner/Coach

Coach Amanda was an accomplished local Lancaster County swimmer. She has been swimming competitively since age 5, and joined Lancaster Aquatic Club when she turned 11. She won many awards as a young swimmer including Rookie of the Year, Swimmer of the Year, Tough as Nails, High Point Award and other Lancaster-Lebanon Summer League awards. In addition to swimming, she also competed in Softball and Tennis and backpacked much of the Appalachian Trail, Grand Canyon, and Rocky Mountains by the time she was 16. After a senior year slump in high school, she decided to not pursue collegiate sports, but she couldn’t stay away long. After a year without swimming, she was a walk-on athlete for the Millersville Marauders helping the women’s swim team go undefeated in their first season in 20 years. After her first season as a Marauder, she received several athletic scholarships and was a finalist in her first year at the PSAC Conference Meet. Then, Amanda received an opportunity to pursue her acting and singing career in Los Angeles, CA. Her success in commercials and film helped her continue her education in Kinesiology and Biomechanics. She also swam for the RoseBowl Masters and SCAQ Masters receiving many High Point Awards and Top Ten Times. In 2015, Amanda received an opportunity to be a strength consultant for Millersville University Women’s Swim Team and continued to be an Assistant Swim Coach for the Division II team. During her work as an assistant coach and strength consultant, she decided to pursue an additional bachelor’s degree in Sports Business at Millersville University and as a single parent, she was again a walk-on athlete for Millersville University Women’s Swim Team. Her first season back as a non-traditional student-athlete, Amanda was a finalist in all events at PSAC championships and received her personal best times! She received national media attention for her ability to return as a 32 year old collegiate athlete and full-time student. In her senior year, she continued competing as a student-athlete and stepped into the Interim Head Coaching position at the same time. She was able to continue her 4.0 GPA while being a full-time coach, mother, student and athlete and received many awards for her dedication, including an Athletic Coaching Minor Faculty Award, The Lewis M. Hobbs Medallion, APSCUF-MU Barbara Waltman Scholarship, Summa Cum Laude Honors and PSAC Scholar-Athlete Honors. She is currently progressing toward receiving her USAW-1 and CSCS certifications and a graduate degree in kinesiology.

Coach

Hello, fitness family! I’m Deb Wise and I’m happy to be a team member of Dream in Strength (DS)! I’ve been coaching for 5 years. I currently hold personal training certification through the Brookbush Institute which focuses on corrective exercise, am certified to coach Crossfit Kids, and am an Aerobic Capacity Ambassador (trained by Chris Hinshaw). I am also currently working on re-certifying my CF-L1 and working on a Human Movement Specialist certification. Besides coaching, I also work full time for the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), and am a mother of three (21, 18, 12). I consider myself a competitive Masters athlete and do local competitions whenever I am able.

I am passionate about “gym life” and fitness because I have had my own significant fitness journey. Walking into the gym at 213#, with high cholesterol and thyroid issues was the best decisions I ever made. The gym gives me not only a means toward physical fitness but also helps me to be healthier in all aspects of my life (sleep, nutrition, stress management). My fitness journey has helped me become more mindful, self-aware, and to focus on my life habits so I can truly live. I want others to experience similar things when they come to Dream in Strength, and I want to be a support in each of your personal journeys with fitness. I believe my role as a coach is 1) to have a strong knowledge base focused on research-based practices, 2) to meet each and every client where they are, and 3) to challenge each and every client in becoming a stronger, fitter, healthier, happier version of themselves.

Coach

My mission is to instill confidence in every client I meet while they are building a healthy relationship with exercise and nutrition. Food is a huge passion of mine as I love to cook and create nourishing meals for my family and friends. I am passionate about coaching nutrition and healthy habits that last a lifetime. It is truly a great feeling to create balance in your life while enjoying it too! To climb a mountain you must take the first step. To make progress you just have to take that first step towards a better you.