Jesse Swoyer

3/25/19

Jesse Swoyer graduated from NL in 1995. He attended Central Penn College and earned an Associate Degree in Specialized Business in 1997, graduating Magna Cum Laude. While attending Central Penn he also played Collegiate Basketball, scoring over 1,000 points, and was selected to the Pennsylvania Collegiate Athletic Association All State Team and Eastern Pennsylvania Athletic Conference All Star Team. After graduating from Central Penn College, Swoyer enlisted in the United States Air Force and was part of the 201^st Red Horse Squadron. During his military tenure as a Staff Sergeant, he completed tours in Texas, Montana, Ohio, Georgia, Kingston, Jamaica; Misawa, Japan; and was deployed during Operation Enduring Freedom. During his service time, Swoyer received the Air Force Meritorious Achievement Award and Meritorious Service Award. In 2000, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Communications. Swoyer is certified by the American College of Sports Medicine/National Center for Health and Physical Activity and Disability as an Inclusive Fitness Trainer, and he is a Certified Personal Trainer through the American Council on Exercise. He is also an American Red Cross CPR/AED/First Aid Instructor.

From 2000-2007, Swoyer worked in Maryland at a Prep School where he coached JV/Varsity Basketball and assisted in operating a campus of 160 court adjudicated male adolescent students, helping them to obtain their High School Diplomas. From 2008-2017 he helped develop and establish a fully accessible non-profit Fitness Center for the Center for Independent Living of Central PA. This fitness Center was recognized by Central Penn Parent as a 2009 Innovation Hero Award. In 2010 it was recognized as an Innovative Program in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania by the Central Penn Business Journal for assisting the aging and disability population. During his tenure at the Living Well Fitness Center, Swoyer also became a liaison for Level I Fieldwork OTA Interns from Central Penn College, due to his vast knowledge and experience with disability and aging populations. Realizing that there was still a population that was unable to get out of their homes and were not being offered Health and Wellness services, Swoyer started a program known as G.H.O.S.T. in 2012 with a vision to provide in-home, onsite and mobile fitness services to individuals with injuries, disabilities and the aging. The branded mobile business currently offers various types of training modalities that include personal training, range of motion, community exercise classes, motivational speaking, clothing, and CPR/AED training.

Swoyer has been recognized in the personal training industry in 2014 by Dunkin Donuts as a Community Hero for his contributions to the residents of the local community, his community-driven activities, and creative and innovative accomplishments. He was nominated in 2015 and 2018, and selected as a finalist, for the Central Penn Parent Magazine: Senior Care Hero Award, recognizing his excellence, innovation and efforts to make significant positive impacts on the quality of health care and quality of life for families in Central Pennsylvania. Nationally, Swoyer has been featured in Personal Fitness Professional Magazine as Trainer of the Month in 2018 and was nominated as a Top 15 finalist for National Trainer of the Year by PFP Magazine in 2015 and Top 12 finalist in 2018. Most recently, in 2019, Swoyer was a recipient of the Jefferson Award, which recognizes individuals locally and nationally for their dedication to the community and public service. He has been featured in the Carlisle Sentinel, 50 Plus Magazine, the Burg Magazine, Harrisburg Patriot, Living Well with a Disability Newsletters, Exceptional Parent Magazine, ABC 27, CBS 21 “Making A Difference in the Community,” High School Sports Live and ABC 27 GOOD Day PA.

As a motivational speaker, Swoyer has presented powerful messages for regional Building Bridges Conferences for Cross Disabilities, Living Well with a Disability Expos, Penn State Hershey Spinal Cord Rehabilitation Center, the Center for Independent Living of Central Pa, HealthSouth Multiple Sclerosis Group, Camp Hill United Methodist Upward Sports Program, Fisher Financial Associates, Barber Styling Institute, Youth Advocate Program, Mechanicsburg Brethren, Brown Shultz Sheridan and Fritz and Central Penn College. He currently offers a wide array of in-home, onsite or mobile fitness and has recently introduced the GRIND Awards, where Swoyer recognizes participants for their dedication and commitment to the transformation of their own Grind.

Swoyer currently resides in Camp Hill, PA, with his fiancée, Michelle and their two Cavalier King Charles, Beamer and Lincoln. He enjoys spending time relaxing with his dogs, eating Redcon MRE protein bars, working out with his fiancée, eating 8+ eggs a day, and waking up at 4:30am every morning, except Sunday. Swoyer appreciated many impactful people during his time at NL and offers the following shout-outs: “Mr. Freiler, Mr. Ludwig, Mr. Fischl, Doc Bender, Mr. Shay, Mr. Reed, Mrs. Warlow, Mr. Rahalewich, Frau O., Mr. Miller, and My Spanish Teacher; Santa still isn’t real and to the Snyder Brothers- sorry about the mud balls. Nort, Hilbert, Wolfe-man, Arnick, Smitty, Walizer & Economos, Butz, Prosser & Kopp Dog, Tommy Boy, Lindsay W, Monica/ Carrie/ Kristen/ Julie/ Michelle- I know I tormented you constantly, but you all were the best, and the LA Posse: scratch, dice, sidauga, smoothe, hoopdid, and southhall.” The following is Swoyer’s advice for current NL students: The most important decision you make in your life will not be the college you choose, the curriculum you study, the car you drive, the money you make…none of that. Who you pick as your partner is the most important decision for your overall success and growth.

To learn more about Swoyer’s work, check out http://www.jesseswoyer.com/.