Achieving physical fitness is different for everybody but it does take grit and determination. Repetition. Time. Scheduling. Justin Collen knows all that, is experienced in the grit aspect of setting goals.

Collen recently opened Grit to Greatness Performance Center in Woodland Park. With 4,500 square feet of gym equipment, most of it manufactured by the Rogue company, the gym is the place to zero in on muscles in need of strengthening.

“We also do individual personal programming that clients can do on their own,” Collen said.

With physical therapist Kelly McCall in the same building, the center offers crossover services.  

“The synergy is that, if she has someone transitioning out of needing her services, they can come over to us to continue,” Collen said.

Collen, who has a has a master’s degree in exercise science and strength conditioning, in addition to certifications in physiology, nutrition and training, hired coaches to help clients achieve goals.

“The trainers are all on the staff,” Collen said. “I want to build a team to develop strategies; we all push each other in our own ways to be better.”

There is meaning in the center’s name.

“For me, Grit to Greatness is personal,” he said.

While a junior in high school Collen tore his ACL and injured his meniscus; at the time he had offers from several universities offering football scholarships. 

“As soon as the injuries happened it all went away,” he said.  “But I tried to come back in four months.”

Yet, he persevered, along with two surgeries along the way.  

“I knew if I didn’t play that season, I would never play college ball,” he said. “So, I played that entire season at Alfred University in western New York.

“I had to pop my knee back after every play. That’s where I formed the mentality of ‘if you want something, there is that dedication and determination to achieve the goal.’”

Throughout the grueling pace, Collen endured two surgeries to repair the damage from the initial injuries.

Today, Collen wears a shirt with a yellow gorilla imprint, which is the theme associated with the gym. 

“I like the gorilla, its intelligence, protection, strength,” he said. “So the gorilla ties into this place as far as being strong so that’s what I am trying to cultivate here through our equipment. For all of us, if we’re trying to make a collegiate career or trying to make sure we don’t lose our bones as we get older, greatness is whatever we desire.”

To accommodate busy schedules, the gym is open from 4:30 a.m. to midnight, with access via a phone app during the off hours. For information, check: gtogperformance.com.