Beachbody Coach Dave Ward: My Story

Since the spring of 2003, my life has changed dramatically.

Hi, I’m Beachbody Coach Dave Ward. The Spring of 2003 was when Monica and I discovered Beachbody and were introduced to our friend, mentor, and personal punishment distributor, Tony Horton.

We started with Power 90 and both had outstanding results. Next was P90X. Like a lot of people, I had great success and then life intervened and I struggled with keeping the weight off and staying in shape.

My downward spiral began in January 2006, when we moved to Phoenix, Arizona. I was working at the 8th largest law firm in the world. They seemed to have a singular goal of running me into the ground. By January 2007, I had gained over 30 pounds and weighed in at a grand total of 192. I decided I was sick and tired of being sick and tired.

Out came the Power 90 VHS tapes (yes, VHS) and my re-dedication to fitness. By the end of that year, I had done 10,000 push ups and 10,000 sit ups. I also lost 20 pounds, most of which came off in those first 90 days. I had never felt better and decided to pull out the P90X DVDs once again.

In November 2007, my father passed away after a long battle with an extremely rare neurological disorder. He was an amazing skier, avid cyclist and backpacker and the most gentle person I’ve ever known. I had just started a round of P90X when he got really sick and moved to Phoenix to be closer to us. I stuck to the strength workouts, but couldn’t do the cardio. P90X was the only thing in my life at that time that was not falling apart. Every day, Tony was there refusing to let me make any excuses.

That was really the low point of my life. I didn’t have the relationship with my Dad that I wanted. We lived in different States and didn’t see each other very often. Losing him at age 62 seemed to be the ultimate slap in the face from life. It took me a long time to come to grips with my relationship with my Father. Ultimately, I understood that I could not change it and resolved to be the best Father I could possibly be for my kids, Simone and Nick.

I didn’t see it at the time, but that life crisis was an incredible opportunity. I had to really look at my life. I realized that I could not be the type of Father I wanted to be if I continued to spend most of my time trapped in an office. I was not happy practicing law. It was a grind and it was grinding me down. I was becoming cynical, selfish, isolated, and a whole lot of other things great Fathers are NOT.

I wasn’t sure exactly what I was going to do, but I knew I was going to do something different. I thought about teaching. I’ve always been good at teaching people. I just really didn’t want to work for someone else and be tied to their schedule of where I needed to be.

On September 15, 2008 the world changed. One of the largest investment banks in the world, Lehman Brothers, declared bankruptcy and the world economy was thrown into an almost instant Recession. That was when I decided to get involved with Beachbody. Monica had been a Coach since March of 2007, when Team Beachbody opened for business, and she was doing well. More importantly, she was having fun. I decided to jump in and it’s been one of the most rewarding things I’ve done in my life. Being my own boss, building a Team of like minded people and eventually owning my time completely are priceless experiences in my life. Difficult, yes. But, exceptionally rewarding.

In addition to Beachbody’s fantastic fitness programs, I’m an athlete. I always have been and I needed to get outside and compete. In mid-2008, I became obsessed with all things Triathlon. I raced for several years and enjoyed the challenge of pushing myself. Eventually, the time required to train was just a little more than I was interested in and I focused on cycling. I ride road, MTB, and just started riding on the Velodrome in 2017. The Velodrome is insanely fun. If you have one in your area, check out the introductory classes. It is a blast.

In 2011, I also started surfing. That really changed my life. Of all the outdoor pursuits, surfing is the one that has had the most impact on me. It’s about my journey to learn for sure, but it’s also about the community. The people. And, the idea that it’s ok to slow down a little and pay attention to what’s going on around you.

My Dad was a Ski Instructor in Utah and Winter is the season I look forward to most. We usually do several trips, hitting up B.C. and some of the great resorts in the U.S. B.C. is my favorite. I’ve been Heli-skiing with my brothers the last 5 years. I don’t really have words to describe that experience adequately. You just have to do it.

I’m really into backpacking now as well. My son Nick is almost 15 and is working on his Eagle Scout. This Summer we are going to the Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico to do a 10 day backpacking trip over about 65 miles. I can’t explain how excited I am about that. It is a big part of being the Father I set out to be in 2007 after I lost my Dad. I would never have been able to do that while practicing law and staring at a contract that allowed me no more than 7 consecutive days of vacation, NONE of which could be out of cell/email contact. Bye world. I’ll be in New Mexico if you need me.

San Diego is home and Coronado is simply amazing. Living here affords me the incredible opportunity to surf, ride my bike and be of service to my parents and Grandparents. We lost my Grandmother at age 100 just before Christmas 2017, but my Grandfather is still chugging along. He’ll be 101 in June of 2018 and he and my Mom live within minutes of my home. THIS is the life I wanted. No more years spent sitting in an office watching time tick away on a clock. I’m actually living.

In 2014, Monica and I decided to end our marriage, but continue our partnership as Beachbody Coaches and leaders of The Fit Club Network. This is perhaps the greatest testament to what Beachbody has meant in my life. In 2008, I never could have imagined being friends and partners with a former spouse. But, that’s how we roll now. Our business and our customer coaching hasn’t skipped a beat and our success with Beachbody allows us to be the parents we want to be.

My experiences have made me extremely passionate about helping others achieve the level of physical and financial success Monica and I have accomplished as Team Beachbody Coaches. I would really love for you to pick up your phone and call me about getting fit with the P90X workouts, Body Beast, or any of Beachbody’s awesome programs—or about being a Team Beachbody coach.

Ask me questions, pick my brain, start creating your new life! I’m at your service.

Beachbody does not guarantee any level of success or income from the Team Beachbody Coach Opportunity. Each Coach’s income depends on his or her own efforts, diligence, and skill. See our Statement of Independent Coach Earnings located at “Statement of Independent Coach Earning” for the most recent information on our Coaches’ actual incomes.