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One family. Three members. All in.
It started with a recommendation.
Now the entire Bredin family trains at PowerStrength — and all three of them are seeing results they didn’t expect.
Owen Bredin, an 8th grader who plays basketball, track, and swimming, was the first through the door. A speed and agility camp from PowerStrength was recommended through a basketball camp that got him started. Within a couple of months his mom Emily had joined too — with a simple but practical reason.
“I’m like, well, you have my interest,” Emily said. “If I’m sitting in the car outside, I might as well be inside doing something.”
Her husband Mike joined earlier this year. His reason? Straightforward.
“My wife was in better shape than I was,” he said with a laugh. “So I wanted to not let that happen.”
OWEN: BUILT FOR EVERY SPORT
For a three-sport athlete in middle school, the demands on Owen’s body are significant. What he has built at PowerStrength is showing up across all of them.
In the pool, the results have been hard to ignore. This past swim season — practicing at a borrowed facility with late-night sessions running until 9 pm — Owen was finishing full practices strong while teammates were dragging themselves out of the water.
“His endurance has really changed,” Emily said. “He dropped at least eight to ten seconds across every event compared to last year.”
On the track, the explosiveness he has built is translating directly to competition.
“My starts and how I go through running and jumps — I’m way more explosive on them,“ Owen said.
On the basketball court, Mike has noticed something different too.
“I call them wimpy rebounds,” Mike said. “They’re not wimpy rebounds anymore. When he grabs the ball, they’re strong rebounds now. You can see that the size difference has definitely helped.”
The confidence piece has been just as significant.
“His confidence has improved tenfold,” Emily said.
Mike pointed to the relationships Owen has built with the coaching staff.
“The relationship he has built with the coaches — different coaches, not just one — has really helped him push himself and get better.”
With high school sports on the horizon, Owen is already thinking about what he is building toward.
“It’ll help with my explosiveness, my endurance so I don’t have to get subbed out,” he said. “It just gets stronger for shots and stuff.”
EMILY: TAKING CONTROL
Emily hadn’t been in a gym since high school — over 25 years ago. Walking back in for the first time came with some doubt, though not about PowerStrength.
“I had doubts in my own ability,” she said. “But the small group, the coaches — it’s a family here. You’ve got the people you work out with every night, and if you’re not there, they’re calling you out, saying, ‘Where were you?’”
She came in with knee pain. That’s no longer the first thing she thinks about. She has lost weight, her endurance has improved, and the modifications the coaches provide have kept her moving without aggravating the knee.
“If they say do this, I know that there’s already a modification in place,” she said.
For Emily, a frequent work traveler, what has stood out most is the personalization. The coaches know her schedule, know when she’s been on flights all week, and adjust accordingly. But it was something she read on her very first day that has stuck with her most.
“One of my favorite things I saw the very first day I walked in — it says you did the hard part, we’ll take it from here,” Emily said. “So long as I can get my foot in the door, I know that these coaches will have my back.”
MIKE: DOING WHAT MATTERS
Mike came in with a history of lower back pain from previous military injuries. He was skeptical at first, but Emily assured him the coaches would work with it — and they did.
“Everything has just worked out,” Mike said. “It clicked. I’ve enjoyed it.”
His back has improved, and the physical changes have been motivating.
“I’m seeing the size of my arms getting a little bigger — you can see the actual improvement and see things actually change. So it makes you feel pretty good.”
Training alongside his family has pushed him harder than he expected. Watching Owen lift heavy weights across the room, or noticing Emily reaching for heavier dumbbells, has become its own kind of motivation.
“It’s really pushed me a lot,” he said.
When asked what advice he’d give to someone on the fence, Mike kept it simple.
“Do what matters,” he said. “Doing what’s right to take care of yourself. Get in here and help yourself out.”
A FAMILY THAT TRAINS TOGETHER
What started as a practical decision has become something the Bredins share. They have a common language now, a common goal, and a common place that holds them all accountable.
When asked to finish the sentence “PowerStrength is…” all three had something to say.
Owen went first. “Amazing. It’s fun.”
Mike was going to say the same thing. “The coaches make it fun.”
Emily summed it up in one word: “Family. It truly is a family here.”
GET STARTED AT POWERSTRENGTH
3rd–12th grade athletes of all sports and abilities and Men and Women in their 40s, 50s, and 60s who want to get stronger and have more energy can sign up at PowerStrength at any time while spots remain. Choose the PowerStrength location most convenient for you – Alpine, Kentwood, Jenison, Plainfield, Holland, or Byron Center.
Visit powerstrengthpro.com/athlete/contact or click HERE to get started.