Dean Duncan
Dean has been a lifelong fitness and sports enthusiast. While Dean grew up playing all of the major sports, he eventually found his focus in the sports of Track and Field and Cross Country. During his high school running career he held several school records and graduated high school with an NCHSAA class AA state mile (1600m) record. After high school Dean ran for Brevard College where he helped his team win a national title in Cross Country and twice earned All American honors on the track (2 mile and 1500m). After graduating from Brevard College, Dean headed to Boone, NC to run for Appalachian State University where he helped the Mountaineers win Southern Conference titles in Cross Country and Track and Field.
After college, Dean began a career in Therapeutic Recreation where he worked with special populations and long term care residents. During this time, Dean became a certified Long Term Facility Peer Review Surveyor and worked in several facilities as a contract fitness and exercise instructor. Dean taught classes for several retirement and long term care facilities in the Asheville area. While continuing to run and race, Dean won both North Carolina and South Carolina 5000m Road Racing titles. After 6 years as a Therapeutic Recreator, Dean started his coaching career for the University of North Carolina at Asheville. Starting as an assistant, Dean coached the throwing events and developed a throwing squad that produced 6 individual conference champions and two NCAA Regional Qualifiers (Nathan Hedgpeth, Men’s Shot Put and Discus and Crystal Goure, Women’s Javelin). After becoming Head Coach at UNCA, Dean began coaching distance running. His distance athletes earned 26 individual all conference awards, and two athletes qualified for NCAA East Regional Championships. (Phil Latter, Men’s 5000m and David Bell, Men’s 3000m Steeple Chase).
With the concept of creating a business that offers the training knowledge and benefits of elite athletics to fitness enthusiasts of all abilities, Dean started FITAthletics. He has almost twenty years of experience in working with people of a wide range of abilities. While he no longer coaches collegiate Track and Field and Cross Country, he remains an Adjunct Health and Fitness Instructor for the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and enjoys coaching Girls Cross Country and Track and Field for North Buncombe High School.
Dean lives in the Hopewell community of Madison County, NC. Dean has been happily married for 15 years to his wife, Stephanie.
Current Certifications:
USA Track and Field Level I Coach
USA Weightlifting Strength and Performance Coach
Red Cross CPR, First Aid, and AED Instructor
Prior Certifications:
Body Recall Instructor (Adult and Senior Fitness Instructor)
Red Cross Water Safety Instructor
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