Our Team

Every Trainer Here Has Been Where You Are.

Who Trains Here?

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This isn't a staff of certified trainers who read about recovery in a textbook. Every Ironwood trainer is a Certified Peer Support Worker — and every one of them has lived inside addiction or mental health struggle themselves. Some came through Cottonwood's program. Some found other roads out. But all of them showed up, did the work, and came out the other side with one clear desire: to help other people do the same.

"Healed people heal people. When they see that our trainers have pulled themselves out of the same darkness — that's when the connection starts. That's when they think: if he can do it, maybe I can too."

Person in hoodie on sofa talking to person in chair; therapy session.

Our Trainers

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Matt Gallegos

Gym Manager | CPSW | Personal Trainer | Leader

11 years sober from alcohol. 6 years from opiates. Personal trainer since 2015.

Matt lost his younger brother to cirrhosis at 33. That loss redirected everything — his sobriety, his career, and eventually his life's work. He was the first person to comment on Kim DuTremaine's Facebook post about a recovery gym. He's been here for over four and a half years and hasn't had a bad day yet.

Specialty: Fat loss, muscle building, strength training, and recovery-integrated coaching.

"Since I've been here, I've never had a day at work. This is my passion. I lost my brother — and I came here to save somebody else's."

— Matt Gallegos

April Gonzalez

CPSW | Trainer | Nutrition Coach

April has been in the fitness industry for seven years as a Group Fitness Instructor and Personal Trainer. She became an NCCA Accredited Certified Personal Trainer through NASM in 2022 and has since gained her Nutrition Coach Certification, Physique and Body Building Coach Certification and multiple specializations including Weight Loss, Women’s Fitness and Corrective Exercise. She takes a holistic approach to her strength training programming, incorporating mobility, flexibility, breath work and nutrition education to support clients in their recovery and help them achieve their physical goals.

Jimmy Juarez

CPSW | Personal Trainer

Jimmy’s journey began as a client at Cottonwood Pathways. Despite participating in almost every program available, he struggled to find lasting change. He joined the Ironwood Program and found support and motivation he had not experienced anywhere else. As he continued attending, he saw improvements in not only his physical health, but also a change in his lifestyle and mentality. This change inspired him to pay it forward and use his experience to help others. Jimmy became a Certified Peer Support Worker and NASM Certified Personal Trainer in 2025. He specializes in strength training and incorporates mobility and stretching into his programming for clients.

Meet the Rest Of The Team

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Five trainers in total — each a CPSW, each with their own recovery story, each here because they chose to be. Our team includes trainers who work specifically with juvenile clients, and some who came through Cottonwood themselves.

This isn't just a job for any of us. You'll feel that in the first session.

Our Mission

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"Our mission is to show clients how fitness can be a powerful tool in helping them recover, stay sober, and with their mental health."