The Edge Sports Enhancement Training

Mark Sich, CSCS, PES

Mark earned his degree in Kinesiology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in addition to having over a decade of experience in the strength and conditioning, fitness, and physical therapy fields.

In 2006, he founded The EDGE Sport Enhancement Training, Inc, a sports performance company dedicated to providing superior training for individuals of all athletic abilities. As a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist he has trained professional, NCAA, Paralympic, and countless high school athletes.

Prior to founding The EDGE Sport Enhancement Training, Mark worked in several personal training and physical therapy settings, most noticeably at the Rehabilitation Education Center in Champaign, Illinois. There he designed training programs for the University of Illinois wheelchair track and field/road racing team which included Boston Marathon World Record holders and several Paralympic gold medalists.

Mark prides himself on his extensive academic preparation to develop successful training programs focusing on the fundamental structural elements and performance of the human body. The skills learned are not only optimal for athletic performance, but integral to everyday life as well.

His knowledge is backed by a college education and several high level certifications offered by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) and the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM).

Andy Santos

Andy Santos is a Personal Trainer certified through the National Academy of Sports Medicine. Andy graduated from the University of Illinois-Chicago where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Health, Physical Education and Recreation.

He is a 3 rd degree black belt and former martial arts instructor, with over 20 years experience as a competitive athlete as well as being a 4-time National Karate Champion and competitive experience in three Pan-American and World Championship Tournaments.

Andy’s previous training clientele includes dozens of national champions and international-caliber competitors

Johnny Liang

Johnny Liang is a certified through the National Academy of Sport Medicine and comes to The EDGE from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign where he earned his degree in Sport Management/ Marketing.

While at the University of Illinois, Johnny was a member of the National Champion Illinois Hockey Team as well as representing Team USA at the World University Games 2007 in Torino, Italy & 2009 in Harbin, China.

Johnny's strong educational background and unique training experiences make him a strong trainer and coach for The EDGE.

Nicole Olds

Nicole Olds RD, LDN is a Licensed Registered Dietitian who graduated from Michigan State University where she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Dietetics. She went on to complete her internship and post-graduate degree in Nutrition from Northern Illinois University.

Nicole has several years experience both clinically and in the community, including working with athletes and the general population managing health and wellness. Nicole has worked at various fitness centers where she provided nutrition counseling for weight loss, muscle building as part of a rigorous workout regimen, those working towards an overall healthy lifestyle as well as athletes recovering from injury.

Most recently she worked with dialysis patients suffering from chronic kidney disease. This included managing several disease states such as diabetes, high blood pressure and several other conditions which rely strongly on proper diet and nutrition.

Nicole’s academic background and clinical experiences have solidified her strong belief in promoting nutrition and an active lifestyle to help maintain health and prevent disease.

You can contact Nicole at nicoleolds@abetterwaytotrain.com

Adam Smiley

Adam Smiley is certified through the National Academy of Sports Medicine and comes to us through THE EDGE's Internship program.

Adam, while at Carroll University, was an accomplished athlete in Soccer and Track & Field. On the soccer field, he earned All Conference all 4 years, Captain honors, and is Top 5 all time career points at Carroll University.

On the track, Adam was earned All American recognition while being All Conference all 4 years and a 3 year Captain of the Track team. In 2000, Adam was voted Carroll University College Athlete of the Year.

We look forward to having him use his unique background and training experiences to help our High School Athletes in THE EDGE training system. 

You can contact Adam at adamsmiley@abetterwaytotrain.com