I was recently blessed with the chance to be featured in The Catholic Spirit (the official newspaper of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis). Below is the full version of this feature. Enjoy! 😃
Your health story began as a high-school sophomore because your older brother challenged you. Well, he challenged and encouraged you, writing you a letter urging you to get off the couch, get fit and feel better. Was the way he did that — both challenging and encouraging — pretty crucial? Did he mail the letter? Was he in college at the time?
I got the letter in the mail when I was in high school and my brother was in grad school. Its main message was: “I believe you have a ton of untapped potential. If you truly apply yourself, you could be a great athlete and student. Here are a few tips and lessons I’ve learned along the way…” It echoed Pope Benedict XVI’s “You weren’t made for comfort, but for greatness” message, which I found galvanizing.
Have you modeled that loving challenge with others in life?
I’ve certainly tried to, especially during my years as a middle school theology teacher. I had a poster of Pope Benedict’s quote in my classroom and talked constantly about our call to be saints.
You and your wife have a dramatic love story — almost like a Nicholas Sparks tale! You loved her so much but felt God challenging you to consider priesthood, so you broke up with Kate on a walk in the snowy woods one winter and arranged to enter seminary. How scary was that?
I’d say it was more painful than scary. Deep down I knew God desired our happiness and that His will would be the ultimate source of that, but letting go of Kate and all that we had was the toughest thing I’d ever done.
Were you afraid Kate would move on and marry someone else?
Oh, for sure — she was a catch!
It was a time of great growth for you — intense fellowship and formation — but ultimately you felt God telling you “Good job, now go marry Kate!” Wow!
I really enjoyed seminary — the classes, brotherhood, and spiritual formation — but it became clear pretty quickly that God wasn’t calling me to be a priest.
That must’ve really strengthened your trust in God!
Definitely.
How did you figure out this job was even a thing? Did you hear of anyone doing something similar? Or think it up entirely from scratch?
When I decided to get in the best shape of my life by my 40th birthday, I did something I never thought I’d do: I hired a health coach. That decision was such a game-changer that I started wondering what it would be like to help others as a coach myself. After a few conversations with health coaches I followed online, I felt God nudging me in this direction — but I couldn’t imagine coaching without sharing my faith. That’s when I found Hypuro Fit (HypuroFit.org), a Catholic health coaching company.
It involved a period of transition, leaving your teaching job and being a stay-at-home dad (doing Catholic outreach on the side), right?
After 14 years of teaching, I became a stay-at-home dad and started a side business along the way, creating and selling lesson plans through Catholic Religion Teacher (CatholicReligionTeacher.com).
When did you launch this business?
I earned my certifications in health and nutrition coaching, created the Happy, Healthy, and Holy brand, and joined the Hypuro Fit team all in 2023.
Let’s dive into the heart of your work, which draws on “body, mind and soul” — a truly Catholic approach. Describe it for me?
I help fellow Catholics become happier, healthier, and holier through dedicated one-on-one coaching. While the primary focus is centered on improving one’s physical health, most of my clients also set (and achieve!) goals in other areas of their life as well (e.g. starting a new prayer routine, creating better habits with technology, or prioritizing self-care).
It sounds like that approach is a gamechanger! I see your client Oscar in Maryland wrote: “Intertwining the physical and spiritual aspects of fitness changed my outlook on fitness forever.”
Absolutely! It really is a gamechanger when we invite God into every area of our lives — including our health and fitness. Many Catholics already know the spiritual power of fasting from meat or treats during Lent, but in my experience, few transform their walks into kinetic prayers or their workouts into acts of redemptive suffering. When we unite our physical efforts with prayer and intention, even exercise can become a way to serve others and draw closer to Christ.
Your tagline says it so well: “happy, healthy and holy.” Do some people still struggle to connect those things, to realize that holy people are likely happy and healthy too? What’s it like to challenge those compartmentalized thoughts?
I haven’t had a client yet say they don’t see the connection. Once someone starts taking better care of their physical health – whether that’s eating better, exercising more, or finally getting enough sleep — they automatically start feeling better mentally and emotionally too. And now that they’re feeling better and have some discipline in their life, they often find they have more energy, focus, and even desire to pray, serve, and live out their faith more intentionally. In other words, it creates a positive ripple effect: when you strengthen the body, you strengthen the mind and soul too. And when your spiritual life is strong, it inspires you to keep caring for your body — not for vanity, but for the vitality you need to love, to serve, and to become the unique saint you’re called to be.
You’ve also coached a priest. Priests have so many demands on their time. What was it like to help a priest who is always helping others?
It was incredibly inspiring. He came to me after his first year of priesthood with a clear goal in mind: “I want to be healthy for a lifetime of service and be a good example for others.” His dedication reminded me how important it is for me to stay healthy too, so I can love and serve my wife and kids for years to come.
It sounds like you make everything meaningful, like naming each workout after a saint. So cool!
I certainly try to! I encourage all my clients to pick a person or intention to offer each workout up for, and to ask for a particular saint’s intercession as well.
I bet some of your clients had given up on the hope of ever losing weight and feeling better. How does it feel to help them finally do that?
Absolutely amazing. Just in the past few months, one client’s doctor told him, “Your cholesterol is in the healthy range for the first time since 2015.” Another client had someone at church say to her, “What’s going on with you? You look better every week!” And a handful have told me, “I haven’t felt this great in YEARS!” Hearing that never gets old — it’s a real gift.
What’s the key to making changes that are sustainable?
It starts with two things: beginning small and having a strong “Why.” In our first call, I work with clients to create their “North Star Goals” (where they want to be in 6+ months and the meaningful reasons behind those goals). From there, we set one or two “Stepping Stone Goals” (small, achievable habits they’re 90–100% confident they can complete in the next week). As each habit becomes routine, we build on them, stacking one on top of another until the North Star Goals are within reach.
I love this comment from a client about having the right mindset: I recently had a “hiccup week”. The old me would have turned the inch into a mile… I would have given up on all my exercise and nutrition goals. But this time I managed to avoid the “All or nothing” mindset and lived out “All or SOMETHING”. That’s a HUGE change for me.
One of the biggest things I learned during my health coaching journey is just how much mindset matters. When clients struggle, it’s rarely about lacking desire or willpower, but about the story they tell themselves and how they interpret setbacks. Learning to ditch perfection, see failure as useful feedback, and realize you can be both happy with where you’re at AND hungry for change are just a few mindset shifts that can make all the difference.
What do you do for fun?
I love CrossFit, watching football, and going for a walk with a good podcast.
I bet being a dad and husband and coach keeps you very busy, yet seminary taught you the value of fellowship. How do you still make time for holy friendships?
My wife and I are both really intentional about carving out time for small groups. We’ve seen firsthand how much happier and holier we are when we prioritize these friendships, so it’s something we lock into our family calendar.
What’s your go-to prayer?
I wrote a commitment prayer to Jesus on a notecard in 2013, and I have prayed it almost every day since. Over the years, I’ve added new layers to it, but its core has stayed the same.
Is there a sacrament that really sustains you? How so? Are you able to get to daily Mass sometimes?
Daily Mass is a bit challenging with our family dynamics, but I really appreciate my weekly Holy Hour. I’ve found that I pray best through journaling, so I often spend that time pouring my heart out to the Lord in this way.
What are you doing to ensure that this summer is a time of rest and renewal and recreation — for you and your family?
While we have a few trips planned and let our kids sign up for a few activities this summer, we were intentional about not filling every week. There’s plenty of built-in time for the kids to get “bored” (which usually means they get creative) and with all of us around we’re still able to do family dinners and have time to play and relax together.
Have you and Kate tried to manage extracurriculars for the kids so you don’t become too busy? Does it feel countercultural sometimes?
We’ve definitely tried to be intentional about how many and what kinds of activities our kids are involved in. For the most part, we’ve found a good balance that lets them experience new things while still protecting our family time and giving them space to just be kids. It does feel a bit countercultural at times — so many families stretch themselves thin trying to do it all. We’ve learned that leaving some margin keeps everyone happier and less stressed.
What do you know for sure?
God loves me, is always with me, and just wants me to do my best and let Him take care of the rest!
Anything else you’d like to add?
I love helping fellow Catholics become their best in body, mind, and soul. If you’re even the slightest bit curious about coaching, please visit HappyHealthyandHoly.org and drop me a line — I’d love to connect!
Would you appreciate some extra help and encouragement on your journey to happiness, health, and holiness? I’m here for you! CLICK HERE for some inspiration and a whole bunch of freebies to help you start living your best life today!
Thanks, and God bless you!
Greg
HAPPY, HEALTHY, AND HOLY 