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CCS alum Rony Sieperda shares proper lifting techniques with sophomore Sophie Spady while working with the students in Dan Lenners’ body conditioning class at the school. (Johnson Publications photo)

Goal of strength trainer Sieperda to make others better

    Strength trainer Rony Sierperda wants to give back to others to make them not only better athletes but better people as well.
    The 2008 Chase County grad returned to Imperial for a couple weeks recently to visit his mother, Annie.
    During his stay, students in Dan Lenners’ body conditioning classes got the benefit of Sieperda’s experience as both a strength coach and life teacher.
    His journey as a strength coach began at the University of Sioux Falls (South Dakota) following his graduation there in 2014.
    After spending two years at Mid-Plains Community College in North Platte where he played basketball for the Knights, Sieperda transferred to USF.
    There he played basketball for a semester before becoming a member of the track team, specializing in the long jump.
    The strength coach at USF saw Sieperda’s dedication in the weight room and asked him to do an unpaid internship in the program.
    That led to internships at the University of Akron (Ohio), a one-week exchange at Villanova and another four-month internship at the University of Colorado last year.
    In strength training circles, it’s all about connections. His exchange at Villanova helped him get the job in Colorado.
    His coach in Colorado helped get him another internship last summer, this time with an NFL football team—the San Francisco 49ers. That eventually turned into his first paying gig as a strength coach.
    Originally, he was only supposed to be with the 49ers for eight weeks during rookie camp and preseason training camp.
    He made it clear that he’d sure be available to stay on after this internship. However, he was told that wasn’t part of the deal.
    But by the time his stint was completed, Sieperda had earned his way onto the strength training staff.
    He said it’s just one of the many experiences on his journey that has helped him grow not only professionally but as a man as well.

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The Imperial Republican

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Imperial, NE 69033