David Lyons

David Lyons was a healthy bodybuilder and gym owner when he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2006 at the age of 47. The doctors told him he would rapidly decline and require a wheelchair. Instead David battled the disease in the gym and challenged himself by competing in an NPC bodybuilding competition. David and his wife Kendra then founded the MS Fitness Challenge, which provides certified fitness professionals to people with MS nationwide for 12 weeks at no cost as well as a gym membership, in an effort to educate and train them in the benefits of exercise and nutrition. He and Kendra have also launched their own gym, the OptimalBody Personal Fitness facility in Murrieta, CA. With American Fitness Professionals & Associates (AFPA), David developed the MS Fitness & Wellness Specialist certification, and he currently writes for EverydayHealth.com. David is the recipient of the Most Inspirational Award at the 2009 Florida State Bodybuilding Championship at 50 years old, the National MS Society Milestone Award, the Health Advocate Achievement Award (alongside Lou Ferrigno), the Health Advocate Lifetime Achievement Award (presented by Arnold Schwarzenegger), and the Lifetime Fitness Inspiration Award from the Global Bodybuilding Organization.