Motorcycle accident shapes trainer’s approach to fitness

Personal trainer Chris Ranes is no quitter and practices what he preaches.

The owner of Fitness Ranes gym spends countless hours encouraging clients with gentle admonishments such as "Don’t quit," "Push harder" and "You’ve got this."

His nearly 3,000-square-foot facility on the corner of Bere­ta­nia and Pii­koi streets is more than three times the size of his prior training studio in McCully, which he opened in 2009. The new space is set up in a T design to accommodate agility and speed drills for his clientele, who range from beginners to elite athletes. Fitness Ranes also features TRX suspension ropes, pull-up and push-up bars, gymnastics rings, heavy rope stations, weight sleds and more.

In March 2004 any dreams of one day opening a state-of-the-art gym would have seemed unimaginable to Ranes. At the time, he was preparing to enter his first bodybuilding competition after trimming down from 230 pounds and earning numerous certifications to become a personal trainer.

Then, while riding a motorcycle, Ranes was critically injured in a head-on collision with a car at more than 40 miles per hour. He was hospitalized for more than two months and then confined to a wheelchair for 18 weeks while recovering from multiple compound fractures, a broken neck, fractured vertebrae and nerve damage that resulted in 90 percent paralysis to the upper right side of his body.

"My arm was swollen, and I had lots of staples and metal to hold things together," he said.

Ranes moved back to Hilo to be cared for by family. "I’ve had to adapt in many ways: mentally, emotionally and spiritually," he said. "Getting out of a wheelchair after 18 weeks and taking off that brace from the top of my neck to the bottom of my stomach was an intense lesson in facing doubts and overcoming obstacles.

"I don’t like failing," Ranes added. "I wasn’t going to let a near-death motorcycle accident stop me. Everyone has their unique struggle and limitations that they deal with. My accident helped mold my approach into one of compassion, support and encouragement."

After six months of rehabilitation, he went back to training clients.

"Self-improvement is a pretty amazing thing. Most of us are capable of a lot more than what we’re doing," he said.

He has adapted to favoring his left hand, but you’d never know what he’s been through — and continues to be challenged by — if you watch him juggle a kettlebell or complete a workout.

Perhaps knowing his history gives his clients inspiration to work harder.

"Attitude is everything," he said. "It’s not so much about what’s happening or difficulties in one’s life, but the way a person responds to the situation makes the difference."

He said his personal and physical trials taught him about perseverance, moving forward and achieving a balance in life. Most people associate personal trainers with weight loss or muscle building, but he wants to offer much more than that.

"True happiness comes from a delicate balance between physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellness," he said.

———

Fitness Ranes is at 1213 S. Beretania St. Visit fitnessranes.com or call 398-4931.

———

“Be Well” features inspiring stories of people dealing with health challenges. Reach Nancy Arcayna at narcayna@staradvertiser.com or call 529-4808.