Today we’d like to introduce you to Eddie Camacho.
Hi Eddie, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I was born and raised in Santa Maria, California, and today I’m the owner of Tri-Fitness in Nipomo. Before opening the gym, I spent more than 12 years as a licensed paramedic serving communities throughout the Central Coast. Ironically, I never planned on becoming a paramedic. Growing up, I wanted to be a police officer because, like many kids, I wanted to be a hero. After high school, I attended Allan Hancock College with plans of entering the police academy, but I was told I was too young. A counselor suggested I try an EMT course instead, and that one conversation completely changed the direction of my life.
I fell in love with emergency medicine and the science behind the human body. That passion eventually led me to become a paramedic, a career that taught me more about life than I ever expected. I witnessed incredible miracles, heartbreaking tragedies, and everything in between. It was meaningful work, but over time I realized that many of the emergencies I responded to weren’t caused by bad luck… they were the result of years of preventable health problems.
Fitness had already transformed my own life. As a young adult, I lost over 100 pounds through training and nutrition, and I became passionate about understanding not only how to exercise, but why it works. I spent years studying strength training, physiology, nutrition, and evidence based fitness because I wanted to understand the science and not just repeat what everyone else was saying.
During COVID, I built a small garage gym where my older brother, who had always been intimidated by commercial gyms, started working out with me. Watching him lose 70 pounds made me realize how many people avoid taking control of their health simply because they feel overwhelmed, intimidated, or don’t know who to trust.
That experience inspired me to open Tri Fitness.
I combined my medical background with my passion for fitness to create a private, evidence based training facility where people feel supported instead of judged. Rather than waiting until someone ends up in the back of an ambulance, I wanted to help people become healthier before they ever reached that point.
Outside of work, my greatest accomplishment is being a father. My 16 year old son is incredibly smart, a dedicated football player, and shares my love for lifting weights. Watching him grow into the young man he is becoming reminds me every day why leading by example matters.
One of the most meaningful experiences of my life was becoming a foster parent to a one-year-old little girl and an eight-week-old baby boy. At first, I tried not to become attached because I knew they might not be with me forever. That didn’t last long. They quickly became family, and caring for them reminded me that some of the greatest ways to help people aren’t found in extraordinary moments. They’re found in showing up every day, providing stability, and making someone feel safe and loved.
Which increased my passion to help more kids…
As Tri Fitness has grown, it’s also allowed me to give back to the community by supporting local youth sports, schools, charities, and organizations like the Golden Circle of Champions, which gives children battling cancer unforgettable experiences and reminds them they’re stronger than the obstacles they face.
When I was younger, I thought being a hero meant saving someone’s life in a single moment…Today, I see it differently.
Being a hero is being trustworthy and helping people become the healthiest version of themselves before life forces them to change. It’s replacing misinformation with education, shortcuts with consistency, and excuses with action. It’s choosing discipline over convenience and doing things the right way…even when it’s harder.
That’s the mission behind Tri Fitness. It’s the belief that lasting change doesn’t come from gimmicks or quick fixes. It comes from knowledge, accountability, and showing up every day with purpose.
That’s how I try to live my life and that’s how we do things at Tri Fitness.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Like anything worth building, there were plenty of challenges. Tri Fitness was my first business, and I had to figure everything out on my own… from permits and insurance to scheduling, marketing, and all the behind the scenes work that comes with running a business. I came from emergency medicine, not entrepreneurship, so there was definitely a learning curve.
In the beginning, I said yes to every opportunity. If someone wanted to train at 3:00 in the morning or late at night, I was there. I knew that if I wanted people to believe in my business, I had to earn their trust one client at a time.
Looking back, those challenges were some of my greatest teachers. They taught me that success doesn’t come from finding the easy path… it comes from showing up consistently, staying true to your values, and putting in the work the right way.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Tri Fitness?
Tri Fitness was built on a simple belief: people deserve honest, evidence based fitness coaching… not gimmicks, empty promises, or the latest social media trend.
What sets us apart is the combination of medical knowledge and real world coaching experience. As a licensed paramedic with more than 12 years of experience, I spent my career studying the human body, anatomy, physiology, disease processes, medications, and how injuries affect movement and recovery. While I’m not providing medical treatment in the gym, that background allows me to better understand each client’s situation and build programs that work with their body instead of against it.
Every client is different. Some are recovering from injuries. Some have arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, or other medical conditions. Others simply haven’t exercised in years and don’t know where to begin. Instead of putting everyone through the same workout, we build each program around the individual, taking into account their goals, experience, limitations, and lifestyle.
We also chose to make Tri Fitness a private, appointment based facility because too many people avoid gyms out of fear of being judged. Here, there’s no waiting for equipment, no feeling like everyone is watching you, and no wondering whether you’re doing an exercise correctly. Clients receive our full attention in a supportive environment where they can learn, improve, and build confidence.
One thing I’m especially proud of is the reputation we’ve built for honesty. If a supplement doesn’t work, I’ll tell you. If a fad diet isn’t supported by science, I’ll tell you. If your goals require patience and consistency instead of a quick fix, I’ll tell you that too. My responsibility isn’t to sell people what they want to hear it’s to give them the information and coaching they need to succeed safely and sustainably.
At the end of the day, Tri Fitness isn’t just about helping people lose weight or build muscle. It’s about helping them live healthier, move better, prevent avoidable health problems, and improve their quality of life. We believe lasting results come from education, accountability, consistency, and doing things the right way… not the easy way.
Any big plans?
My biggest goal isn’t to build the biggest gym…cit’s to build one that people genuinely trust. I want TricFitness to be known as the place where people can come for honest advice, science backed coaching, and people who actually care about their success.
We are always looking at ways to grow without losing what makes us different. That includes exploring things like an evidence based supplement line, creating more educational content, and possibly even launching a podcast where we can have real conversations about fitness, nutrition, medicine, and all the misinformation that’s out there. Nothing is set in stone, and that’s intentional. I’d rather take my time and do something right than rush something just because it’s popular.
As we grow, one thing won’t change: our commitment to serving our community. I want to continue supporting local schools, youth sports, first responders, and organizations that are making a real difference.
At the end of the day, I don’t want Tri Fitness to be remembered as just another gym. I want people to remember that when they walked through our doors, they got the truth. We treated them with respect, gave them honest answers, and helped them become healthier. If we can keep doing that, everything else will take care of itself.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://trifitnesswellness.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trifitnessnipomo/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/trifitnessnipomo/
