TORRINGTON – Matt Richardson, owner and operator of Richardson Performance Training (RPT) in Torrington, has been a constant mainstay of health and fitness for nearly a decade now.

Richardson has lent a heavy hand in improving, and changing Goshen lives for years. Working one-on-one with hundreds of clients all over the area, as well as having a long list of clientele in Scottsbluff, Richardson has earned a solid reputation in the local fitness community with trust, safety and results. 

Anyone who has ever been under the tutelage of Richardson would acknowledge that not only are they guaranteed personal success, but have also made a loyal diamond of a friend for life.

Since running RPT since 2016 with gargantuan success, the one thought so many residents have had all these years would be, will Richardson ever open his own facility?

After months of discreet preparation, planning and consultation, a shining moment is finally in sight for RPT.

That moment is to be the completion and opening of, “The Compound,” a 24/7 fitness facility dedicated to the goals and morals of current/future RPT clients.

“I think this naturally came about, and was never really the plan,” Richardson began. “If I’ve ever learned anything in life it’s that I’ve planned a lot, but the best things in life are unplanned.”

Richardson made it a point to give a little reflection as to how things have panned out in such a positive way, despite never intentionally seeing it happening in the beginning.

“I never planned to be a strength coach, or go into the culture and community that we now have,” Richardson continued. “I would’ve told you that you were joking if this was possible to do in 2016. That really is when this all started. It just kind of became this way, and clients just kept asking, ‘When are you going to open up your own place?’ I love to do this, and wanted a facility where I could speck it out for people and their needs. I wanted to create a vibe and culture in here.”

Despite RPT taking a giant leap forward from a business standpoint, Richardson is ready for the upcoming challenges of owning and maintaining a facility.

Richardson in fact sees it as a wonderful upcoming challenge, and one that is going to provide fantastic opportunities for both professional and personal growth.

“If something is broke it’s on me to fix it, and I want it on me,” Richardson continued. “I can very much say it was the play, and just the obvious progression. To me, I think we have just barely dipped our feet in the water, and the influence we can really have on this community. Honestly, the challenges so far have been maintaining what I have right now. It’s the training that is the heart and soul of this whole thing. I guess the challenges will go as a testament to the thought we’ve put into this facility. Every single square inch has been designed and accounted for. I’ve had hundreds of emails from equipment companies, to the texting side of things and all kinds of group meetings. It’s been a real effort in detailing everything out to make it what it is. It’s like building my dream house with everything exactly the way I wanted it, and to give the best product we possibly can.”

Despite RPT having an already established reputation with a long list of clients, Richardson would like all Goshen residents to know that The Compound will have an extensive, and welcoming open-door policy.

Richardson was convincing that no matter where someone is in life, it is never too late to make a positive change.

“This goes from top-to-bottom anyone who’s 65, or an athlete who’s 16. I want to make health a definite priority and mainstay. That building will be a stable of peace in this community, and something that Torrington will become known for. It will make everything better from the top all the way down. Health is our foundation, and we want to influence as many people as we can in a positive way.”

The Compound does not have a set date for when it will be officially open to the public. Once business is up and running however, Richardson is confident that once a curious potential member enters the building, they will take one look and know they belong.

“Obviously there is some buzz about it right now, and there’s a good reason as to why that is,” Richardson said. “We are going to offer something very unique, from the equipment we’ve selected to the knowledge we have. I think that with the services we’ll be offering, we will have something world class in Torrington that everyone should take advantage of. We really do. That’s just become a pass-in, and other people investing in themselves have grown to that. We can hopefully have a word of mouth thing where one thing leads to another.”

With The Compound set to be open hopefully within a few weeks, and with a long list of priorities still to be completed, Richardson remained unwavering in his passion and desire to help others. One would even argue that RPT has surpassed personal training, and has evolved much further into human services.

“You can expect a place where anyone can come to. You are never going to outgrow it, but you can start at any level,” Richardson said. “You will have people that think, ‘I can’t come into this place, but what you can expect is a helpful, growing and positive involvement throughout the community. As long as you’re trying to get better yourself, you’re going to fit right in. That’s what you can expect. I think the biggest thing is that whether it’s me or my staff, the services that we have for our members is that we are here to help. Every part of this is designed to help you. You come in and you’re not going to have to figure it out on your own. I live this, and will lift other people up with you. I know what we can do, and this roof gives us more room to build that.”

For further information or questions, feel free to visit RPT on Facebook.