About Sharif.

Sharif Fajardo is a former professional basketball player who grew up in New York City with his mother and older brother . Sharif attended University of Texas El Paso under Hall of Fame inductee, coach Don “The Bear” Haskins. He was recruited from La Salle Academy in New York City and became an outstanding player in the Western Athletic Conference. Sharif received numerous awards during his UTEP athletic career including leading scorer, a member of the 1,000 point and 500 rebounds players club and was inducted into the UTEP Hall of Fame in 2011.

Sharif’s athletic accomplishments extended beyond his UTEP career. Beginning in High School Sharif spent summers playing in Puerto Rico’s National basketball league. During that time he earned the reputation of being one of the top players in the league and in 1999 he was the league’s number 1 draft pick. Sharif played in two World Championship tournaments in 1995 and 1997. Most notably, Sharif had the honor of representing Puerto Rico in the 2004 Olympic Games, where he and his team defeated the United States “Dream Team”. Sharif then continued to play professionally in Hungary, Bosnia, Spain, Italy and France. As a result, Sharif is fluent in English, Spanish, Italian and French.

Sharif’s Approach to Training.

Despite standing tall at 6’9” and his impressive career, Sharif’s athletic accomplishments did not come easy. Sharif didn’t find basketball until his freshman year of High School and spent his childhood overweight. He remembers being teased by peers and called “Sharif the Beef”. With these experiences as motivation, and the support and mentorship from members of his community, Sharif learned the importance of fitness and nutrition. Sharif used these lessons and motivation to propel himself not only throughout his professional career, but also as a teen basketball coach and mentor in New York City. Upon retiring from basketball, Sharif transferred his determination, athleticism and love of fitness and nutrition into his current career as a personal trainer.

When working with clients Sharif applies the lessons he learned growing up in New York City, as a professional athlete and the knowledge he gained through his national certification . His approach to fitness is like his approach to life. “ Have a plan and work hard for it”…. And if you can do it upside down in a handstand or hanging from the pull-up bars, then all the better! He motivates clients of all abilities and ages with his friendly demeanor and goal oriented style of training. Regardless of where you begin, Sharif will quickly and accurately identify your current level and develop an individualized plan to help you meet your goals. He believes that with the right commitment and coaching, everyone can achieve their fitness goals. When not training clients Sharif enjoys working on his own strength, “chef reefing” it up” in the kitchen and learning the guitar.