Desert International Horse Park is thrilled to announce a new partnership with Limitless Performance, an elite personal training facility headed by strength and conditioning coach Mikerlange Barthelemy, to establish a second base at the facility in Thermal, CA.
Limitless Performance at DIHP will open in early January 2024, just in time for Desert Circuit. Daily, monthly, and paid-in-full memberships will be offered to fit every athlete’s needs onsite at DIHP. The facility, complete with locker rooms and changing rooms, will be open Tuesday through Sunday from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. each week and on Monday from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. The gym is open to everyone at the horse park – competitors, trainers, grooms, families, and beyond – whether working directly with Mike and his team or just to get a workout in during downtime at the show.
Limitless Performance at DIHP will welcome new staff members Kate Gfroerer, Limitless Pilates Instructor, and Davante Wiltshire, Limitless Trainer and Gym Manager.
Barthelemy launched Limitless Performance in 2017 after working personally with equestrian athletes in the Wellington, FL, area. “They kept coming back to work with me,” Barthelemy said of the riders who came to see him during his time as a personal trainer at LA Fitness. “They needed something in that world. My goal was to create a gym that caters to riders and can highlight the sport and talent. I wanted to help the riders become better athletes and better people, mentally and experientially.”
Barthelemy realized he couldn’t best help equestrians without learning to ride a horse himself.
“I learned to ride so I could understand the balance of the horses, the rider’s posture, how in-sync a rider can be with a horse, and how to identify weaknesses on and off the horse,” he explained. “It took a lot of education and still every day I’m learning new things to help better my riders and clients. I want to be the best to ever do it in this sport. Every day I shuffle my equipment and methods to make things more interesting. I want them to have fun and enjoy the atmosphere.”
While his business is now curated to equestrians, he is a well-rounded fitness expert with experience in all realms of strength and conditioning. He can train professional athletes for top competition while also creating custom workout plans for the average person wanting to get in shape, meaning he will provide programming for everyone who visits DIHP.
“We are excited to bring Limitless Performance to California and to our horse park,” remarked Steve Hankin, President and CEO of DIHP. “We feel strongly that this fits with our goal of improving the sport on the West Coast by providing athletes a proven equestrian-oriented fitness program and everyone a top-notch gym.”
Among athletes Barthelemy has trained is Mexican Olympian Eugenio Garza Perez. Through Barthelemy, Garza has taken his fitness to the next level, allowing him to reach major goals in the saddle, including a top-five finish in the 2023 Rolex Grand Prix of Aachen.
“Mike is an incredible trainer and an even better person,” said Garza. “He is an invaluable expert and helps riders like myself reach their maximum potential. I’m so excited to see him take this next step with his business in California.”