From a second-hand gym in his garage to playing a key role in the development of athletes across Ballarat, Chris Radford continues to push sport and health in the city.
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Mr Radford went to university in Ballarat with the dream of working in professional sport.
"I was lucky enough, I spent three years at Western Bulldogs, which was awesome," he said.
But eventually travelling back and forth from Melbourne four times a week took its toll, and he said he wanted to focus on starting a family.
With his attention turned to his life in Ballarat, Mr Radford focused completely on his business.
Making it better for athletes
Driven by a desire to make sure Ballarat athletes were not missing out on services or support that might be readily available closer to Melbourne was the motivation behind the Rad Centre.
Through connections at the Victorian Football League's North Ballarat Roosters, he tracked down some second-hand gym equipment and fitted out his single-car garage.
Originally Mr Radford used the space just for him, but eventually word was spread to Roosters players who then referred others onto him.
Creating a niche
"There are heaps of gyms in Ballarat and there are heaps of physiotherapy clinics, which is awesome," Mr Radford said.
"But we tried to fit the niche gap of athletic development or sports performance."
Mr Radford said he wanted to make sure athletes in Ballarat had everything they needed to be their best.
"We're pretty much trying to replicate exactly what happened here in terms of the service that a professional athlete gets," he said.
"[We work with] weekend warriors who are trying to run around the lake faster, or 17- to 18-year-old kids who want to be drafted to the AFL."
Mr Radford said they spend a lot of time in the education space making sure athletes across Ballarat are looking after their bodies.
"The [football] leagues are growing in professionalism as well, and a big part of that is how the athletes prepare for their sport."
He said his team is trying to lift the standard across the whole community.
Opportunities for others to stay in Ballarat
From his garage to a warehouse on Gillies Street, Mr Radford said he was on the hunt for a new space when the opportunity to be part of Selkirk Stadium came up.
"We are stoked to be here," Mr Radford said.
While the centre has a great relationship with Ballarat Basketball, he said it was also a great developing sports hub to be a part of.
"For us to be a part of the sports hub is really cool."
Mr Radford has a team of 13 with him at the centre.
"Previously all of these guys would have left Ballarat to seek employment," he said.
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"Particularly in the strength and conditioning or the sports physio space, being able to provide a workplace locally for these guys is really cool."
Mr Radford said he remembers how the community supported his business when it was first starting out, and likes to give back to the city as much as he can.
Over the last few years he has been involved in fundraising for the Ballarat Foundation, raising money for mental health and is encouraging the community to get involved in the Ballarat Marathon.