Meet our Team. Our current instructors include Donnie Thompson and 3 Physical Therapists.
Donnie Thompson
Donnie Thompson is a World Record setting Powerlifter who set 8-all time World Records and was the first human to ever total 3000lbs in a regulated meet! Donnie has 8 world record in Professional Powerlifting, including: 3 Bench Press records, 2 Squat records and 3 Total records! His 3000lb Powerlifting total Is currently shared only with David Hoff. Industry gurus like Pavel, David Weck Kelly Starrett, Dick Hartzell, and Louie Simmons have worked with Donnie personally over the past two decades. This led to his SHW victory during the 2005 WPO Powerlifting Championships at the Arnold Classic.
He worked 6 years for Progressive Physical Therapy Sports in West Columbia, SC. He acted as the Strength and Mobility Director for 25 clinics statewide.
Donnie’s inventions include the famous Belt Squat Belt sold world wide through SpudInc. Three products in production now include; The Thompson FatPad by Rogue, The Thompson FatBells Powered by Rogue, the BT roller (body tempering device) powered by Rogue, the Boom Stick by Kabuki Strength, and the Donnie Thompson’s BOWTIE by Spud Inc.
In 1988, Donnie graduated from Shepherd College in Shepherdstown, WV. He earned 1st Team All-Conference Center his senior year. Donnie went on to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1987 and played Center in the Arena Football League from 1988-1993 for 6 years. His Arena career included the New England Steamrollers, Pittsburgh Gladiators, New Orleans Nights, and the Albany Firebirds.
Donnie headed the International Powerlifting Association (IPA) for two years, helping lead to the Westside Pro Invitational Powered by Rogue! This was the first time Professional Powerlifting was center stage since 2007 of the WPO. Over $22,000.00 was awarded to the winners.
He has been consulted by numerous NFL, NCAA, MLB, NBA, and Private Training facilities to share his vast knowledge, creativity, and experience in strength preparation and injury prevention techniques.
He also acted in a feature film titled, ‘The Program’ as an offensive center on the ESU college football team. Donnie’s name on the back of the Jersey was ‘Latham’. The film featured James Caan as the head coach.
Josh Jeffery, SPT, MS, CSCS, FMSC, USAW, BT-C
Josh is a Doctor of Physical Therapy student at the University of South Carolina set to graduate in 2019 and the Owner and Head Coach of Vertex Performance Training, an individualized programming and sports performance facility in Columbia, SC.
He graduated from USC with a Masters in Exercise Science in 2015 and has worked as a strength conditioning coach in the Columbia area since 2013. Additionally, Josh is the Head of Programming and Training at Carolina CrossFit, the oldest and largest CrossFit gym in South Carolina.
Josh is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the NSCA, a USAW Level 1 Sports Performance Coach, an OPEX Level 1 Associate Coach, a CrossFit Level 2 trainer, a Clinical Athlete Weightlifting Coach and he holds certifications in the Functional Movement Screen (FMS) and Personalized Blood Flow Restriction (PBFR). As an athlete, Josh played 4 years of Division 1 baseball at the University of Dayton and has been to the CrossFit Games Regionals twice on teams. As a coach,
Josh has had the privilege of working with some of the top CrossFit athletes in the country and some of the SEC’s best athletes while working in the strength and conditioning department at the University of South Carolina with football, baseball, softball, men’s and women’s soccer, sand volleyball and track and field. Josh first met Donnie in 2015 and has been a part of every one of Donnie’s clinics since. Upon completion of his DPT, he hopes to continue to blend the worlds of strength and conditioning and physical therapy.
Anthony Lavigne, PT, DPT, BT-C
Anthony is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and Regional Director with Progressive Physical Therapy in Charleston, SC. He is a graduate of Francis Marion University with a BS and has his Doctorate in Physical Therapy from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, SC.
He specializes in the treatment of orthopedic and spine diagnoses. T$ and Donnie Thompson met in 2009 and have continuously been collaborating on the development of techniques utilized today in Super D’s clinics. He was one of the first Physical Therapists to collaborate with Donnie helping blend the worlds of rehab and strength & conditioning. These techniques have been field tested at nearly every level of human performance.
Most days of the week you can find T$ working with patients in the clinic, but on the weekends he spends his time helping elite athletes recover from injuries, working with the Warrior Surf Foundation, Coaching athletes on the Special Olympics Flatwater Paddleboarding team, or teaching his kids how to enjoy the great outdoors.
Tim O’Neal, PT, DPT, TSAC-F OMT-C, Cert DN., BT-C
Tim O’Neal is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and Clinic Director of PT/OT for Midlands Orthopedics in Irmo, SC. Tim graduated from Clemson University in 2006 working with the football team Chaplain’s ministry and later with his Doctorate in Physical Therapy in 2010 from USC-Columbia. During his time at Clemson, he helped coach the Pendleton High School wrestling team. He is also a certified clinical instructor through the American Physical Therapy Association regularly taking Exercise Science and Doctorate of Physical Therapy Students on clinical rotations.
His primary interests are in the area of orthopedics and spine. His greatest professional successes are in treating patients and preventing unnecessary surgeries on the spine, shoulder, hip, knee, and foot/ankle. He has worked in inpatient orthopedics, inpatient orthopedic rehab, as a Senior Research Physical Therapist at a Spine Center, Industrial Employee Health, and as a clinic director for a private practice.
The preferred direction of intervention for Tim is teaching fundamental movement patterns of olympic and powerlifting and then loading the movement to facilitate change in the tissues and the central nervous system. To augment this primary approach, Tim has additional certifications in manual therapy, spinal manipulation, and dry needling. This is done with a research/evidence based approach. He has experience working with athletes from the NFL, NCAA, Arena, NBA, Olympics, Tactical Athletes, and Nana from the local retirement home. Outside of work Tim enjoys fishing, hunting, and surfing.