Episode #111: John Odden

John Odden is the Owner and Head Coach of Empowered Strength. Located in Bend, Oregon, Empowered Strength offers in person and online coaching for athletes, business coaching and both in-person and online Highland Games programming and clinics. Prior to starting his own business, Odden worked in the clinic environment as an exercise physiologist and employee wellness coordinator at PeaceHealth in addition to being a high school strength coach for over 10 years before “retiring” from his clinical position and relocating to Bend, Oregon to start Empowered Strength back in 2014. Since that time he has been training and rehabilitating clients in both the personal training and clinical setting. He is also a mace, Indian club and kettlebell instructor. Odden himself has a mired of athletic accomplishments his boasts as an athlete. He was the #1 World ranked Scottish Highland Games lightweight class athlete in both 2016 and 2017, was the 2017 lightweight National Champion, 2021 Master’s Highland Games World Champion and 6x World Record Holder. Additionally, he is a former heavyweight professional athlete from 2010-2014, competitive Olympic lifter in the 94kg masters class, and has competed in multiple StrongFirst challenges and strongman throughout his lifting career. Odden has also successfully lifted the Dinnie Stones and many other legendary stones of strength in Scotland.