O’Malley knows firsthand what it’s like to push his limits. And he knows just how close Cardio Coach came to never existing. At 5’9 and 240 pounds, he looks like nothing could stop him. Yet years of setbacks, struggles and frustrations almost forced him to give up. But settling with failure as the final result wasn’t an option. Not then, and not now.

“I don’t see failure as a negative,” O’Malley said. “A mentor after college ingrained in me that failure is the key to success. you have only failed when you give up. This is my dream, and I’m willing to do what it takes.”

Thousands of customers from every state and more than 90 countries have bought his workouts. Each day, more exercisers are turned on to the latest craze in exercising – MP3 downloadable workouts. Years ago, as MP3 technology was just beginning to catch on, he saw the potential. He created the first MP3 workouts on the market. And today, he’s one of the frontrunners, despite the lack of big company funding or “star” status.

“Cardio Coach to me is more than just a workout,” O’Malley said. “It’s a reminder that with passion, dedication and persistence, anything is possible. It means freedom to me – freedom to express myself, and freedom to share my passion with others.”

Operating from his Virginia Beach home, O’Malley was a one-man show until just recently when sales increased enough to warrant extra staff. A personal fitness trainer and group fitness instructor, O’Malley cut costs by creating his own covers and websites, handling the patents, and conducting most aspects of the business on his own. His friends nicknamed him Oz after the gray-haired wizard conducting the show behind the curtains in the age-old movie, but O’Malley is quick to credit the support he received from his family and friends for his successes.

“Cardio Coach to me is more than just a workout,” O’Malley said. “It’s a reminder that with passion, dedication and persistence, anything is possible.”

“When I first started, I was riding on an imaginary hope,” O’Malley said. “There was no proof or anything solid that this would work. Four years later, I have more ground to stand on. And while it hasn’t exploded yet, the potential for it to is more real. I know now that it’s just a matter of time.”

The Story Continues