Athayde had health problems as a child. He suffered from scoliosis, severe asthma, food allergies, and terrible vision.
His troubles could have impeded his fitness ambitions, but he refused to let them be. Weight training, boxing, Muay Thai, Tae Kwon Do, wrestling, and other physical activities helped him shape his sculpted figure.
In 2015, Athayde joined forces with other trainers to launch Dogpound, a business based on his expertise. He is also a certified trainer with a celebrity-requested squad.
Dogpound has been one of New York City’s hottest celebrity gyms since its start in 2015. Victoria’s Secret models Jasmine Tookes, professional sportsmen Conor Dwyer, and A-listers Hugh Jackman and Ryan Seacrest also train at Dogpound.
Among the gym’s original trainers, Athayde is the “Chief Experience Officer.” His YouTube fitness channel is also one of the most popular fitness channels.
One of Dogpound’s finest experiences was viewing their billboard in Times Square.
“Having been born and raised in New York City by immigrant parents, I consider Times Square to be the world’s biggest stage,” Athayde added. “All I wanted to do was tell everyone the good news.” It was worth the wait for our DP family to see the looks of shock, awe, success, and pride when we took over the heart of NYC.”
