Q IS FOR QUEST

Clients at Quest Performance Training (Quest) in Lake Bluff have no choice but to exercise mere seconds after entering the facility.

But only if you believe that receiving a high five is a form of exercise.

Quest owner Quone “Coach Q” Edmonds delivers the emphatic greeting to one and all. The elevated slap usually triggers a barbell-wide smile—a facial workout, essentially—from the recipient.

“I have a deep passion for what I do, and there’s nothing like an immediate high five to set the best tone for a group or individual session,” says the 31-year-old Gurnee resident.

The 6-foot-2, 245-pound Coach Q—a former standout football player and track athlete at Waukegan High School and a record-setting wide receiver at the University of Indianapolis—started Quest in January 2019 with a goal to produce a challenging workout that leads to life-changing results through encouragement, energy, and excitement.

His clients are as young as 14 and as seasoned as 75. Training at Quest fits all fitness levels. Coach Q and his staff (head coach Courtney Johnson and boxing coach Danny Gomez) oversee high-intensity workouts designed to improve mobility and strength.

“Every single thing we do at Quest gets the heart rate up, and our No. 1 priority is tending to the health of each client in a tight-knit, family-like atmosphere,” says Coach Q, who’s as quick to help someone with their form as he is to ask, “How’s your day going?”

“But,” he continues, “there’s more to this than striving to achieve desired results; there’s also the feeling of accomplishment after each session. You’re going to be challenged physically when you’re here, but you’re also going to leave feeling relieved and satisfied, mentally and emotionally.”

Coach Q got his start in the fitness industry as a college intern at Body-N-Motion in Indianapolis. Owner Michael White ordered his eager charge to work with three clients for 12 weeks.

“I remember thinking, throughout the process, ‘This is fun,’” says Coach Q, who worked as head coach at Orangetheory Fitness in Lake Forest from 2015-2018. “I truly enjoyed the opportunities to help and motivate clients, all while building relationships with them.”

Q’s dream in high school was to catch touchdown passes on Sundays in the National Football League. He played American football in Stuttgart, Germany, for a couple of seasons and got a Canadian Football League contract offer from the Saskatchewan Roughriders when he was 26.

“The contract thrilled me, but I chose not to play,” says Q, who, with wife Abbey, celebrated the birth of their daughter, Bee, in July “I’d fallen in love with the fitness industry at that point in my life and decided that would be the best route for me.”

His parents, Mark and Debra, guided him to a spiritual path, for which he is forever grateful. Mark, chief of engineering at Courtyard Marriott in Waukegan, is a deacon, and Debra sings in a church choir and volunteers her time for a food pantry.

“It was nerve-racking, preparing to open Quest Performance Training,” admits Q, who has trained a former Chicago Cub and a pair of former Chicago Bears at his facility. “But what helped me overcome that was my mother, who told me, ‘God gave you a talent. Use it to help others.’ And Quest members, all of them, have been great, providing support and having faith in me from the beginning. This gym has been a blessing.”

So has Abbey.

And Bee.

“After the birth of my daughter, my drive to succeed has grown tremendously, and though there is stress that comes with being a business owner, it’s always great to go home to someone who encourages me,” he says.

A Quest visitor, gripping a pen and toting a notepad, stands and prepares to leave.

“Hey, you have the best day ever!” the owner/perpetual high-five giver hollers.

It’s not just a line. It’s a vigorous, heartfelt order, delivered with a blinding smile.

Quest Performance Training is located at 37 Sherwood Terrace, Suite 132 in Lake Bluff. For more information, visit questperformancetraining.com.