Forged Staff

Joel Schlieman

Owner

Joel brings a range of experience to Forged Fitness. Joel has been working in some capacity or another since age 14 and has done everything from running day camps for kids to running after criminals as a Raleigh Police Officer. He has a Bachelors and Masters in Business Administration and Juris Doctorate (JD) from Campbell University. Joel has been involved in fitness and sports of all kinds for most of his life. He played basketball and golf at a high level in high school, loves to lift weights and is a purple belt in Gracie Jiu Jitsu.  He also has 5 years of Thai Boxing experience. Besides owning Forged Fitness, Joel’s biggest claim to fame is winning a very prestigious statewide short story writing contest. He doesn’t care that it was in the fourth grade, he will still brag about it. Joel always has a story to tell: from getting lost in the Himalayan mountains, to one time driving a car at 50 mph...in reverse, or having to fight off a monkey trying to steal his passport or the time he shot a personal best 62 (-10 par) only a couple years after picking up the game of golf. When not traveling, training or working at Forged Fitness, Joel loves to spend time with his family: wife, Rebecca, and daughters, Clara (4) and Lucy (2) and a baby boy due May 2015. Or he can be found reading, watching a movie or cheering on his St. Louis Cardinals.