About Me

That would explain why, when faced with choosing a new career, I chose two. But more about that later.

These career decisions became necessary when I decided in November of 2000 that after 24 years in the newspaper business it was time for a change. I began my journalism career at the age of 17 as a reporter for the Irving Daily News and eventually moved into the position of sports editor of the renamed Irving News. During that time I covered Super Bowls (XIII), collegiate and high school events and just about everything in between. Through the Irving News and various freelance opportunities, I was fortunate enough to interview and write about many of the biggest names in sports. It was a great time.

But the newspaper industry, as you might expect, is a constantly changing one. And these are particularly challenging times for the print media as it attempts to maintain a readership that has an ever-increasing number of options for getting the news.

In November 2000 the Irving News published its final issue and closed its doors forever. After toying with the idea of a career change for several years, it seemed a good time to pull the trigger. So I did.

So back to the first question. Why personal training and graphic design?

Personal training was a logical choice because fitness has always been a passion. Ever since a friend showed more than 20 years ago that weight training could transform my buggywhip arms into appendages worthy of a short-sleeve shirt, I have been hooked. I am one of those rare (for lack of a better term) individuals who actually looks forward to going to the gym. Sure, compared to many other activities, working out can be mundane, but when you start to see your body change shape and your fitness level increase, you cannot help but get excited.

In 1997 I became a certified personal trainer through the American Council on Exercise, one of the largest and most respected organizations of its kind in the country.

My personal training company, Ron Durham Fitness, stresses fitness as a lifestyle. No quick fixes. No fads or gimmicks. I believe the foundation for a healthy lifestyle – a balanced diet combined with an exercise program – has never changed. For more on my training philosophy, go here.

Graphic design, on the other hand, is something I picked up while working at the Irving News. Like many newspapers in the mid to late '90s, the Irving News went to "full pagination" meaning that instead of the old-fashioned way of building each page by hand, it was now done completely on the computer.

In the case of the Irving News, it was built with QuarkXPress. Though the learning curve was steep at first, I found myself enjoying the layout and design aspect of the job more and more. After a major redesign of the newspaper in 1998, the Irving News sports section won several state and national awards for layout and design from the Texas Press Association and Suburban Newspapers of America.

Durham Graphics utilizes only industry-standard imaging and graphic design programs including Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, QuarkXPress, Adobe Acrobat. Logos, letterhead, business cards, corporate identity, stationery, advertising materials, newsletters and brochures are among the services available.

A presence on the World Wide Web remains a vital part of your corporate and personal identity today. Durham Graphics can help create your online identity, from registering your unique domain name to creating and publishing your live site on the Web.