Wilfredo Benitez

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Performance nutritionist Wilfredo Benitez believes that sustained nutrition optimization requires an ongoing coaching process that includes education, setting of attainable goals and expectations, motivation, and establishment of manageable dietary and behavior adjustments. Will’s work with his clients relies on effective and consistent communication, plus accountability, leading to sustained change.

Will works primarily with athletes but also with those who enjoy or want to enjoy an active lifestyle, helping them to optimize their nutrition to elevate performance and health. He has worked with many athletes and has seen great results while focusing on a wide variety of concerns and interests. He credits the nutrition optimization process and the way he coaches for helping foster a helpful commitment to the process on behalf of the athlete.

As a performance nutritionist, a certified running coach, and an athlete himself, Will understands the athlete mindset, what it’s like to pursue athletic goals, and how to balance the pursuit of those goals with other responsibilities. He is passionate about helping his clients strike the necessary balance to make the nutrition coaching process result in sustained nutrition habits that are effective for the client’s goals.

Some common reasons athletes seek Will’s help include: digestive issues, low iron, poor recovery from training, energy imbalances, exploring a new dietary approach, or any other concerns that may impede optimal health and performance. Will is also an expert in nutrition for all sorts of recovery, helping athletes and non-athletes bounce back more efficiently from injuries, surgical procedures and symptoms from chronic inflammation. For example, athletes have come to Will to for help with ACL tears, tendonitis, fractures, hamstring issues, and more. Will takes a nutritional approach that, among other things, promotes optimal blood flow for healing, especially for tendons and ligaments.

Will earned his Masters Degree in Nutrition Science from National University of Natural Medicine in 2017 and owns On Pace Wellness in Portland, OR. Prior to becoming a nutritionist, Will was a school teacher in his home state of New Jersey. He firmly believes that understanding why particular changes are being made helps maintain motivation, which is why nutrition education is a core element of his work with individual clients.

Will lives in Portland with his wife, Valentina, who is a naturopathic physician practicing in downtown Portland, their pup, Selkie, and two cats, Jordan and Nila.

Learn About Wenzel Coaching Nutrition Packages

Events: All Endurance Events

Services: Nutrition

Specialties: Nutrition

“Covid took me out of the gym and into some boredom--which I treated with the pleasure of food. Result: I gained 10 pounds. I knew it was a diet and not exercise because I found new ways to exercise. (60 year old exercise addict here). I had done diets before and achieved my goals but at the expense of feeling hungry all the time and a loss of enjoyment with my food. So I wanted to get some help from an expert. My goals: 10 pound weight loss while maintaining food as a life pleasure and never having to put time and effort into food prep. I located Wilfredo Benitez of Wenzel Coaching who did a thorough intake and analysis at a level of expertise (pretty analytical guy and not a fan of fads or unscientific thinking). Then he constructed an approach very specific to me and my goals and that I actually enjoyed… and I’m halfway to my weight goal after only 2 months!" ~ Richard Snyder

"Will is wonderful to work with. He really listens to his clients needs, and develops goal oriented nutrition programs that are easy to implement, without being overwhelming. He is quick to respond to any questions, and checks in to make sure things are going well. I'm a Physical Therapist and have referred many patients to him. He has helped my patients with significant GI/constipation, pelvic pain, etc issues improve their quality of life and symptoms, along with improving their athletic performance." ~ Michelle Webb, PT, DPT

"I have worked with a lot of nutritionist in my running career and it has never really worked for me. The people I had worked with were very rigid in their mindset, very much recipe oriented and never really helped me reached my goals. With Wilfredo, it seems like day and night compared to my previous experiences. I have seen improvements. He is very much more oriented towards implanting some good long lasting habits but in a gradual (weekly goals) manner. He cares about what I like and dislike and comes up with very very concrete and realistic changes I can make in my diet in order to reach my goals. He looked at my nutritional habits on a nutrients (micro) level and I really liked that." ~A. LeBlanc

"Wilfredo was a fantastic coach who supported me throughout my training for my first marathon and he took me from an injured novice runner to a strong informed runner who achieved my goal of finishing the NYC marathon in under 4 hours! He was extremely patient, flexible, supportive, highly communicative and educational. We established a great training program, communicated throughout the weeks about how the runs went, my progress and any performance issues. His support and motivation kept me going when training became challenging and I remained focused on the end goal. He also shared insights about nutrition, hydration and my running technique that were invaluable to my progression and overall performance. Will's highly committed to his athletes' success and couldn't have asked for a better coach!" ~Eloise M.