After 20 years of military service, Nicklas Buddo thought his formal education days were behind him. He had attended college before joining the military, taken a few classes during his career, and even considered continuing in his military career field as an electrician. But school never felt like the right fit.
That changed after he retired from the military in 2021 and began focusing on his health. He quit drinking, quit smoking, started running, signed up for races, and eventually attended a Spartan Race in Phoenix, Arizona, where he met representatives from Lionel University. What began as a plan to earn a fitness certification quickly became a much larger educational journey.
Today, Nicklas is pursuing his Master’s in Exercise Science at Lionel University with a focus on corporate, clinical, and community wellness. His mission has evolved from helping friends and family to supporting adaptive athletes, veterans, and individuals with physical and mental challenges.
Quick Answer
Nicklas Buddo’s story shows how Lionel University helped a retired military veteran return to school, build deeper exercise science knowledge, and turn a personal passion for fitness into a mission serving adaptive athletes.
After starting with an associate degree, Nicklas continued into the bachelor’s program and then the master’s program, discovering along the way that degree-based education offered deeper research, science, and practical application than certifications alone.
Nicklas joined the military at 21 and retired at 41 after serving 20 years. After retirement, he found himself looking for a new direction. He described getting bored, then beginning a personal health transformation that included quitting alcohol, quitting smoking, running, and signing up for races.
At first, his goal was simple. He wanted to earn a Spartan SGX certification and gain enough knowledge to help friends and family. But after meeting Lionel University representatives at a Spartan Race, that goal quickly expanded.
Within three weeks, Nicklas enrolled in Lionel University’s Associate Degree in Exercise Science. What started as interest in a certification became the first step in a larger academic and professional journey.
Nicklas served 20 years in the military before retiring and pursuing a new path in fitness and exercise science.
He returned to school after being away from the classroom for more than two decades.
His work now focuses on adaptive athletes, veterans, and individuals with unique physical and mental challenges.
One of Nicklas’s biggest concerns was returning to school after so many years away. Like many adult learners, he wondered what it would feel like to be in college again and assumed most of his classmates would be much younger.
Instead, he found a wide range of students. Some were in their twenties. Others were in their sixties. Some were military-connected. Others were personal trainers, civilians, and professionals from different backgrounds.
That diversity helped him feel more comfortable. Rather than being surrounded by one type of student, he experienced a learning environment where people brought different life experiences, goals, and perspectives.
Going back to school later in life does not mean starting over. It means bringing your experience, discipline, and perspective into a new learning environment.
Nicklas originally planned to earn a few certifications. But as he moved through his associate degree, he realized there was much more to learn than what certificate courses alone could provide.
He explained that certifications are useful for learning the basics, but degree programs offer deeper knowledge. They help students understand the science, research, critical thinking, and application needed to work with different populations more effectively.
By the time he was halfway through his associate degree, Nicklas knew he wanted to continue into Lionel University’s Bachelor’s Degree. Before finishing the bachelor’s program, he knew he wanted to keep going into the Master’s Degree.
| Educational Pathway | What Nicklas Discovered |
|---|---|
| Certifications | Helpful for learning basics and building initial skills. |
| Associate Degree | A stronger foundation in exercise science and fitness education. |
| Bachelor’s Degree | More advanced understanding that helped shape his long-term goals. |
| Master’s Degree | A deeper focus on research, evidence-based practice, and specialized populations. |
As Nicklas continued his education, his focus shifted. What began as a desire to help friends and family became a mission to support adaptive athletes.
Today, he works with multiple adaptive athlete groups, including veteran-focused organizations. These athletes may include individuals with amputations, PTSD, social anxiety, physical disabilities, and other unique needs.
Nicklas explained that working with adaptive athletes requires more than general strength and conditioning knowledge. Trainers must understand modifications, compensations, equipment adaptations, special populations, and how to design programs for people whose needs may look very different from the general population.
Adaptive athlete training often requires deeper research skills, stronger exercise science knowledge, and the ability to adapt programming to complex physical and mental needs.
His master’s coursework has helped him better understand research methods and evidence-based practice. That matters because research on adaptive athlete training can involve smaller sample sizes and more specialized populations.
Nicklas had taken online college courses before Lionel University and did not enjoy the experience. He described previous online learning as limited, disconnected, and sometimes dominated by one-sided debates.
Lionel University felt different.
He found discussions to be respectful, faculty interactions to be meaningful, and assignments to include real application. In some courses, students completed practical demonstrations, recorded workouts, submitted videos, and received detailed feedback.
To Nicklas, that made Lionel feel less like a distant online school and more like what he called a “virtual in-person school.”
| What Stood Out | Why It Mattered |
|---|---|
| Respectful discussion | Students could learn from different backgrounds without feeling dismissed. |
| Applied assignments | Video projects and real-world assignments helped reduce the distance of online learning. |
| Faculty feedback | Personalized feedback helped him feel supported throughout the program. |
| Flexible support | Faculty understood his travel schedule, race schedule, and work with adaptive athletes. |
Throughout his journey, Nicklas built strong relationships with faculty members who understood his goals. He described faculty who recommended additional training, discussed races and events, and helped support his focus on adaptive athlete training.
One story especially captures the level of support he experienced.
While attending a veterans training event in Arkansas, Nicklas was in a remote area with almost no service. After several days without logging in, Dean Rollins noticed he had been absent and began calling and texting to make sure he was safe.
“That’s not just the faculty, that’s the dean of the university.”
For Nicklas, that moment showed the difference between a disconnected online experience and a learning environment where faculty notice, care, and follow up.
Nicklas is currently pursuing his master’s degree and may continue on to a doctorate. His goal is not simply to collect credentials. It is to expand the research, knowledge, and practice surrounding adaptive athlete training.
His journey shows how education can evolve with purpose. What started as a certification goal became an associate degree, then a bachelor’s degree, then a master’s degree, and now a larger mission to serve adaptive athletes and veterans.
Students interested in exploring a similar path can review Lionel University’s full programs overview, learn more about Lionel University, review the financial aid process, or contact Lionel University for more information.
Nicklas Buddo is a retired military veteran and Lionel University student pursuing a Master’s in Exercise Science with a focus on corporate, clinical, and community wellness.
Why did Nicklas choose Lionel University?Nicklas first connected with Lionel University representatives at a Spartan Race and originally wanted to earn fitness certifications. He soon enrolled in the associate degree program and continued into higher degree pathways.
What does Nicklas say is different about Lionel University?He described Lionel as an online experience that feels personal, with respectful discussions, applied assignments, faculty feedback, and support that feels more like a virtual in-person university.
Why is adaptive athlete training important to him?Nicklas works with adaptive athletes, including veterans and individuals with amputations, PTSD, social anxiety, and other challenges. He believes these populations require deeper knowledge, research, and exercise modifications.
Would Nicklas recommend Lionel University?Yes. He said he would recommend Lionel University and described the school as having figured out how to make online education feel personal, supportive, and practical.
Lionel University offers online exercise science pathways for students interested in fitness, wellness, coaching, human performance, and specialized populations. Program options include the Associate Degree in Exercise Science, Bachelor’s Degree, Master’s Degree, Master Trainer Program, and Lionel Certified Personal Trainer.
For Nicklas, that pathway helped turn a personal passion for fitness into a mission to support adaptive athletes and veterans. His story reflects the power of education that connects science, application, purpose, and real human impact.
Nicklas Buddo’s journey is a reminder that it is never too late to return to school, change direction, or discover a new mission. After military retirement, he found fitness, then education, then a purpose that continues to grow.
His story also highlights why exercise science education matters. Certifications can open the door, but deeper academic study can help students understand research, special populations, program design, and evidence-based practice at a higher level. For Nicklas, that difference has become the foundation for serving adaptive athletes and veterans with greater knowledge, confidence, and care.