Nick Ontkean

Nick Ontkean brings a rare combination of clinical expertise and performance coaching to Vital Performance Care. As a Certified Athletic Therapist and Strength & Conditioning Coach, Nick works at the intersection of injury prevention, rehabilitation, and high-performance training – helping clients move better, recover fully, and perform at their best.

Nick specializes in triathlon and endurance sport, coaching athletes across Sprint and International distance events with a focus on sustainable performance development. His approach centers on empowering athletes to self-direct their success – designing programs that allow each person to progress at a pace that is truly optimal for them. A triathlete himself, Nick has had his sights set on Kona since picking up his first triathlon magazine at 17, and that same passion for the sport drives how he shows up for his athletes every day.

Nick also works with runners and functional fitness athletes navigating the demands of events like HYROX – bringing the same performance-focused, injury-resilient lens to anyone chasing a finish line or a new personal best.

On the clinical side, Nick supports clients across the full rehabilitation spectrum: from post-surgical recovery and return-to-sport progressions, to overuse injuries, movement assessments, and gait analysis. Whether you’re rebuilding after surgery, managing a lingering injury, or trying to identify what’s holding your performance back, Nick has the tools and the training to help.

At Vital, Nick works with everyone from injury-recovering clients returning to sport, to competitive endurance athletes looking to train smarter and perform better.