Our Founder

My passion and journey in athletics started at a very young age. By the time I was five, I was baptized in the art of combat and thrown into a world of competition. I began wrestling and did so for many years. Becoming quite accomplished at it. I also didn’t hesitate to bring my skills to the schoolyard, where the occasional fistfight wasn’t just common; it was practically a way of life growing up in Montana. That competitive drive the tough-nose, take-no-shit type of attitude followed me throughout high school and has stuck with me to this day. Thus all this athletic competition. The fighting. Growing up in the 90’s. The drive, the work ethic instilled in me by my family and growing up in that type of community and my dad. Who was one of my wrestling coaches and basically build my foundation in the gym. All that plus let’s be honest personal situations (girls) and career choices in my life inevitably gave birth to my biggest passion. Weight lifting.

You could say I’ve been moving weight and banging plates since 2008. Truthfully I’ve been consistently, consistently going to the gym for almost two decades now. It’s my home away from home. The one constant in my life. The one place that has always been there and always will be there. A place that breaks you down just to build you back up. A place of joy and great accomplishments but also a place of self-reflection, self-doubt, and breakdowns. A lot of my blood, sweat, tears, piss, shit, spit, and vinegar are on those mats and I know I’m not alone. Not only physical battles but more often than not mental battles are fought there. It’s my mental Thunder Dome. My Temple of Doom. My Temple of Solitude and Sanctuary but ultimately a place of growth. A place that has helped me grow in every aspect of my life. I’ll forever be grateful to have a place I can call my gym. Of course with the gym comes music. 

Insert metal! It doesn’t matter if it’s Heavy Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, Thrash Metal, Trash Metal, Trap Metal, Rap Metal, or good old rock and roll if you want to lift heavy you've got to listen heavy. Nothing gets me more pumped up than some loud heavy music! Music that makes you wanna crush skulls while doing skull crushers. Head bang in between sets like you are in a mosh pit. Music that makes you wanna punch the mirror because you suffer from body dysmorphia. Yeah, that type of music. Angry music! That gets your blood pumpin, adrenaline coursing, testosterone flowing, forehead veins poppin type of music. Just so you can move a little bit more weight than you did last set. Gotta love it, I do.

The only other passion in my life that I could compare to weightlifting would be art. Art has always played a significant role in my life. It’s always been a way of isolating myself while simultaneously expressing myself. So being able to combine three of my greatest passions in one concept which is my clothing line DarkHorse X IrionVetti is not only a dream come true or the accomplishment of a long-term goal but something I think I was meant to do.

Meet Vetti