D1 Training, Premier Athletic Fitness Brand Expands to Buffalo

BUFFALO, NY. (July 30, 2026) –D1 Training, a leading fitness and performance enrichment concept utilizing the five core tenets of athletic-based training, will be opening a new location in Buffalo at 1590 Hopkins Road. The new facility employs a sports-science backed training regimen led by certified coaches to help people of all ages achieve their sport and fitness goals.

D1 Training Buffalo is locally owned and operated by Thomas Krol and Sheldon Smith, who will join a roster of impressive existing franchisees, including former professional and collegiate athletes. Additional D1 partners include NBA star Chris Paul and Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow.

Buffalo native Thomas Krol, a graduate of St. Francis High School, and Sheldon Smith, who relocated from Elmira to Western New York in the early 1990s, have been close friends for more than 25 years after meeting while attending the University at Buffalo School of Law. Today, both are full-time practicing attorneys, with Krol also serving as a longtime youth football, basketball, and baseball coach in the community. Former Division I college football players, husbands and fathers, Krol and Smith have maintained a lifelong passion for athletics and fitness, inspiring them to bring D1 Training to their hometown. They opened D1 Training Buffalo to provide athletes of all ages with a professional training environment where they can build confidence, develop skills, form meaningful connections and reach their full potential through D1 Training's proven training philosophy. They are joined by partner John Michael Cook, a former Division I and professional baseball player and longtime high school baseball coach, as they work to expand D1 Training throughout Western and Central New York. Alongside their wives, Kati Krol, Jonelle Smith and Lori Cook, all are licensed schoolteachers, they are committed to creating opportunities for young athletes to thrive, supporting career pathways in exercise science and sports performance, and instilling life skills that extend far beyond the field, floor, court, pool, ice, mat or track.

“Our goals are beyond opening another gym,” said Krol. “We are bringing D1 to Buffalo because our local athletes each deserve the opportunity to develop the strength, speed, confidence, and mindset needed to maximize their abilities while also limiting injury risks, and for many, to more meaningfully prepare for the next level. We offer our athletes a competitive edge through proven, expert training methods while creating a positive environment where they can optimize performance while growing as teammates and individuals.”

For Smith, it is also about offering a world-class coaching and management team comprised of former Division I and professional athletes who recognize and have insights into the rapidly evolving landscape of youth athletics.

“Beyond training, we plan to provide educational programming for athletes and parents on topics like college recruiting, leadership development and the evolving world of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL),” said Smith. “We want to help families feel informed and prepared for opportunities that extend far beyond high school athletics.”

D1 Training offers four age-based programs including Rookie (ages 7-11), Developmental (ages 12-14), Prep (ages 15-18) and D1 Adult. Each fitness program is based on the five athletic-based tenets: dynamic warm-up, performance, strength program, core and conditioning, and cool down. Outside of group workouts, D1 Training offers group, semi-private, team and one-on-one training with world-class coaches. Each program follows an individualized, scientifically backed, and expert-led assessment of each athlete, with periodic testing and re-assessments for data analytics and improved performance outcomes. The goal is simple: to continue to train athletes who are dedicated to their sport or fitness goals, regardless of age, or athletic background.

“Tom and Sheldon are the ideal candidates to bring the D1 Training experience to Buffalo” said the brand’s Chief Operating Officer, Dan Murphy. “We’re thrilled to welcome them to the D1 family and are confident in their ability to show the Buffalo area what they’ve been missing out on. D1 is a one-of-a-kind fitness experience that’s built around the individual and meant to help people meet their athletic goals. Our strong network of franchisees embodies our core values to bring the D1 Training vision to life, and we know Tom and Sheldon will do just that in Buffalo and its surrounding communities.”

For more information on D1 Training Buffalo please visit https://d1training.com/facility/buffalo-north, or call 716-303-3097.