From Backup Dancer Dreams to Elite Athletics: How One Injury Changed Everything
Meet Aaron Ngor, the athletic trainer who took breaking to the Olympics and built a thriving solo business along the way.
Growing up, Aaron had one clear goal: become a backup dancer for one of the biggest stars of the 2000s. “He’s actually on tour this year and I’m bummed out that I’m not a backup dancer yet,” Aaron laughs. That dream took an unexpected turn when an ACL and meniscus injury in middle school landed him in physical therapy—and changed his entire life trajectory.
Today, Aaron runs Aware Performance Partners, LLC, where he serves as a certified athletic trainer and performance therapy consultant in Los Angeles. His journey from aspiring dancer to elite sports medicine provider proves that sometimes life’s biggest detours lead to the most incredible destinations.
The moment that sparked everything
During Aaron’s first physical therapy appointment, a fellow patient opened his eyes to the challenges ahead while they exercised on stationary bikes: “I remember sitting next to an older gentleman who had a double knee replacement,” he recalls. “I was here complaining that I couldn’t pedal on the wheels because it hurt so much. And he looked at me and said, ‘It’s gonna be a long road, buddy.'”
While his physical therapist helped him get back to basic movement, Aaron wanted more: he wanted to dance again, and dance hard. That’s when he realized dancers didn’t have the same support or resources that athletes did.
After experiencing that difference firsthand, Aaron leaned on his high school athletic trainer, who became a mentor and showed him the path to sports medicine. The seed was planted: Aaron would bridge these two worlds as an athletic trainer for dancers.
“My motivation was to be this touchpoint where a dancer would feel afraid to go talk to a physician or a PT,” Aaron explains. “They don’t want to be told, ‘You should just stop doing that. Pick a different activity.’ If they love something, they want to find a way to continue to do it without compromising their health for performance.”
Building a business through trial and fire
Aaron’s entrepreneurial journey started in 2019 with his first venture, Offset Med, launched with co-founders with no prior business experience. “If you had asked my dad who ran a donut shop, he’d say I’d probably be the last person to go into business because I was very textbook smart,” Aaron admits.
The early days were chaotic: “We were just throwing stuff at the wall trying to see what sticks. I had to learn accounting and finance and budgeting,” Aaron explained. “It was really overwhelming.”
The biggest challenge? Wearing multiple hats while trying to provide elite care. “Here I was trying to give elite sports medicine care to the person in front of me, but in the back of my head, I’m thinking, ‘How am I gonna file taxes next year?'”
As the business grew and landed contracts with Red Bull and the pro breaking tour, the operational challenges became unsustainable. Aaron eventually decided to go solo with Aware Performance Partners, but he knew he needed a different approach to the business side.
Finding the right partnership
Aaron stumbled on an Instagram post one day about forming an LLC and S Corp. It introduced him to Collective, where he saw the possibility of having a team to back him up.
Having previously worked with lawyers and accountants who gave advice but didn’t do the actual work, Aaron was intrigued but skeptical. “I was like, ‘I don’t know how this is gonna go, but I’m willing to give it a chance.'”
The onboarding experience with Collective exceeded his expectations. “They didn’t try and sell me on anything. They explained what Collective was and asked how involved I wanted to be in the process,” Aaron explained. “For someone who loves getting things done right the first time, being able to contact someone and get credible answers right away was huge.”
Joining Collective gave Aaron something invaluable: confidence and focus. “It definitely allowed me to walk with more confidence when I negotiate bigger deals. It allows me to do what I do best: build the service, create a community, and impact more people with my vision.”
Olympic dreams and expanding impact
The freedom to focus on building his business now has given Aaron space to reflect on a dream he never knew he had – and had already achieved: serving as sports medicine support at Paris 2024. That opportunity brought him full circle, supporting the U.S. breaking team on the world stage. “The Paris 2024 Olympics was one of the pinnacle moments of my athletic training career,” Aaron reflects. “I got to do it not only as an athletic trainer but also with Team USA Breaking. We got to represent hip hop on the world stage as recognized athletes globally.”
After returning from the Games, Aaron expanded his client base to include anyone who understands that taking care of their bodies is essential for long-term success. His client base reflects the modern creative economy: artists, entrepreneurs, fashion designers, and creatives. His approach centers on awareness by helping clients cut through the noise to get the help they need.
“What started as a journey as an artist trying to help artists, I realized that my skillset could be applied to everyone,” Aaron explains. “I can do it in a way where they can become aware of themselves in the process and grow as a human.”Looking ahead, Aaron envisions expanding his team to serve more people with a proactive approach to health and wellness. “That’s the future: having a proactive approach rather than waiting until something’s wrong.”
The real victory
When asked what his younger, backup-dancer-dreaming self would think about his current success, Aaron gets thoughtful. “Younger me would be a little bummed that I wasn’t able to get there as a dancer. But I also believe younger me would have a hard time fathoming the incredible moments and people I’ve gotten to meet.”
The dancers he used to idolize and travel hours to see? “Now I can walk into a room and they’re my friends. We have mutual respect for each other, which is a crazy concept that younger me would be like, ‘What?'”
Sometimes the best dreams are the ones we never knew we had; and the best victories come from helping others achieve theirs.
Ready to focus on what you do best while experts handle your business back-office? Learn how Collective can support your entrepreneurial journey at collective.com.
With over eight years in public accounting, Marissa has worked closely with small business owners to navigate tax strategy and compliance. At Collective, she translates complex tax concepts for self-employed individuals into clear, practical content—supporting them on their tax journey so they feel informed, confident, and empowered to make decisions for their business.