Elijah Shane Miernik
My life has been a series of challenges and to help deal with those I turned to various artistic venues to escape and express myself. This site is meant to showcase some of those areas in hopes that it will encourage others to do the same.
WHY BREATHLESS?
Around the age of twenty I had the rare experience in which my lungs collapsed four times, each one twice. After the second time on each the doctors decided it best to remove the lower sections and secure what remained to my chest wall to prevent them from collapsing again, leaving me with two half lungs. I was a competitive gymnast during that time and having less lung capacity dealt me many new obstacles to overcome, but that didn't keep me from doing the things a loved. I acquired the name Breathless when I competed on American Ninja Warrior and since then that name has become a part of me. Now, I embrace who I am.
I am Breathless
SERVICES
I offer a variety of services and I'm happy to work with you to help provide what you're looking for.
PHOTOGRAPHY
MURALS AND GRAPHIC DESIGN
COACHING
Making Art
If you're looking to liven up a room with a mural or maybe in need of some design work, I'm happy to talk with you to see if I can help you out. I can paint specific images you want or design them myself. I can also do a variety of graphics work, such as logos, shirt designs, business cards, gift cards and more.
Creating Ninjas
I have nearly three decades of coaching experience teaching gymnastics, parkour, freerunning and ninja. If you're wanting to learn a specific skill or looking to try something new, let me know. I teach classes at a local gym and I also teach private lessons. I can also provide feedback or critiques if you're looking to improve on your own.
BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE
Since 1998
PHOTOGRAPHER
Photography started out as a hobby and gradually evolved into something more. I learned to take photos on a film camera developing them in a darkroom and later switched to DSLR after becoming more family with digital photo software. Working digitally allowed me more opportunities to work with clients and provide finished photos much quicker.
Since 1998
MURAL PAINTER
I took many art classes in high school and was given the opportunity to paint my first mural in the school with a friend of mine our senior year. After that, we started painting more murals because we enjoyed it so much and it gave us a little extra spending money. Later I began painting on my own after my friend moved away.
Since 1998
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
I have been drawing since I could hold a pencil and began working digitally just after high school. I started with comic style art, then got into designing t-shirts, cards, books, logos and websites.
I have also used my design background to create digital representations of murals to give clients a better idea of how the finished product will look.
Since 1995
GYMNASTICS COACH
I began as a competitive gymnast in high school and signed on as an assistant to help out with the girls gymnastics team during their season. There I learned about coaching, spotting and understanding technique. I started coaching gymnastics as a head coach shortly after high school and continued to grow my knowledge and understanding of the sport.
Since 2005
PARKOUR/FREERUNNING COACH
I came across a new movement in the form of parkour while coaching gymnastics and found that it was something that was perfect for me. It had all the movement aspects of gymnastics without the stress of perfect form and specific skills that had to be completed. I researched to learn as much as I could, practiced to hone the skills and developed ways to teach it.
Since 2016
NINJA COACH
With my gymnastics, parkour and rock climbing background I thought it might be fun to try out a new ninja gym when it opened. While at the gym the owners were asking me about my background and asked me if I would be interested in a coaching job to help get their ninja program off the ground. Ninja is a combination of all the skills I had previous experience with which made transitioning to a new coaching style that much easier.
TESTIMONIALS
"Eli is by far the best graphic designer we have ever met! During the initial phase of our business we needed a logo that fit our vision and aesthetics. We shared this with Eli and he blew us away with what he had created! The logo he designed was far better than what we could have hoped for and we get compliments regularly from our customers on how much they LOVE it! Eli is great at communication, extremely efficient, and I'm certain that if you give him a chance to use any service he provides, you will be very please with what he produces!"
FAQ
HOW MUCH DO YOU CHARGE?
Prices vary depending on the job. Photography and coaching are billed by the hour, graphics by the job and murals by the square footage. If you're curious about a more detailed rundown, let me know.
WHERE ARE YOU LOCATED?
I am based out of Northern Virginia and most of my work is done here and in the surrounding areas or remotely in some cases.
WILL YOU TRAVEL FOR WORK?
For mural jobs, I have gone as far as Maryland, DC and Tennessee for work. Photography, I have been all over. I don't have a problem travelling as long as it's feasible for me to do so. I am willing to talk about travel if needed.
I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO LEARN TO FLIP, BUT AM I TOO OLD?
Don't let age keep you from trying something new. You're never too old. Being older just means working a bit harder and being a little more cautious. It may take a little longer depending on your athletic background but it can definitely be done.
"A jack of all trades is a master of none, but often times better than a master of one"