about davidbglover

As I reflect on my life, I realize that I have had many experiences that have given me a wide range of perspectives and a true appreciation for living.

After I was diagnosed with cancer in 1995, I became a triathlete to prove that although I had cancer, cancer did not have me. I was a competitive triathlete for 16 years, which included 28 IRONMAN distance finishes (8:51 personal best time and five overall wins) and earning an elite (pro) license from 2007-2009. In 2005, I became an endurance sports coach to share my passion for the sport and a healthy lifestyle to help others. In 2006, I started the Luray Triathlon in Luray, Virginia, intending to create a “win-win” for the athletes and the community. With the support of the Luray and Page Valley communities, I produced the race until 2014. 

In 2014, I began a path of martial arts and am currently training in the ninja martial arts (ninpo taijutsu) with Dennish Mahoney and Theresa Murphy of Shinobi Martial Arts in New Hampshire.

Other experiences include attending the U.S. Naval Academy, serving as an officer on a nuclear submarine, and working in systems integration, competitive intelligence, and financial analysis. I have a BS in computer science, an MS in Exercise Physiology, and an MSE in Engineering Management. 

In May 2025, I graduated with a PhD in East-West Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies. My doctoral research (view my dissertation defense) grew out of ten years of committed practice in ninpo taijutsu, a Japanese martial art rooted in the ninja tradition. What began as a personal journey toward deeper awareness and transformation evolved into an academic inquiry into the concept of becoming imperceptible—a subtle skill of blending into one’s environment, both physically and relationally. Through embodied experience, autoethnographic reflection, and phenomenological research, I explored how this ancient practice offers a countercultural way of being—one that resists the pressure to stand out, dominate, or perform, and instead invites attunement, adaptability, and ecological sensitivity.