Terry was born and raised on a farm in Pennsylvania and was brought up to believe that people are intrinsically good and that some people just need a little help along the way. Terry loves to help others, which led him to teach children the disciplines that he learned in martial arts and that helped him in his own life's journey.

In 1996, Terry moved to Arizona, and it was here that he discovered ballroom dancing. Terry became an instructor after two years, and after ten years of dancing competitively and instructing, he decided to start his own dance studio and opened Fatcat Ballroom in 2008. His goal was to have a place where everyone could come to dance and experience the positive and life-changing impact it could have on their lives.