I moved to DFW after high school and have lived in the area for the past 15 years. I don’t really have a hometown, so I guess Dallas is my hometown by default. “Whoo-hoo!! The two sweetest words in the English language! De. Fault. De. Fault.,” as Homer Simpson might say.

I came across CrossFit in 2013 after moving in across the street at The Winsted. I had sprained my back pretty severely in 2003, and my athletic activities had been essentially non-existent since. Unhappy with how I looked and how I felt; my New Year’s Resolution for 2013 was to run one 5k a month. I started running here and there, but my weak back was hindering my performance. So I made an appointment with AIRROSTI for the day before the 2013 Hotcake Hustle (my first race). The first treatment helped significantly, but I still thought I was going to die after the race. (By the way, I did run 12 5k’s and even finished 3 duathlons in 2013.) I went back to AIRROSTI for several more treatments and was improving rapidly, but I wasn’t getting what I wanted out of just running. So, I emailed EDCF because I had noticed the gym right across the street. Knowing I needed to get back in shape and knowing I wasn’t going to be able to do it on my own, I joined in April of 2013 and haven’t looked back!

I am a CrossFit Level 1 coach. I have always loved teaching, mentoring, and coaching. I have an incessant need to help people. I thoroughly enjoy seeing the proverbial light bulb turn on when somebody gets something for the first time! I coach primarily on Wednesday evenings, but you’ll see me in class throughout the week! See you at the box!

I come to Dallas by way of Kentucky, Georgia and North Carolina. In my day life I’m a lawyer, and I recover from those shenanigans at the CrossFit gym.

I stumbled on to CrossFit in 2008 and have been obsessed ever since. In my prior life I was a swimmer who swore I’d never run and then became a runner who refused to swim. I’ve run three marathons, countless half marathons for which I refuse to train (thanks CrossFit!), and one ill-advised triathlon, and conquered a 5K lake swim (never again). In my CrossFit life, I was a regionals qualifying athlete in 2010 and 2011.

I am CrossFit Level I, Power Lifting, Olympic Lifting, and Mobility certified and I have additional training in kettlebells. I have a special interest in helping women get stronger than they ever thought possible and I’ll probably always put more weight on your bar. I absolutely love coaching and finding new ways to help people conquer movements they find challenging.

My outside of CrossFit hobbies include being jealous of my husband’s flexibility, playing with our two adorable dogs (Howie and Lulu), and dreaming of the next time I’m going to visit Africa (my favorite travel destination).

I’m originally from a small gulf coast town in Southeast Texas and moved to Dallas in 2009 for more opportunity with the added bonus of less humidity. I’ve been involved in competitive athletics in some capacity for as long as I can remember and “working out” since starting middle school in the 6th grade. To say that some of the strength and conditioning methodologies I’d been exposed to prior to discovering CrossFit in 2013 weren’t exactly sound would be an understatement to say the least.

Before trying CrossFit, I found myself in the lull of going periodically to a globo gym with just mirrors and earbuds to keep me company; gradually getting bored and falling back on the same workout regiments over and over again. Once I caught word from a few different friends and put in a little research, I knew it was time for a change and signed up for the Prep Course. CrossFit and EDCF specifically, for me, had everything I was looking for in regards to programming, atmosphere and community. I’d been missing the competitive environment with friends to hold me accountable. A laid back, but educational and instructive setting coupled with like-minded individuals all with a common goal.

In May of 2014, I received my CrossFit Level 1 Certificate to further my education and take the next step to continued health, self-improvement and to help others meet their own personal goals.

I was born and raised in East Dallas. Growing up, I played soccer and baseball. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to play 2 years of college baseball at Collin County Community College on scholarship. Following my baseball career, I continued to stay active through working out at the gym, cycling and running. This eventually led to competing in local triathlons and marathons. I’ve completed three White Rock marathons and an Olympic distance Toyota US Open Triathlon.

I graduated from Texas A&M Commerce with a degree in Exercise Physiology. In 2013, I received my CrossFit L1 Cert. I’ve been CrossFitting at East Dallas for over 2 years. CrossFit has allowed me to excel in my running and cycling.

I’m completely fascinated with diet, so if you have any healthy snacks/recipes I would love to hear about them.

I found CrossFit during a period in my life when I was doing a lot of running. Too much running. My IT bands had gotten so tight I could only make it a couple blocks down the road before I had to turn around and go home due to knee pain. My roommate at the time (EDCF co-owner Chase Heckendorn) was experimenting with some CrossFIt workouts and following the mainsite WODs. I decided to join him to get some exercise since I was sidelined from running. I had experimented with a couple CrossFit workouts from the main site before, I had made up some workouts at the park with my roommates, but I had never gone all-in and followed any CrossFit programming for an extended period of time. Within a couple weeks I could feel a noticeable difference in my knee, I tried running again and felt better on that run than I had in a long time. I knew it wasn’t just from rest, I knew I was running too much, and doing too little of everything else.

My fitness background is fairly typical for someone who grew up playing youth sports and worked out in a globo gym. In high school I picked up weight lifting while playing football, but I didn’t have good direction nor did I seek out the right information. My workout knowledge came from the internet, body building magazines and coaches who weren’t exactly specialists in strength and conditioning. I did a lot of bench press and not enough of anything else. In college I continued the body builder workouts, back and bi’s, chest and tri’s, leg days, “cardio” and all but that didn’t last longer than my freshman year. The repetitive grind of that routine finally got to me, by the time I moved off campus and the location wasn’t convenient I stopped working out completely. It would take me two years to find running and to get back to an active lifestyle and eventually find CrossFit.

I started CrossFit in May of 2011 and I completed my CrossFit L1 in May 2012. Although I still enjoy biking, running and endurance sports, CrossFit is my main form of exercise. CrossFit has changed my body and mind in many positive ways and I am excited for everyone who discovers what it can do for them. By shifting the focus of fitness from vanity and aesthetics to true health and wellness, CrossFit is transforming the fitness industry and I am proud to be part of that movement.

I have a beautiful wife Emily and we have two awesome boxers Elmer and Henry. I graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in 2005 where I played two years of Varsity football. I graduated from Texas A&M University in 2010 with a Bachelors of Business Administration-Accounting and Masters of Science in Finance. I am a CPA, I work full-time for the commercial real estate company the Gaedeke Group and run the business affairs for EDCF. I also coach the endurance class on Sunday morning, come see me!

I’ve been around athletics and competition my entire life, all the way up through college. With that being said, I’ve also been experienced burnout, bad training methods, and especially injuries… lots of injuries. I was looking for something new and different. Something that would steer me clear of overuse injuries while making me leaner, stronger, and faster. Something that would challenge me both mentally and physically as well as fill that void of competition.

I found CrossFit in 2008 when a friend in college who was training for the Navy SEALs got me to join him in a workout with the name “Barbara”. After about 50 minutes I came away with what felt like a hangover, ripped hands, and a sense of humbleness that I had never felt before. After joining a box in Austin, TX I felt what it was like to be a part of a CrossFit community. I received my masters degree in kinesiology with a specialization in biomechanics and neuromuscular physiology from the University of Texas in Austin.

I currently am CrossFit Level 1 and CrossFit Olympic Lifting certified. I am in the process of completing my Optimum Performance Training CCP Level 1 certification. In doing CrossFit and being around the community that it presents, I have found that I have a passion for coaching and helping others reach their goals through functional nutrition and fitness.

I believe that a hard workout is easy to find but effective training is rare. I also believe that good dieting and a constantly varied and functional fitness are foundations of health and happiness. The greatest wealth is health.