Why I do this is pretty straightforward. I love working with people and because of the difference it makes in the lives of the hundreds of people I've coached. Helping people achieve their goals and, often, completely transforming their lives, motivated me to open this gym and create an encouraging environment and close-knit fitness community. As I challenge members to meet their own personal goals, I also love challenging myself in other areas, whether it's mountain biking, rock climbing or, my personal favorite, skiing deep powder in the Rockies.
I was born, bred, and raised in Petworth, DC so the 3 Stars and 2 Bars are part of my DNA. I attended Gonzaga College High School where I played cornerback/kick returner for the football team and was a sprinter on the track and field team.While I had a few official recruiting visits to some colleges, a back injury I suffered in my senior year of high school left coaches wondering if they should risk a scholarship offer. I came grips with the fact that collegiate level athletics were not in the cards for me.
I decided to take my talents to Hampton University (yes, the REAL HU) where I graduated with a B.S. in Business Marketing while working as a personal trainer to help put myself through school. I worked at a tiny 750 square foot personal training studio and loved to help people get in shape.
After college, I came back home and became a federal government desk-jockey. I hated every second of it except for the 75 minute "meeting" I hosted everyday at the weight room at noon that only I showed up to. Growing increasingly sick and tired of being sick and tired of my job, I started training clients again on the side just to make some weekend money. At that point I realized that the suit and tie "going to a meeting to meet about a meeting" life was not for me. After 8 years, I made a career switch into fitness and my life has been better ever since.
I founded the Chocolate City Kettlebell Club where I both coached athletes and competed and won world and national kettlebell titles. 5 years ago, I stumbled onto CrossFit and was hooked. I loved the diversity of the programming and the ability to incorporate different disciplines of human movement into one comprehensive system. As a coach, I put a premium on educating athletes on both the fundamentals and nuance of movement technique. I am also a consummate student, always seeking to learn from other training philosophies in order to share my knowledge and experience with others.
I am a second generation DC native (it's a hard life being a Skins fan), and as the middle girl between 2 brothers, I've always been pretty competitive by nature. I grew up loving all things athletic and challenging – whether it was dancing ballet, playing football and basketball, or swimming competitively.
After graduating from The George Washington University with a bachelor's degree in Cultural Anthropology, I found myself digging deep to find my real passion and direction.
Connecting with the unwavering desire to help people stay healthy and fit, I started off my professional career in pursuit of a master's degree in Nursing. But my dream quickly shifted as I realized I didn't want to spend the rest of my life in a hospital; moreover, I realized there was a more fitting way to help people avoid ending up sick and deconditioned, and have since spent the last 6 years pursuing my passion for health and nutrition as a strength and fitness coach.
I take enormous pride in being a resource for positivity and change in people's lives on a daily basis, and am super excited to be joining the CrossFit Petworth team/family. I'm already having incredibly too much fun at work, and thrive on making good days pretty great days for the amazing community I feel privileged to be a part of.