My Journey to Building a Community Through CrossFit

What made me open a gym in the first place?

The short answer—it aligned with my life’s journey. But the long answer is the one that matters most.

Opening a gym wasn’t always my dream. In school and college, I thought I’d be a basketball coach. That dream shifted to becoming a physical therapist, and later a strength and conditioning coach. Back then, I had never even heard of CrossFit.

After earning my associate’s degree, I realized I had one wish: to live the lifestyle of a personal trainer. To me, that meant being fit, drinking protein shakes, and rocking shorts and a T-shirt daily. But I still wasn’t sure of my direction—so I took a break from school, moved up north for a year, and quickly realized I wasn’t living my purpose.

Finding My Path

I returned to school to pursue a bachelor’s in kinesiology because I loved sports, fitness, and recreation. I also knew I needed to stop working odd jobs and start moving toward the trainer life I had envisioned. That’s when I got hired at the front desk of a local gym. Eventually, I became a personal trainer, and I loved every second of it. I was training over 60 clients and felt like I was finally where I belonged.

Then a friend introduced me to something new—CrossFit.

I had never heard of it, but I looked it up on YouTube and was instantly intrigued. I joined a Foundations class, then the regular classes, and fell in love with the workouts and the community. I was hooked—going six days a week. After more than a year, I decided to earn my CrossFit Level 1 certification, leave personal training, and begin coaching

Stepping into Leadership

The gym owner saw my passion and offered me a management position. I accepted and started running the gym alongside coaching. Life felt right. But after three years, the gym shut down, and once again, I had to pivot.

I got the opportunity to open a CrossFit affiliate inside another facility. Over two years, I built a strong community that I loved. Then, unexpectedly, that gym was bought out and I had to leave—again

I was at a crossroads. I could join another gym—but the risk of losing it again loomed. So I made the bold decision to branch out on my own. I opened my gym—and hoped the athletes I had coached would follow me. Thankfully, most of them did.

Fast forward to today:
We’ve been in our current location for over a year, and we were voted Best Gym of 2025.

A New Chapter

Why I Show Up Every Day

I show up every day because I believe in this program. I want to give people the same support and love that CrossFit gave me. I want to add years to their lives—and life to their years.

I love what I do, and I’m excited for everything still to come.

why i opened a gym.