Hometown: New Bern, North Carolina

Athletic History: I never played team sports and was dis-inclined to do anything physically for most of my childhood. My parents encouraged me to start going to to the gym with them in high school, so in 9th grade I began a basic powerlifting program with my mom and dad. As is my norm, I got bored before too long, and transitioned to Olympic Weightlifting for about 4-5 years. I was decent at it, but never good enough to be very competitive. Eventually, after taking a few classes at gyms I was teaching the O-lifts at, I realized Crossfit was probably the most useful modality to be competent at the snatch and clean and jerk while also being able to walk, bike, hike, run, and play sports without getting exhausted or getting hurt.

Coaching Background: I started teaching folks the Olympic Lifts in 2013 and have been a personal training for most of my adult life. I made the transition to start coaching CrossFit in the last couple years. My aim as a coach is to be inclusive and heuristic, understanding my knowledge and expertise can only meet each individual where they're at.

Favorite Athletic Activities: A long bike or run to explore Seattle, a casual hike, or a pickup game of football/soccer are my jams.

Favorite Non-Fitness Activities: Weekend thrifting, searching for the perfect quad shot espresso, or making music in my room.

What I Wish I Knew When I Started CrossFit: The terminology that you don't understand, the movement that doesn't feel quite right, or the skill that you can't quite nail? Not only are people not judging you for any of these, they would actually be elated to help you with them.