Team CFIH

General Manager & Coach

Sports have always been a huge part of my life, and while I love competing, athletics has always been my center for community and friendship. While in college at the Air Force Academy, I competed on the D1 triathlon team and I loved both the sport itself and the people who pushed me to show up, work hard, and better myself daily. When a biking accident in 2018 led to my hip and femur being shattered, I was told both my military career and days of competing were over. Despite the toll this took on me physically and mentally, my community was what pulled me through. I couldn’t have done it without them. Almost two years ago, I heard about CF for the first time and was intrigued by the diversity of skills required for this sport; however, what really intrigued me was the community. My first workout humbled me (to say the least), yet people came around high-fiving me, and encouraging me anyway. I also loved how accessible it was for people at every level of fitness. Every single movement could be modified to keep me safe while my hip was still healing, and that never took away from the competitive atmosphere I craved. I loved that no matter someone’s strength, ability, or background, CF could meet them where they are and everyone could get after challenging and fun workouts together. I was immediately hooked. I am grateful today to be part of one of the most uplifting communities out there and encourage others to fight for their potential every day.

CERTIFICATIONS CrossFit Level 2 Integrative Nutrition Health Coach

Group Fitness & Nutrition Coach

I attended my first CrossFit class to be supportive of a friend and never intended to take another class much less become a coach. Since that first class, I have changed. Changed from a person who was motivated by appearance and performance, to being motivated to stay healthy and strong as I age. CF teaches me how to be a better person in all areas of my life. Through patience, hard work, community and continued growth, CF has guided me to becoming the best possible version of myself.

CERTIFICATIONS CrossFit Level 1 Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certified (Pn1)

Coach

Throughout high school, I played a few different sports but I had never touched a barbell. In 2012 my dad brought me into a metal building off West Vickery where I quickly learned the foundational movements of CrossFit. My workout that day consisted of box jumps and push ups and I remember having never felt that exhausted in my life. I was hooked and I’ve been doing CrossFit ever since. The majority of that time has been at Iron Horse.

What has stuck with me most over the years is the wide variety of workouts and movements we perform that are all considered CrossFit. I’ve spent many early Saturday mornings drawing up a ridiculous workout that put my friends and I on our backsides afterward. Programming caught my eye first. Learning how to put together movements to achieve a certain stimulus is not only fascinating but also humbling.

I’ve been interested in coaching for most of my fitness journey. I’ve admired so many of my own coaches over the years and have experienced firsthand what a positive impact a good coach can have. I hope to have that same impact on our members’ lives in and out of the gym.

Being a part of the Iron Horse community has been one of the pillars in my life for over a decade. I have been fortunate to work out with members past and present in all different phases of life. I have walked alongside them as they have nursed injuries and celebrated PRs, and seen CrossFit remain appropriate in every stage of their fitness journeys as well as in my own. I fell in love with the community through doing the Open, watching the CrossFit Games, and attending member events where gym friends became friends for life.

I walked into this gym over a decade ago as a soft-spoken 18 year old with poor mobility who knew nothing about fitness, nutrition, or wellness. Over the years, the gym is where I’ve gained confidence, become more assertive, and learned how to move better and push myself. To say my time spent doing CrossFit has been life changing is an understatement.

CERTIFICATIONS:
CrossFit Level 1

Coach

I do CrossFit to be a positive role model. To show my kids that being fit should be the norm, not the exception; and to show my family that fitness is attainable for anyone. I do CF to be as healthy and active as possible, for as long as possible. I will never tell my kids to slow down because I can’t keep up. I plan to dance with my wife at our great-grandkid’s wedding. I refuse to miss out on an experience because my body is too fragile. I do CrossFit so I am comfortable with the uncomfortable. Choosing short term, fleeting discomfort, for long term, lasting reward is a skill that is practiced every day I show up at the gym. I do CF for myself. I wake up each day excited about the way I feel, the way I look, and always ready to get better.

CERTIFICATIONS CrossFit Level 1 CrossFit Level 2 CrossFit Level 3 CrossFit Gymnastics CrossFit Gymnastics 2 CrossFit Football

Coach

We all need to ask ourselves why? Why am I getting up at 4:30 am to workout? Why am I hitting the gym after a long day of work? Why am I suffering like this? Your WHY will get you in the gym when you don’t feel like going, it will push you to get in one more rep before time expires, it will give you the focus you need to get that new PR. Find your WHY and use it as fuel for your CrossFit journey.

CERTIFICATIONS CrossFit Level 1 CrossFit Rowing CrossFit Olympic Lifting CrossFit Football CrossFit Gymnastics

Nutrition Coach & Virtual Assistant

I grew up very into team sports, mainly basketball and soccer. I retired from semi-professional soccer in college after an illustrious and storied career and $517 in career earnings. I can’t make it too long without physical activity before I go stir-crazy so I quickly found “traditional” exercise as a replacement for sports. While I still enjoy a good bodybuilding session, it can be boring. I don’t remember how/why I first saw CrossFit on YouTube, but I knew that it would provide a better outlet for exercise that would be a little more captivating. I drank the Kool Aid for the first time in 2016… and now I have a problem (haha).

I really just love the tangible results in CrossFit: improving lifts and times in workouts are great measures of progress (and motivation). Seeing my Open percentiles change throughout the years is so cool to see. I started coaching in 2017 to help others find other signs of progress than harping on the scale… that drive led me to own a CrossFit gym as well in Colorado (COVID did a number on us). I’m excited to get to helping others meet metrics they never thought possible.

Coach

I have always led a pretty active lifestyle. Playing sports and dancing in school which led to traveling to teach dance to high-schoolers for a couple summers after I graduated. Once I found out that I was pregnant with my daughter, my fitness went a little stale. I let myself get lazy and just couldn’t find anything that excited me enough to stick with, then came CrossFit. I kept hearing about it and somehow, I talked my coworker (current CFIH member Iris) into joining a “6-week challenge” and never looked back. 7 years later, I finally stepped out on a ledge with the help of a few people to make it known that I wanted more. That I wanted a more in-depth relationship with CFIH and CrossFit as Coach. Thankfully, I didn’t let any of you down! And I do it because I remember everything about how I felt when I started CrossFit. The intimidation, the fear, the “I could never do that”… The list goes on and on. The community that surrounds this sport is the driving factor. I love it not only because it allows me to keep up with my teenage daughter, but also watching others reach beyond those self-inflicted barriers to reach and exceed their goals just hypes me up. Seeing someone hit their first box jump, muscle up, that weight they have been chasing on a back squat… Being a part of that, it’s incredibly special.

Coach

I started CrossFit to improve my aerobic capacity and prepare myself for the health journey ahead. Little did I know that it would transform my life in ways beyond just physical fitness. I quickly realized that no matter where you’re starting from, there’s always a path leading to a more balanced, healthy life.

A quick story: I have no immune system due to a condition called Hyper IgM, and I’ve spent most of my life in and out of hospitals. Yet today, I’ve never felt healthier or stronger! Doctors have noticed the significant changes in my health and often ask what I’m doing differently. While my lungs, liver, and immune system are still compromised, I’m functioning and moving better than I ever have.

CrossFit has given me hope and deepened my appreciation for the resilience of our bodies. It has also enabled me to connect with other patients and friends who once thought a lifestyle change was impossible. I owe much of this progress to the incredible members and coaches at CFIH. Their support and encouragement have inspired me to continue learning and strive to be my best for the community.

Coach

My journey in fitness started a very young age. I grew up a football coach’s daughter, so sports were a staple in my upbringing. I played basketball and ran track throughout high school, and a year of each at the collegiate level. Due to an unfortunate knee injury my athletic career was over, but it was only the beginning as I found myself introduced to the fitness industry.

I received a B.S. in Exercise Science from the University of Wyoming and moved to Chicago. I’ve been a personal trainer for over 20 years, and worked in all kinds of fitness related fields. My love of CrossFit didn’t come until I agreed to attend a class in Chicago to amuse a friend in 2016. My initial thought going in, was this isn’t for me. Boy, was I humbly wrong. I couldn’t get enough of it!

Not only was the workout different to what I was used to, it challenged me in a way I hadn’t been in a long time. I felt like an athlete again. I became a member that day and never looked back. I found CrossFit already fit into how I trained myself and clients and quickly became a coach.

CrossFit has been an integral part of my life since I started this journey. Not only for the physical benefits, but for the emotional and mental value it brought me. Life has so many ups and downs as is, but finding something that brings such a positive perspective, with support all around you is why I love it.

CERTIFICATIONS:
CF-L1, PN1, Pre/Post Natal

Coach

Brandi grew up in Wisconsin where she played multiple sports and graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. A career opportunity took her and her husband, Chris, to Bainbridge Island, WA where they planted their roots and raised their two daughters. She spent many years distance running and went on to complete 8 marathons before finding CrossFit in 2009. She fell in love with the community aspect of CrossFit, the constantly varied nature of workouts, and the exceptional results it produced for so many people. Family is the most important thing to her, and she was fortunate to involve her own kids as she opened a CrossFit affiliate and developed a thriving CrossFit Kids program in her local community. She recently moved to Texas and has 15 years of experience coaching clients of all ages and abilities, has been an affiliate owner for 12 years and spent 7 years teaching CrossFit Kids seminars all over the world. She is most passionate about working with teens, empowering women to get stronger & healthier as they age, and helping guide anyone who is committed to making a positive change in their overall health. (Go Badgers…and Horned Frogs)!

Credentials:
CrossFit Certified Level 3 Trainer (CF-L3)
CrossFit HQ Seminar Staff Trainer – CrossFit Kids (2013-2023)
Kitsap CrossFit (co-owner) 2013-2015
Bainbridge Island CrossFit (co-owner/CEO) 2016-present
Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certified
Power Athlete HQ: Sport Specific Application
Aerobic Capacity CrossFit Endurance
CrossFit Mobility
CrossFit Weightlifting
CrossFit Defense
CrossFit Gymnastics
CrossFit Adaptive Training
Crossroads Adaptive Athlete Alliance
2012 CrossFit Northwest Team Regionals competitor
AED/CPR certified

Owner/CEO

To make a long story short, I discovered CrossFit back in 2008 amidst a 5-year battle with an eating disorder that had taken over much of my life. I immediately fell in love with the methodology, the community, and the way the workouts made me FEEL.

Then one day not long after, I realized I was no longer obsessing over food like I had been. My focus shifted from disorder driven behaviors to supporting this new lifestyle I was excited by!

During the first 10 years of my journey, I spent most of my time training to be the best athlete that I could be. I chased that dream and I lived that dream, but somewhere around the 8-year mark that fire inside began to burn out.

Around this same time, the business was also headed down the path to failure. We had holes in the walls, concrete floors, a very different culture, and big challenges. I remember a member at that time say to me, “It doesn’t feel like a community here,” and that dug at me. I went home and changed our mission statement to read, “We are a community first,” but I didn’t know what that meant yet.

With time and a lot of hard work, we began to turn things around. At the end of 2019, just days before becoming the sole owner and rebranding, I entered the darkest period of my life. I stopped taking care of myself and the CFIH community took notice right away. I was met with a tremendous amount of love, support, and that’s when it hit me – that’s what community first is!

In that moment I realized it doesn’t matter how disciplined or fit you are, or how fit you become. We all go through hardship in life and when times get tough you need a community that will be there to support you and help you get back up on your feet…

And that’s exactly what this community did for me.

Since that realization, CFIH has grown into the powerful community that it is today.

As a team, we pride ourselves on our warm and welcoming culture, professionalism, member experience, and our hunger to learn more how to help people.

At CFIH, we are a community first. Our mission is to help our members live happier, healthier lives! – to help you build confidence, look and feel better, all while discovering what you’re truly capable of.

Thank you for putting your trust in us as your coaches and for allowing us the opportunity to do what we love on a daily basis. We cannot thank you enough!

CERTIFICATIONS
Robbins Madanes Trained Coach
CCFT-L3 CrossFit
Former HQ Level 1 Seminar Staff
CrossFit Running & Endurance
CrossFit Olympic Weightlifting
CrossFit Lesson Planning
CrossFit Self-Defense
CrossFit Powerlifting
CrossFit Gymnastics
CrossFit Strongman
CrossFit Competitor
CrossFit Barbell
CrossFit Kids

Head Coach

With over a decade of experience in both coaching and competing, I’ve been immersed in the world of CrossFit since 2013. What began as a personal journey to get healthy turned into a lifelong passion. When I found CrossFit, I was in a dark place-struggling with self-image and suicidal thoughts. The structure, community, and challenge of CrossFit became a turning point in my life. I went all-in, training twice a day, and quickly realized: this is what I’m meant to do.

In 2014, I began my path as a coach. Since then, I’ve coached athletes of all levels and spent five years leading Verdant CrossFit in Boise, Idaho as Head Coach and Manager. I’ve also competed at Regionals and Semifinals five times-an experience that fuels my love for the sport and drives me to be better every day.

As a coach, my passion is helping people discover their strength-not just physically, but mentally. I want every athlete to know they have power, agency, and control over their lives. I believe in building confidence through movement and resilience through consistency. You’re not a victim. You are capable. You are strong.
CrossFit saved my life. Now, I’m here to help others change theirs.

CERTIFICATIONS
CCFT CF-L3
CrossFit Gymnastics
CrossFit Kids
CrossFit Kettlebell
CrossFit Anatomy
CrossFit Spot the Flaw
CrossFit Do it Right, Do it Well
CrossFit Advanced Judges Course
Pregnancy & Postpartum Athleticism Coach