Welcome New CFA Staff

Hello wonderful folks of CrossFit Austin!  We wanted to take this opportunity to introduce everyone to the new members of our CFA team.  You will be seeing their faces around, and we wanted to make sure you knew their faces and a little information about each one!

Our newest addition to the CFA family is the bubbly and always positive, Caitlyn Carnes.  She will be the bright smiling face that will greet you when you walk into the gym starting next week.  Caitlyn is our new Administrative Assistant.  She has a Bachelors degree in Psychology from Southwestern University in Georgetown and is currently pursuing a Masters in Counseling at St. Edward’s University.  She loves being active and outdoors (when possible) and is excited to be a part of the CrossFit community.  Caitlyn is always willing to encourage others to strive for their best and have fun along the way!  We are very excited to have her on the team!

Here is a message from Caitlyn:
I have never been the fastest, the strongest, or the most flexible.  For this reason, I have been through a series of failed workout routines and serious loss of motivation.  When I found out about CrossFit, I was initially intimidated, because I lacked the self-esteem and motivation to consider myself capable of a WOD.  Once I finally took that leap and started taking classes, I realized that I had it all wrong.  CrossFit is about  being your personal best and pushing those limits – with a supportive and inspirational community by your side.  As a “people person,” I think that is what I love most.  CrossFit is a real community invested in  positive growth and change, and I am so honored to be a part of it!

Most of you have seen the Lovely Leigh LeGare in the gym either deadlifting a house or clean and jerking a medium size sedan, but we want you all to take another look at our newest coach to join the CFA team!  Leigh has an impressive background in sports and began building a reputation for herself as a high school athlete playing basketball for the number one team in the nation (Copperas Cove High School, Copperas Cove, TX).   She furthered her success in basketball as one of the leading rebounders in her conference and lettered all four years at Grove City College in Grove City, PA. Leigh’s career as an athlete didn’t stop after college.   She tried out and made the D.C. Diva’s women’s professional football team.  During this time, Leigh worked part time as a personal trainer while teaching at an inner city high school in Washington D.C.  She also coached the J.V. girls’ basketball team to a district championship.   Leigh’s passion for teaching others coupled with her love of fitness and coaching, helped her decide to leave her teaching career and pursue a full-time career within the health and fitness industry.  This transition allowed Leigh to start her career performing exercise based therapy for people with spinal cord injuries helping them accomplish things they never thought imaginable.  Currently, Leigh designs and implements rehab programs for those suffering from soft tissue and musculoskeletal injuries.  Leigh’s creative nature and desire to constantly educate others has helped clients of all ages and ability levels progress to leading healthier, more optimal lifestyles.  Leigh is ACE and CPR certified and holds a CrossFit Level 1 certification.

A Message from Leigh:
As I became more invested in motivating others to lead healthier lifestyles, my personal motivation in this area had become stagnant and my overall health and fitness was deteriorating.  I did one CrossFit workout in March 2010 and immediately fell in love.  Not only did it fuel my competitive nature but it but brought a sense of community that I had been missing since playing college basketball.   As I embraced everything CrossFit had to offer, I wanted to share this passion with others.   CrossFit has given me an inner drive and commitment to a lifetime of fitness and is what propels my desire to see others reach their fullest potential.   Having the opportunity to coach for CrossFit Austin intensifies this desire as I am surrounded by people who exceed their expectations they have for themselves on a daily basis. They don’t just embrace who they are or how far they’ve come, they OWN it!

We have all seen Miguel, Mike, Nugget (the man of a thousand names) hanging around the gym sporting apparel that consist of anything in the neon color family.  However, his talents are not limited to stylish clothing choices and using the maximum number of Starbucks Togo cups in one workout.  In addition to be an incredible athlete, he is also a fantastic coach.  Miguel a is a CrossFit  Level I Certified Trainer.  He has been involved in athletics his entire life. He played basketball through high school and has been weight training for 9 years. He is a graduate of the University of  Texas at Austin, where he obtained a degree in Business Administration.  He now attends the University of Texas Law School.  Miguel has continued to pursue his passion for training clients by  becoming a coach at CrossFit Austin.

A message from Nugget:
I have grown to love the family that I have been blessed with at CrossFit Austin.  Each day we struggle through workouts with one another, push one another, and laugh with one another.  I want the CrossFit Austin community to know that each morning I am excited to share my knowledge of fitness and health so that everyone can have fun and achieve greatness.

If nothing else, come join the Circle of Awesome-ness where everyone looks good, feels good, and plays good.

We also have a fabulous new intern who will be helping us out until December.  Robyn Taliaferro is a senior at Texas State University studying Recreation Administration and Sports Psychology.  She is one of the very few that  was actually born in Austin, and isn’t a transplant.  Robyn’s played high school and club volleyball, has dabbled in CrossFit and also enjoys outdoor sports, such as hiking and  hunting.  She is currently working towards her personal trainer certification and really looks forward to working with CFA this semester.