No matter who you ask, every coach has an origin story including Legion of Power CrossFit Coach Grace. It exceeds a gym needing a coach but has a great deal to do with having a role model that changed her life. Grace has never been an athlete. As a matter of fact, she has a BA in psychology and worked for a refugee facility. She is a mom and a wife and has a wonderful group of ladies who resemble their given nickname. Since starting CrossFit in 2016, Grace has leaned on LPC gym owner Aaron Rogers for form support and guidance. Rogers is known for his arduous workouts and pushing people past what they think is even possible. Grace wanted that for herself. She wanted to be able to help others and teach good technique just like Rogers. So when the opportunity arose, she took her Level One CrossFit Certification and became LPC’s coach over a year ago.
Because CrossFit is for everyone, LPC is a firm believer in being inclusive. All posts are in English and Spanish. The 6:30 pm crowd is bilingual and growing. Coach Grace also speaks Spanish and is not only in charge of the gym’s social media but loves coaching in Spanish since it allows her to include a diverse and incredible group of people. Individuals feel seen, heard and supported no matter the fitness goals.
This crosses linguistic lines and includes those that struggle within a workout. Monday’s workout was a tough one especially with added chest to bar and pull-ups. I can barely do 3 pull-ups strung together let alone able to bring my chest to a bar. True to her word, Coach Grace already had a plan. She lowered the bar to just above height level so I can practice kipping while doing a modified pull-up. The chest to bar modification was genius as the bar was about a foot off the ground. I laid down, grabbed the bar and pulled my chest up to the bar with my knees bent cutting my weight by 75%. Later, Grace encouraged me to come back on open gym day so I can practice kipping pull-ups.
This isn’t the first time Coach Grace has encouraged me to come in to work on skills and it won’t be her last since this is the very essence of why she coaches. “I love coaching CrossFit because it’s a journey of empowerment, seeing individuals push beyond limits they never knew existed”, says Grace.
Psalm 84:7a They go from strength to strength,
The desire to see others become better makes her a fantastic coach. She wants to witness progress, celebrate milestones and be a part of someone’s growth journey which fosters a supportive community that mimics the community she entered seven years ago. It is the community of athletes, amateurs and everyone in between cheering each other on.
Proverbs 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.
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