Head Coach and owner Christie neighbors: CrossFit Level 1, CrossFit Level 2, Burgener Strength Level 1, CrossFit Kids, gymnastics certified

CrossFit has changed Coach Christie’s life in such a positive way. Prior to CrossFit, Coach Christie was a teacher for 7 years and she worked at a gym as a group fitness instructor for 5. She has always had a passion for teaching and fitness; now she gets to combine the two.

Coach Christie has been a CrossFitter since 2011 and a CrossFit coach since 2013. During that time, she has competed as a scaled and RX athlete in many competitions ranging from the three day Christmas Classic in the Quad Cities, to the Cold Steel Classic in Oswego, to the Steelmen Throwdown in Joliet. Growing up a dancer, a cheerleader, and a teacher, her focus is on community, team, and support for all members. She looks forward to helping each and every member make gains and reach both their short term and long term fitness goals. Show up + Put in Work = Gains

Favorite CrossFit quote:
CrossFit – The only sport where the loudest cheers are for the last to finish.

Coach and owner Jason neighbors: CrossFit Level 1, crossfit level 2, Burgener Strength Level 1, OLY Coach, Strongman certified

Coach Jason has been a competitive athlete for most of his adult life! In high school, he competed in track and football. After high school he got into rodeo and spent a year as a bull rider. Then he got into endurance races. Coach Jason has run several marathons, half marathons, spartan races, and other mud runs. He has played seven years of sand volleyball and has also spent three seasons playing men's Division 3 rugby. It has been almost five years since he started his CrossFit journey, and he is sorry he didn't find it sooner!

We will all struggle. Coach Jason sustained injuries to both his shoulders playing rugby. When he first started CrossFit, he could barely squat with the PVC pipe over his head. With the help of the coaches, he grew stronger and stronger every day. We all have to start somewhere. The hardest part is starting. Come on in, and we can get you where you want to be.

Coach sheri: CrossFit Level 1, Master Precision Nutrition coach Level 1 and 2, Burgener Strength Level 1, EnduraFit Coach

Coach Sheri has been active with working out and competing her whole adult life; joining a gym at 19 and enjoying all varieties of workouts. As time went on she took her love of running to a competitive level doing both short and long endurance racing. Always up for more challenges is how she ended up at CrossFit Mokena in 2013. Here is where she found her "center" and immediately loved the discipline of the workouts and the push to excel on all levels. 2019 was a special year for her as she followed her passions and became a CrossFit Level 1 Trainer and a Precision Nutrition Level 1 Coach. She is excited to have the opportunity to teach her fellow fitness enthusiasts effective ways to improve health, maximize performance, and manage weight.

Coach Jaclyn Gilbert (Coach Jackie): CrossFit Level 1, Crossfit Level 2, WITS Certified Level 1 Personal Trainer

Coach Jackie has been involved in fitness in some way for most of her life. She started T-ball at the age of 4 and basically never looked back. After being heavily into strength sports like powerlifting for years, she was introduced to CrossFit in 2011. CrossFit seemed like a perfect balance of the strength that she already knew and the cardio that she knew she needed. Even though her full time job(s) are in real estate and being a mother to her two children, her other true passion lies in the gym.

Coach Yadi Cerda: CrossFit Level 1

Coach Yadi began her fitness endeavors when she was a child, from running track, to playing softball, floor hockey, and gymnastics, these kept her busy. She is a mother of 2 girls, one actively serving in the US Navy. After a long hiatus in her fitness and looking to better her lifestyle she was introduced to CrossFit in 2017 and automatically fell in love with all the weightlifting. She is always looking to improve form and help others perfect their technique. The CrossFit community and friendships made since the start of her journey in CrossFit has made her continue to participate and grow her desire to become better in her fitness. This passion will only help her in her coaching journey.

Coach Nick mustard (coach mustard): CrossFit Level 1

Coach Mustard has been active most his life, from baseball to pole vaulting to diving and even trying out wrestling a bit in high school. He fell off after high school, getting lazy and putting on some weight. He found CrossFit at the start of the Covid shutdown when he saw they were coached classes which immediately made it a better option over commercial gyms. The atmosphere and camaraderie helped fuel a new love for fitness and after the first year he even picked up OCR races and have since completed a Spartan trifecta consisting of a 5k, 10k, and 21k race in the same calendar year. After learning everything he knows now essentially from square 1, he has turned to trying to help others reach their fitness and health goals.

Coach Ronnie dubose: CrossFit Level 1

What started as a 10 year old girl who loved running, has turned into a mother of three who understands the crucial importance of owning your health. Although CrossFit is only one aspect of Coach Ronnie's life, she finds the benefits in nearly every other area. Success through CrossFit has trained both her body and her mind to know that if we keep going what seems impossible in the beginning will become a manifested destiny in the end. As a school Principal (Hickory Bend Elementary), church Choir Director (Faith UPC), and mother of three teenagers, Coach Ronnie depends on CrossFit to keep her mentally and physically balanced. She is on a mission to bring as many people as she can to finding their healthiest life through CrossFit.

Coach Nicholas Kleinschmit (Coach Nick): CrossFit Level 1

Coach Nick started getting serious about fitness and changing his life around 2018. He was over 350 pounds, had recently proposed to his girlfriend (now wife), and knew it was time to make some serious changes.

He found CrossFit during the pandemic when all the other traditional gyms had closed. It was love at first power clean. Now, after losing 100+ pounds and developing a new passion, he is looking forward to helping others better themselves!

Coach Emily Claibourne: CrossFit Level 1, Precision Nutrition Level 1, NASM Certified Personal Trainer

For Coach Emily, fitness is more than just a hobby, it's a career. In 2019 Coach Emily decided to change careers and go into fitness after many years in corporate. Always active and in sports most of their young adult life, fitness felt like a natural transition, becoming a NASM Certified Personal Trainer, then a CrossFit Level 1 coach, and a Precision Nutrition Level 1 coach. Coach Emily absolutely loves helping people feel good about themselves. The moment someone is surprised by their own strength is incomparable and Coach Emily lives to empower others.

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Final thought from the owners:

We are a very active couple. We have run half and full marathons together, ran and biked our way through Muddy Buddies, climbed over obstacles in Warrior Dashes, and destroyed our bodies at Spartan Races. We compete together on teams at competitions and support one another through all endeavors. We are ALWAYS looking for more people to participate in these fun events! The more the merrier!