Derek

After playing football for 10 + years Derek spent six years coaching high school football and also track and field. Long after the competitive sports ended Derek continued to be found in the gym. Directed by a friend seven years ago Derek dropped in at a CrossFit gym and immediately loved the community aspect and intense training environment. He has a passion for coaching individuals to become better athletes and stronger people.

Kelsey

Kelsey is a Registered Dietitian currently working on her PhD in Nutrition. She loves to see how nutrition can have an impact on performance as well as overall health. Kelsey fell in love with CrossFit and Olympic lifting quickly and she has been coaching at CrossFit Construct since 2011. Her favorite thing about coaching is seeing athletes exceed their expectations and continue to grow both physically and mentally. When Kelsey isn't at school or at the gym she is enjoying her time at home with her twins, Charlie and Jameson, her husband Mike and her fur-babies Melfi and Penny. 

Jenn

About six years ago, while flipping through boring television stations on the couch, probably with a bag of chips, Jenn stopped on ESPN2 to find the CrossFit Games. She had been spending her days half showing up to her work building's women-only gym, taking aerobic classes and spending hours a week on the treadmill with no goal or results. She'd never seen anything like this - handstand push ups, heavy barbells, double unders - and was immediately intrigued. After walking by a gym and realizing people could actually do these things in real life, she signed up for an elements class and the rest is history. Having never participated in competitive sports, Jenn considers herself the coach for the "every day CrossFitter," drawing from the experiences and advice that clicked with her as a beginning athlete. Jenn is CrossFit Level 1 certified and coaches the gym's Strongman classes where she has really found her passion for coaching - watching people's faces light up the first time they flip a tire, reach the top of the rope or get their first "stone rash." Outside of the gym, Jenn lives in the beautiful Pilsen neighborhood with her pup, Ash, and works for a construction management company.

Phil

After spending years as a gym rat, I was introduced to CrossFit by a coworker in 2009. I was instantly hooked by the intensity of the workouts and constantly pushing my body and mind farther than I ever thought possible. In my quest to learn as much as possible I went through the CrossFit Level 1 course in 2010, following that up with a USAW Weightlifting Coach’s certification not long after. In the years since, I have completed OPEX (formerly OPT) Assessment and Program Design Certifications, Darby Training System’s OLYWOD course, and CrossFit Level 2 certification as well as workshops and seminars with Carl Paoli, Coach Christopher Sommer’s Gymnastics Bodies, and Ma Weightlifting.

I coached at CrossFit 847, as well as Cheetah CrossFit before coming to Chicago Strength. I love helping athletes discover and improve upon new skills or help refine movement patterns while continually discovering new limits.  After spending many years training for and competing in CrossFit, Weightlifting meets and other fitness competitions, I finally turned my full attention to the sport of Weightlifting in 2013.

When I’m not training or thinking about training I enjoy drawing, listening to music (particularly metal and punk), and hanging with my lovely wife and dog as well as working as a firefighter with the Evanston Fire Department.

Jordan

Jordan grew up in the hills of West Virginia playing many sports, most notably softball and basketball. She went off to college and realized that when she graduated from WVU in 2008 that she had lost sight of her “active lifestyle,” and decided to take action. Diving head first into the bodybuilding world, Jordan spent countless hours at the gym repping out dumbbell curls and leg press.

In 2012, when a new CrossFit gym opened down the street from her house, Jordan decided she wanted to try something different. So with two gym buddies in tow, off she went. That was it. Commercial gyms were a distant memory and she dove head-first into the CrossFit world, becoming certified to coach in 2013, noticing that there was something really special about a community of people who came together to support one another during a tough workout. While competing in CrossFit competitions throughout the DC/Northern Virginia area, Jordan discovered that she could get the best of both worlds through Olympic Weightlifting and this is where she has spent the bulk of her time over the course of the past several years. Through all of her experience in the industry, she has realized that coaching and helping others reach their goals is a true passion.

When she’s not at the gym (which is rarely), you can find her spending time with her Pitbull pup, Milo or reading a book.

Luis

Certifications:
Crossfit Level 1
CPR/AED

A native of Chicago, Luis has been an athlete the majority of his life. He followed in the family tradition as a baseball player in hopes of playing ball in the big leagues which felt short due to a rotator injury in 2001.   After the injury, he kept playing ball in the semi pro leagues but eventually lost that fire and completely stopped the sport in 2005. After a few years off from any athletic activities Luis lost control of his weight which reached over 180lbs on the scale.   At that moment, he decided that he needed to turn his life around and joined a neighborhood gym which he trained at off and on for a number of years until he spotted the CrossFit games in 2011 on ESPN. A few months later, he joined a CrossFit gym and was hooked ever since.

Luis has participated in numerous Crossfit competitions but has found his true passion competing as a weightlifter nationally and internationally in the Masters Division.

Jim

MSc – Human Performance
Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (NSCA)
Poliquin PICP Level 1 Certified
USAW Level 1 Certified

Jim grew up in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He participated in a variety of sports growing up, but found his true passion was the strength training and conditioning needed to enhance sports
performance. He has over 10 years of experience working with general population clients,
weightlifters and athletes, from amateur all the way up to the collegiate level. He also worked as a Lecturer at University of Wisconsin – La Crosse for five years, teaching the fundamentals of strength & conditioning. Jim has been CSCS certified for over 10 years, as well as completing the Poliquin Group Level One coach course. He also holds his USA Weightlifting Level One certification, and has worked with a number of Olympic weightlifters over the years.