Certifications
January 2012.
When did you start coaching CrossFit?
November 2012.
What’s your background of experience with sports and exercise?
My mom threw me into gymnastics class when I was very young so I would stop flipping on her furniture and climbing the walls. I immediately fell in love with the sport and I attribute my love for CrossFit to gymnastics as well. Being able to go upside down, swing on the rings, and climb rope to stay fit is a dream!
Why do you love coaching?
My job is to get our members healthy, fit, strong, confident, and provide them with the best hour of their day. There is no better job. I get to help people change their lives.
Why do you love coaching at The Port?
This community is made up of the hardest working, most supportive, and friendliest people in the world. I’m the luckiest person to be able to be their coach. Watching them succeed and achieve their goals means the world to me.
Fun Fact about you!
I was born in Switzerland.
Favorite CrossFit movement
Handstand Walking
Certifications
CrossFit Level 3
CrossFit Endurance
500 Hour Yoga Training
FRCms – Functional Anatomy Seminar
Kinstretch Instructor
Pilates Training
CPR and First Aid Certified
When did you start CrossFit?
I started CrossFit in the summer of 2010.
When did you start coaching CrossFit?
I started coaching CrossFit in 2011.
What’s your background of experience with sports and exercise?
I had been a long distance runner and gym rat for many years prior to discovering CrossFit.
Why do you love coaching?
I love coaching and helping others achieve their goals, no matter how big or small.
Why do you love coaching at The Port?
The community at the Port is like no other…supportive, hard working, and eager to learn.
Fun Fact about you!
I grew up in Iowa and joined the USAF when I was 17 years old. My parents had to give the ok, since I wasn’t 18 yet!
Favorite CrossFit Movement
Pistols
Certifications
CrossFit Level 1
CrossFit Level 2
Precision Nutrition Certification
CPR and First Aid Certified
When did you start CrossFit?
December 2014.
When did you start coaching CrossFit?
July 2016.
What’s your background of experience with sports and exercise?
I competed in gymnastics regionally up until Junior High. I transitioned to Hockey up through my senior year of High School. I served in the US Army where I had to exercise for my job. It wasn’t something I did for fun. I started working out for fun once I had 3 kids under 6 years old and needed an outlet. I started with home workouts for a year before I needed more. I was so lucky to find The Port. It has been my second family for so many years now.
Why do you love coaching?
I love to take a workout and figure out how to make it appropriate for all members in the class.
Why do you love coaching at The Port?
I love the community. The members at The Port are generous and supportive people. I can’t wait to talk with all the members and get an update on their lives.
Fun Fact about you!
I can play Stairway to heaven on the guitar.
Favorite CF Movement
Snatch
Certifications
CrossFit Level 2
USAW Level 2
CPR and First Aid Certified
When did you start CrossFit?
November 2018
When did you start coaching CrossFit?
May 2022
What’s your background of experience with sports and exercise?
Brief story:
From 6 to 12 yrs old, I was playing on a soccer team.
From 13-15 yrs old, I was boxing.
From 16-20 yrs old, I was doing a couple of things at the same time, mainly rugby and MMA.
Rugby was one of the most successful sports for me, I had a chance to participate in the international competition, played national cup and win a few medals there in the under 18 age group, and also played in the Ukrainian rugby league until I moved when I was 18.
Why do you love coaching?
The number one thing I always wanted to do is to help others, CrossFit coaching is a great opportunity to make people healthier and happier.
Why do you love coaching at The Port?
That was my first CrossFit gym but I got so lucky to find this gem on the first try. Also, love the community we have, I think it’s special.
Fun Fact about you!
Really like to play pickleball!
Favorite CF Movement
Pull-Ups
Certifications
CrossFit Level 1 Trainer Certification
Bachelor’s Degree in Sports Management
Master’s Degree in Organizational Development & Leadership
Master’s Degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology
When did you start CrossFit?
I started CrossFit in June of 2014
When did you start coaching CrossFit?
I received my L1 in September 2019 and have been coaching since September 2020.
What’s your background of experience with sports and exercise?
I played a lot of sports recreationally and love softball/baseball and volleyball. I like watching most sports and have recently been enamored by golf!
Why do you love coaching?
I love coaching because being a part of someone’s fitness journey and helping them learn, grow and change is a truly incredible experience. CrossFit changed my life in so many ways, and I love sharing that passion with others.
Why do you love coaching at The Port?
I love coaching at The Port because I get to coach a wonderful group of people, from a variety of backgrounds, and along side a first class coaching staff. I am encouraged to learn and grow as a coach and athlete, and be the best I can be for our members. The Port is a very special place and the first place I felt I belonged.
Fun Fact about you!
I have two dogs named Jacoby and Bella!
Favorite CF Movement
My favorite CrossFit movement is a tie between a heavy barbell movement or double unders!
Certifications
CrossFit Level 1
When did you start CrossFit?
Fall 2015
When did you start coaching CrossFit?
Fall 2022
What’s your background of experience with sports and exercise?
Growing up, I wasn’t athletic at all. I tried so many things… team sports, dance classes, kickboxing, yoga, etc., but never found anything I enjoyed. I would force myself to go to a commercial gym. I would spend a painful 45 mins on the elliptical watching tv and then just stare at the weights and machines totally clueless on what to do. My life changed once I walked into my first CF gym. The workouts were fun and challenging, and best of all I finally felt like I was working out with a purpose. CF was very challenging for me at first, I couldn’t jump rope, do more than a few sit-ups, no pull-ups at all…not even close. I couldn’t run a 200m without taking a break. The first few months were so hard and I wanted to quit at times for sure, but that feeling pushed me to keep going because I started to see improvements almost instantly, and not only in my workouts. My sleep was better, the back pain I had experienced from sitting at a desk all day started to go away and I was getting stronger which made daily tasks so much easier. CF changed my life in so many positive ways.
Why do you love coaching?
I love coaching because I hope that I can help others achieve the benefits I did when I started CF. I had a few great coaches when I started that really helped develop the love I have for the sport. I also think coaching is a huge responsibility and a good coach can be the difference between someone loving CF or deciding it’s not the sport for them. I hope I can guide others to love the sport as much as I do in a safe and fun way! Also, I love being able to share everything I have learned through my own trial and error with the sport through the years with others and hope that some of my experiences can help them achieve their goals.
Why do you love coaching at The Port?
I have been to many CF gyms in the past few years and I have never found one like the Port. The community at the Port is one of a kind. From the moment I joined, I immediately felt like I had been going for years. Everyone was so welcoming! Also, the coaching at the Port is the best I’ve ever experienced. Since being at the Port, I have made so much progress, including getting my first RMU, PRs on all my lifts, linking a few DUs together (from the girl that couldn’t even jump rope), running 7 miles without a single walk break. When I joined I thought I wouldn’t improve much since I’d been doing CF for so awhile already, but I quickly realized that with the right coaching and supportive community so much more is possible. I wanted to join the amazing coaching staff so I could help others achieve what I did since I’ve been at the Port.
Fun Fact about you!
I speak Russian, have 78 indoor plants in my house, and I love my two rescues chihuahua mix pups more than anything.
Favorite CrossFit Movement?
Pull-ups, C2B and strict specifically and heavy front squats.
In 2010, a very unwilling fourteen-year-old Kay Wiese was dragged into MidCoast CrossFit in Old Saybrook, Ct. by her mom. More than a decade later, to say that CrossFit has fundamentally shaped who she is as a person would be an understatement.
Over the past 13 years, Kay has worked in nearly every capacity in the CrossFit industry. From media production to event management, and journalism, but what she loves to do most is coach. In 2014, Kay received her L1 certification and since then has coached at a number of gyms over the years, including most recently Invictus Boston, where she spent nearly seven years training, coaching, and serving as the Invictus media director. She loves working with members of all levels to help push them to their fitness goals. There is nothing quite like watching someone nail a double-under for the first time or finally find themselves on top of the rings.
Her favorite movement to coach is, of course, handstands, which you will also find her frequently doing any time she has a spare minute and about 10’ of empty space. She currently lives in Hampton, New Hampshire, with her boyfriend and her dog Judy, where she works in data science while finishing her master’s degree in data science. While she has retired from competitive CrossFit, she remains a proud former member of the Invictus Boston B team and continues to find her passion for fitness in long-distance endurance racing (specifically in biking, running, and triathlons). She also remains a staff writer for the Morning Chalk Up. This summer, Kay joined the Port CrossFit community and has loved every minute of it! She is so excited to be able to work with the members and get even more involved with the community.
When did you start Crossfit?
May 2013
When did you begin coaching Crossfit
January 2024
What is your background of experience with sports and exercise?
I grew up as a kid that was not into traditional sports, and considered myself quite uncoordinated. In High school, i began playing lacrosse and played for a few years in college. I began Crossfit in college purely in an attempt at becoming more athletic and becoming less lanky, and I haven’t stopped since.
Why do you enjoy coaching?
I love sharing my knowledge in Crossfit and strength and conditioning with like-minded individuals in order to help them through their fitness journey as they strive to be the best version of themselves.
Why do you love coaching at the Port?
The atmosphere and the energy every day at The Port is unmatched. It is a diverse group of individuals with different goals, backgrounds and experiences which makes each class unique and approachable for anyone who wants to join the community.
Fun Facts about myself
I enjoy snowboarding and mountain biking.
Favorite movement
Hang Cleans and Echo Bike
