Meet the CrossFit Coaches

ABOUT US

At EVF Performance CrossFit, our coaches go above and beyond the call of duty. They’re highly skilled and highly educated professionals devoted to providing expert training. With years of experience under the belts, you get the best from the best. For them, coaching isn’t a job — it’s a way of life.
  • Colin Gray

    General Manager

    Colin, EVF’s General Manager, has been with EVF since 2014. And when you meet him, you can tell that  he has a genuine lust for life. “I feel that it’s prudent and necessary to be passionate about anything you involve yourself in. For me, that would be helping people, lifting weights, writing music, reading, and eating!” Colin went to school to become a physical therapist but quickly realized he needed a change of pace.

    “I prefer working with people before they get injured. That way you can teach them proper habits to avoid needing a physical therapist in the first place.”

    For this reason, Colin works with a lot of our younger students (kids ages 8-17), as well as some of our more competitive athletes.

    Favorite Quote: “Don’t let that weight be heavy.” 

    This applies not only in the gym, but also with any mental or emotional weight we choose to carry with us on a daily basis. If it’s not heavy, you can lift it.

    Certifications:

    • CrossFit Level 1
    • NASM CPT
  • Matt Chassot

    Head Coach

    Meet Coach Matt Chassot! Matt Has been doing CrossFit since 2015 and before that he played Basketball for 14 years, then Rugby and even ran a couple marathons! He’s passionate about progress both in finding new ways to improve himself or to get his athletes to move more efficiently. “That is why I love CrossFit and fitness so much: There is always something to improve on!”

    He’s excited to join us and remarks that EVF is a community that welcomes everyone, of all backgrounds, experience and abilities.

    Despite what some might think: He’s not from Germany and no, he is not Prince Harry!

    Favorite Quote: “People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – That’s why we recommend it daily.”

    Certifications:

    • Certified CrossFit Level 3 Trainer
    • USA Weightlifting Level 1
    • CrossFit Strongman
    • Power Athlete Level 1
  • Chris Catan

    Chris was a competitive baseball player growing up and through college. He attended a DII school, Franklin Peirce University in New Hampshire. His interest in CrossFit started around 2013. The following year, he made it official and joined his first CrossFit gym.
    From there, he did not look back. From competition to coaching CrossFit, weighlifting, and rowing, he added a few notable milestone to his curriculum: Won the 89 kg class of weightlifting at the 2019 Battle of the Crows open, placed 97th in the work and 7th in the region in the CrossFit Team Series 2018 are just two of his great recent performances.
    Aside from being Vegan since 2014, Chris is also an avid fan of craft beers. Be sure to ask him for recommendations at the next EVF social night.
    Favorite Quote:Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

    CERTIFICATIONS:

    • CrossFit Level 2 Trainer
    • Active Life Seminar
  • Matt Bronson

    While attending high school, Matt successfully juggled ice hockey, skiing and tennis. “I continued to follow the yellow brick road, which led me to my life’s work. Following a 17-plus-year career on Wall Street, I got the opportunity of a lifetime: One that led me to use my skills to help others improve their lives.”

    As a coach, Matt wants his athletes to give their best THAT day, moving well and pushing beyond mental and physical limitations.

    Certifications:

    • CrossFit Kids
    • CrossFit Level 2
  • Wayne Glass

    Meet Wayne, another CrossFit OG, and another amazing coach in the team! Wayne started CrossFit in 2014, but his passion for fitness and health goes way back. Prior to CrossFit, Wayne was a long-distance runner and ran Cross Country and Track. He earned a Masters of Education in Higher Education, and is pursuing finishing second graduate degree in Mental Health Counseling. If you are looking for any help or support along your fitness journey, you have found another fantastic coach! Here are a few other things Coach Wayne wanted to share:

    What do you enjoy about working at EVF? – Having an opportunity to work with an array of athletes and athletic abilities.

    What’s your favorite quote? – ‘For me, forgiveness and compassion are always linked: how do we hold people accountable for wrongdoing and yet at the same time remain in touch with their humanity enough to believe in their capacity to be transformed?’Bell Hooks

    What are you passionate about? – Holistic wellness (i.e., mind, body, spirit), coffee as a necessity and a hobby, helping others through emotional, cognitive, and physical fears, trials, and tribulations, and aiding in the development of integrating fitness as a key component of life-long wellness

    Certifications:

    • CrossFit Level 2
    • Adaptive Training Certification
  • Nim Dhillon

    It wasn’t until Nim had been doing CrossFit for about 5 years that the bug really bit her, and she realized she wanted to be more involved in the sport and its community. It was during the pandemic that she also decided she needed a change of pace and wanted a more active lifestyle, and job. She developed an interest in coaching, and subsequently earned her L1 Certification in November 2021. Since then, she has continued to hone her craft, and is constantly working to develop both her coaching skills and her own abilities in the gym. Nim started at EVF in June 2022, and loves being able to help people improve their technique, learn new skills, and discover that they can do so much more than they originally thought.

     

    Certifications:

    • CrossFit L-1
    • CrossFit "Spot the Flaw" Certificate
  • Hector Lopez

    Hector has been coaching at EVF since 2021, and if you have been around the gym for a short while and worked out with him, you know that you don’t want to mess around with him when it comes to lifting weight! He grew up playing Baseball and practicing boxing, yet, despite all of this, is one of the sweetest person at the gym.

    Hector lives nearby, so if you see him in the street walking his dogs, be sure to say hi!

    What do you enjoy about working at EVF? – The people! EVF gave me a community when I moved to the Upper East Side. Now it has become like a second home where I know I’ll always see a friend when I come workout.

    What’s your favorite quote? – ‘Today I will do what others won’t, so tomorrow I can do what others can’t’ – Jerry Rice

    What are you passionate about? – Weightlifting, both for strength and for longevity. I love to see people get strong and move weights they never thought they would.

    Certifications:

    • CrossFit Level 1
  • Christina Crowell

    Christina holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communications from Penn State University. She was a gymnast from a very young age, however after a career-ending knee injury, she decided to shift gears to springboard diving. Christina was then recruited to dive D1 at Penn State, where she held the women’s 1-meter record from 2019-2023. Christina was also named captain of the women’s team her senior season (2019-2020).  In all, Christina has been an athlete for her entire life: she was a competitive gymnast for 11 years, a competitive diver for 8 years, and has been doing CrossFit since 2021. She finds joy in spending quality time with friends and family, traveling, crafting, painting, reading, and true crime podcasts. She has an intense passion for health and fitness, and truly enjoys sharing that with others.
    Christina loves the EVF community, watching so many people come together from all walks of life to achieve a common goal of getting fit. She finds it incredibly rewarding to be a part of someone’s CrossFit journey, whether it be their first class or they’ve been at it for years.

    What’s your favorite quote? – “Don’t count the days, make the days count.” – Muhammad Ali

    Certifications:

    • Crossfit L1
  • Chris Ostrowski

    Chris Ostrowski graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in International Studies and a minor in History from Ohio Wesleyan University. Growing up, Chris played football, ice hockey, and lacrosse amongst other fitness activities. He played ice hockey at the prep and junior level, was in the USA festival program, and played in Europe. In college, Chris was the captain of his lacrosse team, and they finished first team All-Conference “Defensive Specialist”. He was also put on the pre-draft list for the MLL. For the past 3 years Chris has been exploring CrossFit. For him, CrossFit lines up with his overall passion of growth mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. EVF provides a great environment for that because the Community and mindset of the team allows him to continue his search for his passion.

    Chris is also an accomplished actor that continues to work both on stage and on screen. To see his work check out his website: chris-ostrowski.com

    What’s your favorite quote? – “In the time of your life, live- so that in that wondrous time you shall not add to the misery and sorrow of the world, but shall smile to the infinite delight and mystery of it.” – William Saroyan’s The Time of your Life preface

    Certifications:

    • CrossFit L1
  • Gabriel Sibrian

    Gabriel started playing baseball at the age of 5 and played it competitively for most of his life. He also developed a passion for soccer in his early teens and competed for a few years. Gabriel is a hyper competitive athlete that shifted that energy toward powerlifting and is ready to get back into an environment that pushes him to his limit. He started CrossFit in 2022 and has been lifting since 2015.

    What do you enjoy about working at EVF? – “Being able to guide and share my knowledge onto others through coaching. I always envisioned myself leading and managing groups of people and this is a great step in that direction. There are many great people all around me at EVF, making it a wonderful environment to be in.”

    Certifications:

    • Crossfit L1
  • Cynthia Haeler

    Saying that it would be hard to find somebody with as many accomplishments as Coach Cynthia is an understatement. In addition to having more than 10 years of CrossFit under her belt, Cynthia played Rugby in the Women’s Premiere League Rugby during 2012-2018 and was part of 2017-2018 player pool selection of the USA National Rugby Team!

    Her passion for strength and conditioning got her to try competing in the sport of Strongman. She won the Wodapalooza Strong Competition in 2020, and competed in several other Strongman events, including both the Pro Women’s Worlds and Strongman United States Nationals (2017: HWW181, 2019: MWW165).

    She also ran the 2023 Martha’s Vineyard Marathon. Here are a few other things Coach Cynthia wanted to share:

    I’ve been sober since 2014. I met my wife in CrossFit! We have a daughter who was born on New Years Eve in 2021, and a Miniature Australian Shepherd named Loki. I love reading and will take/give any and all book recommendations. I can tell you my favorite ice cream shop in most major U.S. cities.

    What do you enjoy about working at EVF? – I know I’m at home when I’ve found a community that’s as crazy about working out as I am.

    What’s your favorite quote? – ‘Progress, not perfection.’

    What are you passionate about? – My family and my friends.

    Certifications:

    • CrossFit L2
    • CrossFit Olympic Weightlifting
    • CrossFit Strongman

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