Chris was a competitive athlete in High School and into her late 20s. But like so many of us, she spent her 30s and 40s mostly sedentary. In 2012, she found CrossFit through a friend and was hooked. She received her CrossFit Level 1 certification in September of 2013 and has continued her passion for strength and fitness over the past 10 years. She’s competed in CrossFit, Highland Games, Olympic Lifting, Powerlifting and Strongman during that time, and continues to this day. Chris has a quiet strength and is an empathetic and down-to-earth coach. She especially enjoys working with newcomers and older folks who may be intimidated by getting involved in strength and fitness. In her late 50’s now, Chris proves that strength sports aren’t just for the young – they’re for any person of any age who is ready to take charge of their life and start feeling strong both physically and mentally!

I competed in my first sanctioned strongman competition in 2011. In 2012, I qualified for North American Strongman Nationals in 2012. I got my ass handed to me; placing close to last in my division.

I took over promoting a small local strongman competition in Farmington called Clash of the Titans in 2014. In 2016, I became the United States Strongman state chair. When I moved to Albuquerque in 2017, Clash of the Titans became Clash of New Mexico’s Strongest- the first USS sanctioned competition in New Mexico.

I’ve competed in powerlifting, CrossFit, Highland Games and trail racing, and strongman remains my favorite sport. It’s weird, awkward, and dirty. It encourages women to be strong, muscular and embrace their bodies for what they can do- not what they look like.

Competition Resume:

2017: USS Nationals, Detroit, MI

2nd Middle Weight Women (148)

2017: USS Pro Women’s Worlds, Grand Rapids, MI

6th Middle Weight Women

2018: USS Nationals, New York, NY

2nd Masters MWW

USS Pro Women's Worlds, Memphis, TN

1st Masters LWW (earned pro card)

2019: USS Pro Women’s Worlds, Austin, TX

3rd Masters HWW

2021: USS Nationals, Minneapolis, MN

3rd Masters HWW

2023: USS Nationals, Dallas, TX

3rd Masters MWW

Eric Williams became a licensed massage therapist in 2012, and in 2015 went back to school to obtain his medical/clinical massage credential. Around that same time, Eric started training and competing in Strongman and Powerlifting. In 2018, Eric decided to combine his passions for human movement and manual therapies and became a Certified Personal Trainer. Eric’s love for learning and training (both himself and others) continued to grow, and in 2020 he was awarded the Human Movement Specialist certification from the Brookbush Institute for human Movement Sciences. In 2021, Eric received coaching credentials in Bodybuilding, Powerlifting and Sports Nutrition from the International Sport Science Association. In 2022, he plans to finish ISSA’s “Master Trainer” certification, as well as become a Nationally Board Certified Manual Therapist through the NCBTMB, one of only a handful in New Mexico to do so.

Kari Ellis has been an athlete for most of her life, but didn’t join a traditional gym until her 30’s. Through her training with Russian Kettlebell instructors, she found a passion for the kettlebell—a unique, simple, and highly effective piece of exercise equipment. In her new coaching role, she has embraced exploring the versatility of kettlebells to teach functional fitness.