Bio’s

Ashley Graham

CrossFit Level 1 Certified Coach

CrossFit Certified Olympic Weightlifting Coach

CrossFit Certified Endurance Coach

FdSc Sports Therapist

Having trained on and off regularly since leaving school, I was following a typical program of training 1 body part a day with a little cardio thrown in at the end, but with no real results and very little in the way of motivation. Around the end of 2007, Andy introduced me to CrossFit and we pick and chose our workouts from the website based on what we either understood or knew we were capable of. It was only a short time later that I noticed some change’s, I became stronger, fitter, faster and more explosive. I also had a new passion, some would say obsession and I wanted to learn more and more about the CrossFit methods.

Over the last few years Andy and I regularly competed with one another in the CrossFit WOD’s (workout of the day) and soon it became apparent that others were asking questions about our workouts and training in a similar way. Some would say an underground CrossFit was happening right there in our Council run leisure centre.

After visiting a few other CrossFit Affiliates, not only was my motivation high but I realised the space in which we were training and the lack of knowledge that we had meant only one thing, if we didn’t learn properly and find the right place to train and coach others, someone was going to get hurt. That’s when Andy and I decided that CrossFit Carlisle was reality and not just an idea.

Since becoming a CrossFit level 1 Certified Coach and opening our box, it has become my goal to not only be a better athlete myself, but to train and coach others to be the best they can. I believe in CrossFit and am living proof that it works.

Andy Pearson

CrossFit Level 1 Certified Coach

Having been involved in fitness in Carlisle since 1997 as an instructor and then manager at Classic World of Fitness, I have always had a wide and varied sports background and enjoyed a “Jack of all trades” approach to health and fitness in various disciplines. This includes surfing, mountain biking, thai boxing, indoor rowing and sprint triathlons to name but a few, whilst trying to balance strength training and cardiovascular fitness.

It was in late 2007 after chatting with a good friend Stephen Weston that myself and Ash stumbled upon CrossFit on the internet. Since then my stale monotonus training programs have been completely transformed to constantly varied and I have become a better athlete. I have learned gymnastic movements, olympic lifts and become stronger, fitter and faster and developed a much stronger cardiovascular capacity.

Over the last year it became evident I needed a place to train, not only with the right equipment but with like minded people in a competetive yet friendly environment. So, after attending a CrossFit Level 1 Certification, I am now a certified trainer and CrossFit Carlisle was born.

Ben Heslop

CrossFit Level 1 Certified Coach

UK Athletics Level 1 Coach

YMCA Level 2 Gym Instructor

Owner of a Great Beard

I like being fit, I have never been the fittest at anything, I regularly come last in many CrossFit workouts and have never shown any real skill at any conventional team sports, but since starting training within the CrossFit community I can honestly say my speed, strength, stamina, recovery times, balance and general physical ability has improved beyond recognition. I decided to incorporate it into my training once a week…3 weeks later I was doing nothing but CrossFit! I am fitter now at 31 than I ever was at 21 and I strongly believe that this is due to the last 14 months
following, learning and researching the training methods, skills and philosophies of CrossFit. In that time I have achieved goals I never thought possible such as a half marathon, the 125 mile Devices to Westminster canoe race and running 34 miles of the West Highland Way.

CrossFit has tied all of my training knowledge together and added a third dimension, that dimension is that training is now varied, functional, fun and most importantly gets measured results. In my work as a primary teacher I regularly use scaled CrossFit methods in the children’s fitness programs, it really is for everybody not, as some people believe, only those who already possess elite fitness. My goal is to spread the word and give people from all training backgrounds and age groups the chance to try out and become part of the most effective and enjoyable training community you will ever come across.

Stuart “Elsie” Tanner

CrossFit Level 1 Certified Coach