ABOUT

Me

It took me a long time to find my "why."

When I first developed a passion for health and fitness, it was written off as just another hobby. 

I had lost a ton of weight and got into bodybuilding in the hopes of getting on stage one day, but I was addicted to lifting heavy weights. A bikini and high heels wasn't me, and it took me a long time to learn that. I have a lot of respect for my fellow bodybuilding athletes, but my "why" was to be a strong woman, and to help other women get strong motivates me more than anything.

I began competing in powerlifting in 2013 after spending 3 years as a certified personal trainer through the American Council on Exercise. Nearly instantly, I was asked to coach aspiring powerlifters, and began coaching lifters from all over the world both online and in-person.

I became an independent trainer in 2015 and founded A-Team Athletics.

A-Team Athletics represented something really significant for me. As women, we are the first flight of lifters to approach the bar on the platform. We were always competing together in Flight A--

the A-Team. Now that powerlifting has gotten so popular among women, we represent a significantly larger portion of competitors, so we often see multiple flights with female powerlifting athletes. We have come such a long way!

In the summer of 2016, I was cleared to work on a military instillation as an independent contractor, working with active duty military, retirees, and their dependents. I used my background working with marathon and multi-sport athletes during my time as a personal trainer to help get our soldiers fit for duty and their families fit for life.

Working with so many hardworking and dedicated soldiers inspired me to continue learning and growing as a personal trainer and as a coach. I decided to make it official and become a United States Powerlifting Association (USPA) coach and referee.

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In early 2018, I retired from personal training after 8 memorable years, and dedicated myself completely to online coaching, which allowed me mobility and the pursuit of higher education. I began my MS in Exercise Science program in the Fall of 2018, and due to my extensive background experience in training and coaching, I was provided the humbling opportunity to teach university level fitness and physical activity courses through the duration of my time as an MS student.

In late 2019, I became a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and still teach courses for health and wellness as a MS graduate, while continuing the pursuit of an in-depth understanding of all training methodologies by going to continuing education courses.

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My vision for A-Team Athletics in the coming years is to be a one-stop coaching service provider for athletes of all types. We mainly serve powerlifting and military athletes, but we have expanded our coaching roster to better serve clients who are pursuing Strongman, Olympic Weightlifting, Bodybuilding, and general health and wellness.

No matter what you're here for, A-Team is here for you.

We are Strong Apart, but Stronger Together.

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Hover over this box to learn about Mel's why... and her vision for A-Team Athletics in the years to come.