MEET CHARLES SHIELDS

Credentials:

CrossFit L1

Favorite Movement:

Partner workouts with Virginia McNair or Nick Dimling.

How long have you been doing CrossFit and why?

I’ve been doing CrossFit since December 2013. I began after being let go as the Head Football Coach of a school in North Carolina. A student of mine introduced me to CrossFit and really helped get me through this tough time in my career. I did the Open that season literally learning movements at school on Friday before going to the gym to perform them that night! I am a career high school coach (it’s my passion) so it was natural that I became a CrossFit coach.

What is your favorite part about coaching?

I am a career coach. I left a successful family business to pursue my calling of being a coach. It’s my passion! I love people and feed off of others’ energy. I have coached in one capacity or another since the fall of 1999. I love to see an athlete excel–be it in the gym or on the field. It’s awesome to see an athlete get over their fear of being upside down or nailing their first double under! I love pushing an athlete past their limits. The mind is so often our limiting factor!

Life outside of the gym:

I am a high school teacher and football coach. My wife, Emily, is a child and family therapist and owns her own practice–Connection Builders. We have two teenage boys, Charlie and Hampton, and a golden retriever, Chewy. We love spending time together as a family, surfing, hiking, camping and doing home projects.