about us
About
Our founders.
Hi there! We are Jackie & Joel Werner, owners of EffectUs Athletics. We started CrossFit STMA back in 2013 (now EffectUS Athletics).
We want to take a moment to introduce our team of coaches. We are so incredibly proud of this team and everything they do to enlighten, motivate and change people’s lives through health and fitness. They are the backbone to this amazing community and our most valuable asset. Our team’s hope is that you discover a balance between your health, fitness and lifestyle which allows you to get the most out of life and strive to become your best self. Here is the team of EffectUs Athletics that will help you accomplish all this and more!
The staff
coaches
Joel
As a coach I love seeing how our community drives people to achieve so much more than they ever thought possible. I had always been a guy who worked out alone until CrossFit. CrossFit opened my eyes to how training with others brings out the best in each athlete. Whether you are competitive by nature or not; training with others who are working towards similar goals builds that fire within us to be better.
Favorite Workout: Anything with higher end gymnastics & a heavy snatch
Favorite Quote: “You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t how hard you hit; it’s about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward. How much you can take, and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done.” – Rocky
Celebrity Crush: Jacqueline Werner
Top 3 Things On My Bucket List:
1) Swim with great white sharks
2) Travel to Australia
3) Travel to Maldives & Fuji
Jackie
Why I Wanted To Be A Coach:
I wanted to become a CrossFit coach to help people from all walks of life find an inclusive environment where they felt safe to push themselves outside their comfort zone to learn new skills & accomplish goals they never thought possible. Secondly, as someone who struggled with body image issues for many years.. CrossFit was the first environment I was a part of that embraced women’s muscles & strength and called it beautiful…I loved the focus on what my body could do vs what it looked like…and I wanted to help every women feel that way about her body & muscles too!
Favorite Workout: Fight Gone Bad and Filthy 50
Favorite Quote: “Giving up is the only sure way to fail.”
Celebrity Crush: Chris Hemsworth
Top 3 Things On My Bucket List:
1.) Learn a foreign language
2.) Then go live in that country
3.) Travel to South Africa.. swim with great whites and go on a Safari
Nicole
Why I Wanted To Be A Coach:
I coach because I love helping people achieve things they never thought possible. Whether it’s lifting a barbell for the first time or attending classes 3-4x/week. I absolutely love having the opportunity to make people smile while working hard and getting healthy. I thrive on watching our members improve themselves and am inspired by the hard work I see from our members every day.
Favorite Workout: Grace (30 Clean & Jerks @ 135/95lbs for time)
Favorite Quote: “If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.”
Celebrity Crush: Tom Hardy
Top 3 Things On My Bucket List:
1) Visit Ireland
2) See the northern lights
3) See a moose in the wild
jackie
I wanted to become a CrossFit coach to help people from all walks of life find an inclusive environment where they felt safe to push themselves outside their comfort zone to learn new skills & accomplish goals they never thought possible. Secondly, as someone who struggled with body image issues for many years.. CrossFit was the first environment I was a part of that embraced women’s muscles & strength and called it beautiful…I loved the focus on what my body could do vs what it looked like…and I wanted to help every women feel that way about her body & muscles too!
Favorite Workout: Fight Gone Bad and Filthy 50
Favorite Quote: “Giving up is the only sure way to fail.”
Celebrity Crush: Chris Hemsworth
Top 3 Things On My Bucket List:
1.) Learn a foreign language
2.) Then go live in that country
3.) Travel to South Africa.. swim with great whites and go on a Safari
nicole
I coach because I love helping people achieve things they never thought possible. Whether it’s lifting a barbell for the first time or attending classes 3-4x/week. I absolutely love having the opportunity to make people smile while working hard and getting healthy. I thrive on watching our members improve themselves and am inspired by the hard work I see from our members every day.
Favorite Workout: Grace (30 Clean & Jerks @ 135/95lbs for time)
Favorite Quote: “If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.”
Celebrity Crush: Tom Hardy
Top 3 Things On My Bucket List:
1) Visit Ireland
2) See the northern lights
3) See a moose in the wild
dustin
When I was in High School and College I was on the Football team. I loved the competition and being part of a team. And I was always committed to preparing myself the best I could to be a productive part of the team. I learned a lot but was never really satisfied that I had done enough. I think this mindset of always wanting to do more was what fueled my pursuit of knowledge about health, performance, and fitness.
After graduating college I trained for about five years at a couple different gym chains. It was a really good experience and I learned a lot about training people at different levels. My ideas on how and why people should train and be trained continued to evolve as I started working with people out of my garage. In the fall of 2012, one of my clients asked me “who do I want to train?” My answer was “People who are motivated, want to work hard, and improve more than just “how they look.” Kind of like CrossFit.” After that I took my Level 1.
Favorite Workout: Granite Games 2018 Drag Rope:
4 Rounds
8/6 Bar MUs
40 Heavy Double Unders
12 DB Squat Snatch
Favorite Quotes: “You’re never wrong to do the right thing.” -Mark Twain. “The two independent variables most closely associated with your success are your attitude and effort. And you control both.” -The Rock
Celebrity Crush: Sara Sigmundsdottir
Top 3 Things on my Bucket List:
1. Compete at the CrossFit Games
2. Watch the Vikings win a Super Bowl
3. Complete a Triathlon
rob
Why I wanted to be a coach: I wanted to be a coach because I love getting to work with people and help them meet their goals. Everyone is at a different place in their fitness journey, and If I can help even one person get a little closer to their goal then I would be stoked. The reason why I love CrossFit is because of the awesome coaches I have had in the past and their constant encouragement to get a little better every day.
Favorite workout: Angie – 100 pull-ups, 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups & 100 squats for time.
Favorite thing to do away from the gym? Hunting from September through January! Otherwise has to be golfing and chasing my three crazy kids around.
Favorite Quote: “Almost is hard to measure, cause almost doesn’t count for shit”
Celebrity Crush: Gotta go with Anna Kendrick
Top 3 things on my bucket list:
- Alaskan Sea Duck Hunt
- Snowmobile in Revelstoke, British Columbia
- Be a homesteader
mike
I love helping people connect to their potential. Watching someone take a concept you are teaching them and execute it and refine it over time is one of the most rewarding things to observe!
Favorite Workout: Filthy 50
Favorite Quote: “If we don’t do it, who will?” Or “Last one, Best one”
Celebrity Crush: Nathan Fillion 🥰
Top 3 Things On My Bucket List:
1) Go to Europe
2) Travel to Alaska
3) Deep sea fish for a monster fish
james
Favorite workout: Anything over an hour! I prefer the soul searching, gut check workouts that stretch your mind’s belief on what is possible.
Favorite thing to do away from the gym? Hang out with my family doing outdoor activities like paddle boarding, cross country skiing, swimming, running or biking.
Favorite Quote: “Nothing in the world is worth having or doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty.” Theodore Roosevelt
Celebrity Crush: It was Xena Warrior Princess, but now I have my own Wonder Woman with Esther!
Top 3 things on my bucket list: RV road trip to all the state parks in the US, 100 mile Ultra, Visit Greenland
Why I wanted to be a coach: I’ve always felt a man’s legacy will be how he helped make other people’s lives and the world a better place. When finding my way from sickness and injury over a decade ago I was introduced to my coach Martin Rooney. His coaching philosophy opened my mind to what is possible with enthusiasm, consistency, and culture. I’ve wanted to share this with others ever since I made my life change in hopes that others can benefit in the same way that I did.
troy
Why I wanted to be a coach:
I have love and passion for witnessing people that choose self-improvement. Surrounding ourselves with like-minded individuals ignites the fire within all of us. I have always had a passion for training individuals, whether it’s taking an 18-year-old kid through a shoot house 200 times before deployment, or watching an athlete get their very first pull up or even muscle up is so rewarding. It’s not because I physically made them stronger or faster, but it’s because they got to hear something I said to them that stuck with them over time to make it click for them to achieve that. My tank gets filled by getting to have the ability to work with them day in and day out to make one small change at a time that can take over in the transformation process.
Favorite workout:
Diane or Jackie – “Diane” is one of my all-time favorite WODs or “Jackie” because it’s just true grit to try and hold on and go unbroken for all movements.
Favorite thing to do away from the gym?
Golf, I would golf 7 days a week if time allowed
Favorite Quote:
“No bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country.” – Gen. George Patton Jr.
Celebrity Crush:
ANNA KENDRICK!
Top 3 things on my bucket list:
Summit Mount Kilimanjaro w/ Rachel
Visit all 7 Continents (4 of 7 complete)
Build a container home
tim
Favorite workout: Anything with dubs, rope climbs, or pull-ups.
Favorite thing to do away from the gym: Spend time with the family and play golf and soccer
Favorite Quote:
“…do you spend time with your family?…Because a man who doesn’t spend time with his family can never be a real man” The Godfather
“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” – Thomas A. Edison.
Celebrity Crush:
Ashley Cheek
Top 3 things on my bucket list:
- Go to Italy with my family
- Go to an Arsenal match
- Go to a World Cup match
Why I wanted to be a coach:
I love seeing people grow stronger, both physically and mentally. I love helping find or gain self-confidence and then seeing that flow into other areas of their lives. I want to help people be the best version of themselves they can be. I also really enjoy learning and growing as a coach. Coaching CrossFit has changed my life for the better and I wouldn’t be who I am today without it.
jon
Why I wanted to be a coach: to help people toward their fitness goals. I think fitness is a great way to build a “biological buffer” because we never know what life is going to throw at us. So, we need to work on building resilience (or buffer) as much as we can.
Favorite workout: Grace. 30 Clean and Jerks for time. Pick up the weight, put it overhead, repeat. Simple, sinister. Other than that, any workout that has built in rest!
Favorite thing to do away from the gym? Most often, that ends up being going for hikes, generally exploring new place. I also enjoy attending, judging, volunteering, or participating in CrossFit (functional fitness) competitions.
Favorite Quote: Vires Acquirit Eundo – We gather strength as we go. I found that in the book, “The Obstacle is the Way” and it is my top of a lot of great quotes.
Celebrity Crush: ? Can’t say I have a crush? I’ll say that my favorite CrossFitters are Jason Khalipa for the guys and Annie Thorisdottir for the gals
Top 3 things on my bucket list:
1)Would like to check out Europe: my wife and I have always talked about going to Ireland…I would also like to jump over to Iceland including check out the Husafell stone though lifting a 410#stone isn’t in the cards at the moment.
2) If Led Zeppelin were to ever get back together, that would be a crazy concert..proooobably not happening though.
3) Check out as many national parks in the US as possible.
hannah
Why I wanted to be a coach:
Favorite workout: Diane
Celebrity Crush: Matt Messerly
Favorite thing to do away from the gym: Be outside with my family. We love the beach and exploring parks.
Favorite quote: “It’s okay to grow slowly.” Lara Casey
Top 3 Things on my bucket list:
1. Complete a half marathon.
2. Homeschool my kids for at least one year.
3. Take a family DC trip and visit a few historical landmarks.
jessie
Why I wanted to be a coach:
Celebrity Crush: BKG
Favorite workout: Grace, Annie or Filthy Fifty
Favorite quote: Today is a good day for a good day.
Favorite thing to do away from the gym: Travel and spend time with my family.
Top 3 Things on my bucket list:
1. Hold a koala bear.
2. Surf in Australia or New Zeland.
3. See Mumford and Sons at the Red Rocks.
Anthony
I’ve always wanted to be a coach because I like to share my knowledge with people who are like minded and come to CrossFit for the same reason we all do..to get fit, learn how to CrossFit and have fun doing it as a community! Nothing more satisfying than watching people smash a workout and push their bodies to a limit they didn’t think was possible!
Favorite Workout: CrossFit open 20.5; 40 muscle ups, 80 cal row, 120 wall balls
Favorite Quote: “Treat people how you want to be treated.”
Celebrity Crush: Scarlett Johansson
Top 3 Things On My Bucket List:
1)Downhill MTB at Whistler
2)Royal Flush water slide ramps in Texas
3) Take my kids to Yellowstone National park.
HEATHER
Why I joined Crossfit:
I’ve been an athlete my whole life and played collegiate softball. After graduating, my identity as a softball player slowly slipped away. I realized my idenity was not in being a softball player or an athlete, but being a Child of God. My perspective shifted, and I now show up to the gym thankful that I have a body I can train and move! My main goal is to show up for my family and myself, and to be doing Crossfit when I’m 70. I’ve been so grateful to be on the team as an admin support to the coaches, and have learned sooo much!
Favorite workout:
CLUSTER GRACE- It’s a tough one, but it’s one of the shorter workouts I feel like I can really push myself in.
Favorite thing to do away from the gym?
Hang out with my husband and kids, visit different coffee shops! DRINK COFFEE!
Favorite Quote:
“Don’t let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.”
Celebrity Crush:
Forrest Frank
Top 3 things on my bucket list:
1. West Coast coffee trip
2. Take my kids to Europe
3.Open up a coffee shop
Kelsey
Why I joined Crossfit:
When I initially joined it was right after the birth of my 3rd child. I have always been a fairly athletic and hard working individual so when I saw an ad for a Crossfit Bootcamp I knew I wanted to try it. At the time I was fairly certain I was done having kids (plot twist I added a 4th a few years later lol) and was ready to get my fitness on again and reclaim my body. I pretty much fell in love with this style of workout and have stuck with it ever since. I love that it is so varied and that you truly are getting the best of both worlds with cardio and lifting. Even more so I love the community and the support that we have here.
Favorite Workout:
Not really sure I have a favorite. I enjoy workouts that include the rower or assault bike. (I don’t necessarily enjoy the assault bike, but I do enjoy what it does for me.)
Favorite thing to do away from the gym:
I love watching my kids play sports. Watching them grow and develop while doing something they enjoy is amazing. I also ride horses and have 3 of my own.
Favorite quote:
MORNING……not really a quote, but what I will say to anyone and everyone no matter what time of day it is.
Celebrity Crush:
Ryan Gosling
Top 3 things on my bucket list:
1. Own a vacation home in Florida!
2. Have a small hobby farm here in MN so I can finally have my horses at home!
3. Travel more/regularly