ABOUT CFPL

Meet the Coaches

Josh Rud
Coach and Owner

I Walked Into My First CrossFit Class In 2014 Thinking I Was In Pretty Good Shape Since I Had Already Been A Personal Trainer For 7 Years.  However CrosssFit Took My Fitness To A Level I Truly Didn’t Know I Could Achieve.  Before CrossFit I Did Mostly Upper Body Lifting With Almost No Cardio.  5 Years Later I Was Down 22 Pounds, My Strength Had Increased Substantially, And I Could Finally Run A Mile In Under 7 Minutes.  CrossFit Completely Overhauled The Way I Work Out, And The Way I Trained My Clients.  

After Starting CrossFit I Was Getting So Much More Out Of My Workouts And The Best Part Is I Was Enjoying My Workouts More Than I Had In The Past!  Of Course I Can Not Talk About CrossFit Without Mentioning The Community.  The Most Valuable Thing To Me About CrossFit Prior Lake By Far Is The People And The Life Long Friendships I Have Made.  Hitting A CrossFit Workout Is Usually The Best Part Of My Day; And I’m Sure Most Of The Members At CrossFit Prior Lake Would Tell You The Same Thing.  

Now As The Owner Of CrossFit Prior Lake I Could Not Be More Excited About Where This Gym Will Take Me And Everyone In Our Community!  

 Certifications: CrossFit L1 Trainer, AFPA Personal Trainer

Julie Maines
Coach

CrossFit Changed My Perception Of Fitness And Perception Of Myself. I’m Passionate About Helping People Find Similar Results. I Remember Coming In Early For My Introductory CrossFit Class While The Previous Class Was Just Finishing Up. I Was Blown Away By What I Saw. Here Was A Group Of People Of All Different Ages, Shapes, Sizes, And Fitness Levels Working Out Together, Encouraging Each Other, And Pushing Themselves Like I’ve Never Seen Before! It Was Love At First Sight. I Joined CrossFit In The Fall Of 2012. That CrossFit Class Challenged Me In A Way That I’ve Never Been Challenged Before. I Couldn’t Wait For My Next Class To Learn New Movements So I Could Work On Them And Get Better. The Rest Is History. I Found My Home At CrossFit Prior Lake. I Am Thrilled To Be A Part Of Such An Amazing Group Of People. While Working Hard On All The Different Aspects Of CrossFit And Growing As A CrossFit Athlete Myself, I Find Joy In Working With Others And Helping Them Achieve Their Goals.

Certifications: CrossFit L2 Trainer; CPR, AED, NASM Stretch Certified, NETA Group Fitness Cert, USA Weightlifting L1, Zumba L1 & First Aid Certified.    

Nicholas Gillen
Coach

CrossFit has changed my life. My health and overall lifestyle were headed nowhere fast when I was introduced to this community and style of fitness in 2014. My fitness wasn’t terrible as I was a successful Marathon runner having completed nearly 10 Marathons at that time. However, it wasn’t until I was introduced to CrossFit that I realized what I was missing in my life. When attending my first class in March of 2014 I thought this doesn’t look that bad. Meanwhile 8 minutes later I was on the ground wondering where has this been in my life. I had always had a goal of completing an Iron Man and after six months of CrossFit, a fellow athlete convinced me to sign up for Madison Ironman in 2015. I came in every day thanks to the encouragement and support of the community. Twelve months later I heard the words – “You are an Iron Man!” I have the CrossFit community to thank for that and I have not looked back. I have loved seeing friends and family join the CrossFit community and watching those around me improve overall lifestyles and achieve new levels of fitness! We are all athletes achieving new successes every day. Now in the last year, I have found a passion in playing a more significant role in seeing others learn and develop their skills in CrossFit and I am very excited to work more closely with individuals and classes as it will only help me develop as an athlete and coach.

Certifications: CrossFit L2 Trainer, CPR, AED, & First Aid Certified

Amy Ebel
Coach and Youth

I have always been an active person and valued wellness. After having two amazing children and caring for a dying parent, I became more aware of my wellness journey and how easy it had become to veer off that path. Starting CrossFit in 2011, I became a workout enthusiast and craved challenges to push my body and mind to their limits. I gave it a shot and realized I had discovered a true passion. I dove in head first and surprised myself with the things I was doing in both CrossFit and weightlifting competitions. It was a whole new level of working out, challenging the mind and body to break through barriers. I can honestly say that I haven’t been the same since I started. My athleticism, diet, body, and overall fitness level have completely changed. I love that it has become a family affair. I can now do things that once seemed “impossible.” I want to help others achieve their “impossible.” I want to help promote and prolong a person’s health in any way I can. CrossFit has become my lifestyle and community. The community is such an important piece of CrossFit. The people you meet inspire you and change your life.

Certifications: CrossFit L2 Trainer, CPR, AED, & First Aid Certified

Andrew Kurkowski
Coach

Community – Competition – Challenge – Commemorate
 
Though it’s official definition is has to do with constantly varied, high intensity, functional movements, for me, these are the words that come to mind when I think of CrossFit.  Though I’ve had a fairly thorough history of sport, lifting, training, coaching, etc. being a part of the CrossFit community has pushed me to get in the best shape of my life.  My original draw to the sport was via the Murph and how they commemorate some of the most gruling workouts to American soldiers and heros who have fallen while serving their country.  After realizing that the intentionality of the sport did not stop at the names of the workouts, I was hooked.  This sport is deliberately constructed to improve lives.  It’s not a sport for some, but sincerely a sport for all.  So often people are intimidated to join a gym but when I walked into CFPL, I felt nothing but a welcoming community that was competitive, challenging, fun, and also respectful to the traditions that originally drew me to the sport.  I’m so thankful for the community that I’ve found at CrossFit Prior Lake and I’m humbled to be able to coach and learn from so many athletes that I greatly respect.  

Certifications: CrossFit L1 Trainer, CPR, AED, & First Aid Certified