Melissa Koenig

Head Coach/Owner

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Qualifications

CrossFit Level 2 Trainer
CrossFit Level 1 Trainer
CrossFit Olympic Weightlifting Trainer

About Melissa

I'm married to the love of my life (and partner in business, fitness, and just about everything else) and have 2 kids. I started CrossFit at the age of 33, with absolutely NO experience in lifting, and aside from being able to run, and catch on to the basic gymnastics movements relatively quickly (thanks to my background in gymnastics, although it had been easily 15 years since I had done anything like that), it was all brand new to me. But I loved the constant variety and the challenge every day. Not long after that, my husband somehow convinced me we should open our own affiliate so we could share our passion and help improve the lives of others. We opened CrossFit Paladin in 2012, and have been going strong ever since! I enjoy pushing myself to become a little better each day, and it's awesome to see what CrossFit's methodology has done and continues to do for my fitness and overall health, despite getting older every year. I have fun competing in the occasional team/partner competition, but my primary focus is on helping our members achieve and exceed their goals and become the best version of themselves!

Turning Point

After 2 kids, over a decade of inactivity (aside from the random month here and there of trying to get into shape), and a lifetime of poor nutrition habits, my body was feeling the impact. Aside from being overweight, I had several small and seemingly insignificant and unfixable health issues. Nothing bad enough to be diagnosed with a specific condition, but I just never felt “good” and wanted to know why. This led me down a very confusing path, but ultimately I ended up learning that my eating and exercise habits (which were very typical of the average American) were likely the biggest factor in why I felt and looked like I did. As I started to make small changes, I would notice small improvements, and over time it has all just kind of snowballed into a completely different lifestyle. Nutrition is the foundation of our health, and exercise comes right after. Addressing these two areas will have a huge and profound impact on ones life.

Motivation & Passion

I love to help people realize they are capable of so much more than they think. I love to see the look on their face the first time they do a pull-up, rope climb, handstand, run a mile without stopping, you name it. We tend to set limits on ourselves and say things like “I could never do that...” But it’s such an amazing and empowering feeling for our members when they realize they CAN do it! It changes the way they go about life, they have more confidence and know that with hard work and dedication, just about anything is possible! And I feel so incredibly lucky to be a part of this every day. I also love the fact that we now know age is just a number. Most of our members would say they are fitter and healthier now than they were 5 or 10 years ago. That’s huge as we age, because it will allow us to keep our independence much longer. I know this is 100% true for me. As I head into my 40’s I am in the best shape of my life thanks to the CrossFit methodology, and that’s an awesome feeling!