CROSSFIT KINSTON
Making Your Life Outside the Gym Better!
Meet Our Coaches.
CrossFit Kinston's team of knowledgeable and passionate coaches are committed to helping our members achieve their fitness goals. With our high standards and consistent approach, every workout is challenging, engaging, and ultimately satisfying.
Jami Blizzard
CF-L1/Co-Owner
My CrossFit journey began in 2017 at the incessant urging of a dear friend. Up until then I’d been a member at a local gym and was long distance running and competing in Spartan races. I fell in love with CrossFit and never looked back! In 2022, I obtained my L1 certification and began coaching, and in 2023, my long-time training partner, Donna, and I had the opportunity to purchase our box, and we jumped on it! My favorite things about CrossFit are (1.) the community – the constant support and encouragement athletes give to one another, the sweaty fist bumps after a grueling workout, and the way we celebrate one another’s advances – there’s nothing like it. (2.) The mental and physical gains that result from training – reaching that long awaited goal or leaving the box feeling absolutely spent because you’ve just given that workout everything you have. It’s cathartic. (3.) It’s functional fitness – literally anyone can do it, and what better way to maintain our health and fitness into our golden years?! I cannot say enough good things about this sport and how it’s changed my life. I truly believe CrossFit makes better people, and coaching is my way of paying it forward and ensuring that our members are succeeding in and outside our box.
Donna Avery
CF-L1/Co-Owner
I have always enjoyed being active and moving. I played sports throughout school and co-ed softball as an adult. Prior to CrossFit I was a distance runner and group fitness instructor. I was looking for a new challenge when I found CrossFit and it still challenges me every day! That is what I love so much about CrossFit, it is definitely constantly varied. You will never get bored going to a CrossFit gym and you will never reach a level of perfection. There will always be new challenges, always something to work on. But, in the words of Vince Lombardi, “Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can achieve excellence”. I am so thankful to own this gym with Jami. It was something we talked about doing for a very long time. We wanted to provide an inclusive, inviting environment where everyone feels welcome. I feel that we have done this with CrossFit Kinston. I love our members so much, they are the best group of people! It is so fulfilling to coach people that work hard and leave it all on the gym floor after every workout. If you have not given CrossFit a try, please do. It will change your life for the better!
Hunt Garren
CF-L2/CrossFit Weightlifting
I walked into a CrossFit gym in 2014 and have been doing classes ever since. I am a level 2 trainer. I enjoy seeing people accomplish their fitness goals.
Heather Kinney
CF-L1
Hey Y’all. Up to this point, in my life, I have never been more fit or felt better. I never played sports when I was younger except for maybe a serious game of Gin Rummy. I was formally introduced to CrossFit and immediately, it was love at first sight. We didn’t court, we didn’t take things slow. I went headfirst, straight into the deep end and have yet to come up for air. CrossFit inspires me daily. It allows me to see what our bodies are capable of. From the 14-year-old young lady to the 69-year-old gentleman. To know that I am preparing my body, not for Hot Girl Summer, but for my “old lady body.” The body that has strong muscles, coordination, healthy heart, but most of all, functional independence in my golden years. This thing we do takes some serious perseverance. We must relish the high’s while learn from the lows. Understand the journey will not be easy, but it’s worth it. In terms of coaching, there is no greater joy than to watch one of the members finally “get” something. For example, their first kipping pull up (THEY ARE REAL PULL UPS btw) or their first air squat below parallel. If I can have a hand at someone’s success in their fitness journey, then I, myself have succeeded.
Trisha Himes
CF-OL1
I grew up not in the fitness world but playing soccer and field hockey through my middle school and high school years. It wasn’t until joining the military that I started to go to a gym and learn how to lift and exercise to maintain how I wanted to feel and look. I turned to Crossfit in 2018 because I was getting bored at the regular gym doing the same things over and over again. I fell in love with CrossFit because the workouts were always different, and I loved the community. At the end of 2018 I decided to sign-up for a competition and I did terrible, but I knew I could get better. I continued to compete in local competitions all over Utah and loved it. About 4 years ago I started coaching at local gyms in Utah and even a few people out of my garage. From there I continue to compete myself, coach others and also got into Olympic Weightlifting coaching. I understand the difficulty of not understanding movements or recovering from a serious injury. In 2020 I broke my elbow and wrist from competing and it was a long recovery and mental process to get back to where I was. However, with time, listening to my body, and re-learning, I was able to compete again. After moving across the country, because I was assigned to a different duty station, I came to look at Crossfit Kinston and loved the small community that also wants to get bigger. I have been coaching Crossfit Kinston since Sept 2023 and have been enjoying it since. There is nothing seeing the look on people faces when they finally get a movement.