I didn’t grow up under a barbell. I found it — slowly, curiously — after running groups, group fitness classes, and always wondering if the weight room was meant for someone else.

It wasn’t until after I had my daughter that I walked into a CrossFit gym and picked up a barbell for real. And once I did? I didn’t put it down.

In Olympic lifting, I found something I didn’t know I was missing: clarity, challenge, and the deep satisfaction of building something rep by rep. I traded CrossFit for a barbell full-time in 2017, built my dream garage gym during the pandemic, earned my USAW Level 1, and started coaching.

But my why goes deeper than platforms and PRs.

I coach because lifting has carried me through some of the hardest seasons of my life — loss, grief, transitions, injuries, doubt. I’ve participated in seminars with Olympians who broke down every detail of my movement. I’ve competed where people watched me fail — and cheered when I succeeded. And I’ve always come back to the bar, because lifting reminds me: I can do hard things. I can get back up. I can get stronger.

To me, strength isn’t just physical. It’s strength of mind. Strength of heart. It’s showing up on the days when nothing feels right, and doing the work anyway — slowly, patiently, and with purpose.

That’s what I bring to coaching. Whether you’re brand new to lifting or chasing down your next kilo, I’m here to help you feel strong, capable, and at home in your body. I’ll meet you with patience, honesty, and a deep respect for the process.

The Ember Lab is just me — a coach, a mom, a plant-loving, heavy-lifting human who believes strength is for every body.

Come as you are. We’ll rise from there.