Introducing the Strive Health and Fitness team
Meet the fitness experts that are here to help you achieve your goals
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Our Staff
Jeff Rice
Head Coach
One thing I’ve learned from coaching people on their fitness journey for over 20 years is that hard work pays off. Rewards might not be instant, the road is not always easy but we do get out what we put in.
It’s possible for us to make a difference in our fitness, it’s necessary we give our best effort and it’s worth the sacrifice we put in to feel our best.
My name is Jeff Rice and I’m a Coachthat can help you at whatever level your on to becoming the strongest version of yourself.
Blake Rice
My training journey is unique. I was not the ex-athlete trying to get back into shape. I had played with different globo gym ‘routines’ but didn’t stick with anything. I had some health issues such as type two diabetes, first signs of anemia and I was about 40lbs overweight. I walked into Crossfit for the first time in January 2011 and I knew THIS is where I would turn my life around. That very day I gave up smoking, started eating right and committed to going to CrossFit 5 times a week. Within 4 months I was off all meds and had dropped a good bit of weight and gained muscle I had no clue I was capable of doing!!!
My love and belief in Crossfit and fitness quickly grew, and I became a Crossfit L1 Certified coach in 2013. My passion for coaching is out of this world! I love seeing new people start their journey and I instantly have flashbacks to being in their shoes and have the deep intuition “Oh gosh, they are going to love this!” The excitement I feel seeing new members/athletes is so refreshing, but to also see our seasoned athletes succeed in their fitness journey is nothing but pure excitement!
Within Crossfit I found a special love and appreciation for Olympic weightlifting. I became a USAW Certified L1 coach, as well as a Burgener Strength L1 Coach. I now specialize in coaching Olympic Weightlifting our Strive family! I love that moment before a lift where nothing else in the world matters…No other thoughts are in your head other than the calmness of focusing on nailing the lift. It’s a special type of calmness. A feeling of powerfulness, strength and being invincible. I enjoy sharing this passion with our athletes and help them grow physically and mentally!
#StriveStrong
Conner Pickett
Coach
Everyone’s journey begins with a single step.That first step may lie miles away from where we want it to but it’s about getting on the path. It is my mission to meet everyone, at their first step, and show them there is no wrong way to start. Just get up and get moving. Movement and the building blocks of our nutrition are the secret to unlocking the possibilities of life we only dreamt of. Here at Strive, we are able to put forth these beliefs in a place where strangers come in, work hard, and walk out family. As a nutrition coach and CrossFit Level 1 trainer, I have vowed to bring others along in this quest to build the best version of myself and live life with vitality. Knowing where to start is simply asking yourself: how close are you to becoming the person you say you want to be?
Jaron Matthews
Please check out my video bio below.
Sheridan Smith
Nutrition Coach
My name is Sheridan and I am one of the nutrition coaches here at Strive! I am certified in Holistic Nutrition and am a Precision Nutrition Level 1 Coach. I love CrossFit, lifting weights, hanging out with my little family and going on adventures to beautiful places.
I started having health issues in my mid-20s and after several years of trial and error to figure out how to help my body regain health, I wanted to be able to help others as well. I know first-hand how hard and frustrating it can be when you don’t feel well, when certain foods don’t agree with you and when you have no energy to accomplish the things you want.
I am so grateful to have the opportunity to help people reach their goals, feel like themselves again and do things they didn’t think were possible.
Lindsey Gross
Coach Lindsey has been a CrossFit athlete since she was 12 years old and fell in love with the sport. Her dad got her started with CrossFit until she was 13, and could join in classes with Coach Jeff. In 2021, at the age of 17, she earned her CrossFit Level 1.
Lindsey played competitive soccer for 10 years. In the fall of 2022 she will start attending Kennesaw State University to pursue a degree in exercise science.
Caralynn Doese
My name is Caralynn, and I am one of the youth coaches here at Strive! I am a freshman at Kennesaw State University, pursuing a degree in Kinesiology. I played multiple sports throughout my high school career, before finding my passion for Crossfit.
I started at Strive in the fall of 2020, working at the front desk. In January of 2021, I started my journey as a Crossfit athlete, and fell in love with the sport. Months later, I became a certified youth coach and am loving training our young athletes.