CrossFit Aestus

Kristen Hughes has been a CrossFitter since 2012, and she specializes in coaching young people. She loves the challenge that CrossFit presents, and finds that when combined with her passion for working with children, she can give back to the community. As a teacher of over 16 years, she is passionate about “growth and development both in and out of the classroom.”

“I believe that the earlier we teach our children healthy habits, the more successful they will be in life,” she says. “The life skills that CrossFit can offer our youth are endless. Watching children gain confidence and take risks will never get old”

An avid sprint triathaloner and half-marathoner with over 20 races under her experienced belt, Kristen fell in love with fitness because a student recommended she try it. Now, she says “CrossFit has changed my life in so many ways… I want to pass those things on to our youth by coaching CrossFit kids”

If Kristen isn’t teaching in the classroom or at the gym, she can be found cheering on her 14 year old son at a soccer game.

Angela has always been athletic. As a kid, she grew up playing softball and taking dance and was even a cheerleader in college. Later, she was introduced to Pole Fitness and became an Aradia Fitness instructor. But that wasn’t the end of her journey. A friend recommended CrossFit, and although initially reluctant, she decided to give it a shot. She’d never lifted a barbell before, yet after one class, Angela was addicted! These days, she spends her time teaching total body conditioning, core strength building, while improving stamina and flexibility.

Coach Josh Beck is passionate about guiding people through a learning/growth process, which often challenges preconceived ideas. “As both a physics and anatomy teacher, I have the opportunity to teach how the human body functions efficiently on its own, and also how we physically interact with other objects within our world,” he says. “Maintaining a healthy body and using it effectively to interact with our environment are both major contributors to our success as athletes. So that passion for teaching translates to coaching when I can help people better understand what makes their body ‘go’ from a physiological perspective and how to use their body, from a physical perspective, to maximize mechanical advantage and power output.”

Josh enjoys the fact that our members have a wide range of diverse interests, talents, goals and personalities that all contribute to making the CFA community unique and enjoyable to coach. “They make me laugh, they make me think, and they challenge me with insightful questions,” he says. “Each member has their own reasons for working out, and everyone is working hard to get better in some capacity. I enjoy being part of that growth process, and seeing our members celebrating each other’s successes just as much as their own.”

As an athlete, Josh has competed in half-marathons, obstacle course races, and as an age-group triathlete. His path to coaching started from a desire to learn as much as possible about a sport that was new to him. “CrossFit provided exactly what I was looking for, and the more I learned in classes, the more I wanted to know,” he says.

His favorite motivational saying: “Don’t give up. Don’t ever give up.” ~Jim Valvano

Coach Heather’s first love of fitness came by way of karate, soccer, and a variety of other sports. After an injury that ended her collegiate soccer career, she fell into a wavering fitness routine which lasted until the birth of her second child.

After that, she began running as her primary source of exercise and fell in love with fitness all over again. “In 2010, I ran my first half-marathon at the Outer Banks and met some folks from a program called Girls on the Run. I was intrigued and ended up becoming a volunteer coach at one of our local chapters. I think working with those kids is what really spurred my desire to coach and help others.”

Today she’s one of our most passionate coaches and enjoys connecting with our athletes to ensure their specific fitness goals are inched closer to every day. She truly loves spreading the knowledge of functional fitness to help her community become a healthier and happier place. This spreads to all aspects of her life as she is primarily committed to raising her 3 boys to be strong and loving human beings. We’re proud to have Coach Heather on our team.