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about us

serving the Waterbury Village Historic District area as your guide on the journey to a healthier, happier self

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our mission

We are not just a fitness program. At Waterbury Functional Fitness we are a vehicle for life change. Anyone that has been a member at Waterbury Functional Fitness for more than a few months can testify to the unique environment that is fostered by our coaching staff and our community.

This place has become a “third place” for many of our members outside of the work and home life.

It’s a place they come to unwind, work off stress and know that they can be their true authentic self.

No matter what your background is, your age, race, religion, or political beliefs… In this gym, we are all athlete on the same journey. In this gym we all root for each other. We all push each other through difficult times, we all celebrate breakthroughs both physical and mental. In this gym, we all may look and act a little different but we are all part of the Waterbury Functional Fitness family.

The small ripple effect that occurs from nurturing happier healthier humans, extends from gym life to the world around us.

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OUR MISSION:

TO PROVIDE

positive & challenging environments promoting health, fitness, well being & community

our story

CrossFit Solus was established in December of 2009. Our gym started in our 800 square foot shop with just a handful of friends and some lofty dreams that we could change the way that people thought about fitness. After seeing multiple physical transformations from our members through the CrossFit workouts and a Zone/ Paleo style diet, we knew there was something special to this program.

Our passion for CrossFit grew even stronger as we noticed the mental and emotional effects it had on people. The workouts were hard, sometime unbearable, but we were a team and we all battled it out together and bonded from it. Over time we could see the confidence, camaraderie and genuine care for our fellow athlete grow more and more each day.

In the beginning, we thought we were just selling fitness, but in reality we were developing relationships, building self confidence, overcoming insecurities, forging grittiness, learning empathy, and on top of all of the dramatic physical transformations that were in the works, the mental transformations were by far the most gratifying. Our Mission was simple, transform one life at a time. Every person that stepped foot into our gym, we made it our goal to give them best possible service and training program that we could. It didn’t matter where you came from or what your background was, for that hour of that day, we were a family and we were there to support you. A family that strived to make this the BEST hour of your day!

In 2011, me moved into our commercial location in town. As we approach year 11 of our affiliation, our vision for the future remains the same. We are in constant pursuit of excellence in all that we do and we will always strive to improve our program the best we can. Our community of athletes at CrossFit Solus are second to none. They are some of the most caring and supportive group you will ever meet. We value every relationship we get to have with all our athletes and thank God to have them in our lives.
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OUR PEOPLE IS WHAT MAKES US GREAT

OUR TEAM

Katie Bilodeau

coach
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Dani Kehlmann

coach
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Monica Ogelby

coach
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Jimmy Hoepker

coach
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Hans von Briesen

coach
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Julie Hoepker

Coach
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Nicole Talbert

coach
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ARE YOU READY TO LEVEL UP?

getting started is easy!

1. SCHEDULE YOUR FIRST VISIT

Talk with a coach about your goals and learn how we can get you to your best self.

2. START YOUR TRAINING

You have defined your goals and you are ready to begin your journey. We will start you strong by taking you through the fundamentals of training and sound habits putting you on the road to success!

3. HAVE FUN REACHING NEW LEVELS

Once you have the basics down you’ll book classes easily on our app, enjoy the workouts with awesome people and reach your goals in no time!

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Waterbury Functional Fitness

CONTACT US

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GETTING STARTED IS EASY!

New to CrossFit?
Fill out the form below to sign up for one of our Free Trial Classes and experience what we are all about.

We are excited to meet you!

Katie Bilodeau

COACH

For the past eight years, Katie has had the wonderful opportunity of being a part of CrossFit and its ever-growing community. CrossFit has been a catalyst toward her growth professionally, physically, and mentally.

Katie has been coaching for seven of her eight years in CrossFit, spending 3,700 hours coaching in a head or assistant capacity at both CrossFit Burlington and CrossFit Shelburne. During these coaching years, she has worked with many athletes of all abilities, skill levels, all with different goals.

Katie’s fitness ethos: I coach because I love providing a safe and fun environment for people to learn and grow toward their personal goals. The beauty is when people find things they weren’t even looking for in the process and they have a whole community behind them in all of their efforts. Working with people is my passion, which is why I have and will continue to dedicate myself toward this evolving craft that I have fallen in love with.

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Dani Kehlmann

COACH

Dani is a teacher first, athlete second, and her passion is taking the knowledge, strength, and joy that fitness gives her and bringing it to others. She started CrossFit in early 2012 and instantly fell in love; not only did she find a path to physical wellness, she also found a community that would soon become family.

She received her Level 1 Trainer Certification in 2014, received her Olympic Weightlifting Certification in 2015, and is happy to announce her recent acceptance into the Level 2 Trainer Certification fold, passing her test in late November 2019. Dani is a full-time physical education teacher and has studied Anatomy and Physiology and Kinesiology, and is constantly in pursuit of additional education. She was a trainer at CrossFit Waterbury between 2014-2017 and is thrilled to be a part of the coaching staff once again!

Dani’s fitness ethos: Functional Fitness can be so many different things to each member of the gym. For some, it’s a reason to get up in the morning. For others, it’s a way to keep up with their kiddos—or to take a break from them, depending on the day. Strength and conditioning can make you a better skier, biker, hiker, or ultra runner. CrossFit can be a part of your self-care. Whatever gets you out the door and into the gym, we want to support you.

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Monica Ogelby

COACH

Monica has been doing CrossFit since 2011 and can say with the utmost confidence that she’s significantly stronger and fitter than when she was playing collegiate level sports or trying any other variety of programs or classes. What you think is impossible as a new member—double-unders, pull-ups, 20 inch box jumps—you will do proficiently in a year and move on to faster, taller, and heavier challenges. If you’re passionate about biking, skiing, or something else, CrossFit is going to make you a stronger athlete in those arenas as well. And if you’re like Monica and have never found that outlet of fitness that kept you engaged and satisfied, look no further.

By day, she’s a pediatric nurse practitioner, and her other prestigious titles include partner to Matthew Ogelby (fellow member) and co-parental unit to The Turds: George and Greta. When she’s not at work or the gym, you can find her eating snacks she hides from her children. Her passion for Missy Elliot and Beyonce runs deep, as you’ll quickly learn during her classes. And if she doesn’t make you laugh while you’re in her class, she owes you a burpee.

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Jimmy Hoepker

COACH

Prior to CrossFit, Jimmy was a Division 1 Swimmer at Manhattan College. He’s been doing CrossFit since the end of 2012, and has been coaching CrossFit in a part-time capacity since late 2013. In addition to his CFL1, he has a CrossFit Weightlifting certification, has completed the CrossFit Scaling Online Course, a 2020 CF online Programming Course, and has attended multiple Olympic Lifting Seminars. CrossFit has changed Jimmy’s life dramatically, from a fitness and health perspective and from a personal perspective as well. He met his wife, fellow coach Julie Hoepker, at CrossFit. He loves imparting the knowledge that he’s learned over the years to athletes, both new and experienced and looks forward to continuing in this vein at CrossFit Waterbury.

“My wife and I moved up to Vermont from just outside New York City in February of 2018,” says Hopeker of his move to Vermont. “We had been visiting the area for the past few years before that and would always drop into CrossFit Waterbury. We loved the community and they always made us feel welcome. Joining up right away once we moved here was a natural choice, and being able to coach and program for this awesome community is a privilege and is so much fun!”

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Hans von Briesen

COACH

Moving has always been a happy place for me.  Sometimes born from a curiosity to explore, while other times it is a need for emotional grounding.

Soccer, skiing, and mountain biking have been with me since a young age and kept me fit, but Functional Fitness introduced me to a new and ridiculously fun way to train.  Over the years I have accomplished various physical goals I set for myself, and that is great, but what I really learned was the mental tenacity was trained in those hard places deep in a workout.  We are all so capable and can take our lessons far beyond the gym space.  Since tapping into a new level of mental strength, I am able to dive deeper into my physical strength.

As a lover of the body and watching the way things move in space and always looking to improve my athletic endeavors, coaching came as a natural course to take.  I worked at summer soccer camps when I was younger, and began working with Adaptive athletes as an instructor when I was 16.  That shifted to more experienced freestyle and big mountain skiers in Colorado and even more refined athletes at the Sugarbowl Academy.

There are some amazing stories to tell from working with so many incredibly talented athletes over the years, but the biggest lesson I have learned is Adapt, Adjust, Accommodate.  Every body is unique and deserves and needs respect.  I hope that every day we train we can bring that check-in with us and to those around us.

Whether you are the next Olympian in your discipline, or just trying to shake off some cobwebs built up from a lifetime of living, I hope we can enjoy some time pushing ourselves and to stay curious.

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Julie Hoepker

COACH

As a young tike, Julie’s interest in sports carried into many different athletic endeavors; varsity volleyball and softball in high school, along with other extracurricular interest: touch football, rollerblade hockey and running. These interests eventually led to two half-marathons as well as dabbling in kickboxing, Muay Thai, spinning, Spartan Racing, Olympic lifting and KB focused classes. All of these were fun, but none of them kept her interest longer than a year.

Enter CrossFit. Julie finally felt like she found something that was a fun and an ever-changing lifetime endeavor—the workouts were awesome, she was getting stronger, and being “part of a community” was the bonus of it all.

After doing CF for a few years, Julie decided to obtain her CF-1 certification. Coaching has been an amazing experience that has given Julie a chance to see her fellow athletes get stronger while encouraging them to accomplish their goals.

About her love of the CFW Community, Julie notes, “My husband and I are originally from New York and have been visiting Vermont since we started dating. We loved it up here so much that we decided to get married here (Inn at the Round Barn) and then…drumroll…move here! I have to say, one of the main contributing factors of us knowing that moving away from family would be doable, is the CF Waterbury community. They accepted us with open arms and made us feel like we were members from the very start…and for that, we are truly grateful!”

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Nicole Talbert

COACH

Physical activities and competitive sports have always been a part of Nicole’s life, and lifestyle. For most of Nicole’s life she was invested in travel soccer teams, track or lacrosse, and equestrian competitions. As a competitive three-season athlete growing up, she maintained her personal love of fitness through several hobbies thereafter: cycling, mountain biking, distance running, rock climbing, hiking, open water swimming – and of course, CrossFit. When she is not doing any number of her favorite hobbies(sometimes multiple in a day), you can find her parenting her tiny human Mirabella, hanging out with her dogs Echo and Cinnamon, and of course, working her full time job as a REALTOR with Ridgeline Real Estate. 

Six years ago Nicole approached the CrossFit lifestyle, and like many, began with fundamentals, and two full years of practice prior to acquiring her Level I Certification in 2017. She hit the ground running and started coaching 10-12 classes per week at Mountain Trail CrossFit in both large and small groups. Her practice within CrossFit over the years has helped her uniquely identify key practices for success in performance, while keeping her cardio endurance high and building muscle required for life in and outside of the gym. 

Just before the start of the pandemic, Nicole found herself in the WFF community and instantly felt at home. As soon as a coaching position became available she jumped at the chance to join the team! Nicole is excited to work alongside other like minded athletes and coaches to help everyone improve each class.

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OUR PRICING IS SIMPLE

We Want To Offer You
The PERFECT Membership For YouR NEEDS.

Simply fill out the form below
& one of our amazing coaches
will send you our current
membership information.

Member Handbook

Class Registration.
Sign up for class is required in advance on TRIIB. Class sizes are limited to ensure coaches can provide every athlete with the attention and support they deserve and need. Rare and unplanned circumstances aside, athletes are required to drop a class no later than 1 hour prior to start time.

Class Cancelation.
We will do everything in our power to prevent class cancellations under any and all circumstances. Because we are a small operation with a finite team of coaches, we appreciate your understanding that extenuating circumstances may arise outside of our control. Please make sure your email address and phone number are correct in Triib so we can notify you of last minute changes.

Early Bird Policy.
If no members are signed up for class 1 hour in advance of start time, class is canceled.

Inclement Weather.
Class will only be canceled if travel puts coaches and members at unnecessary risk. We will rely heavily on whether members are signed up for the early morning classes to make this call, so please abide by the Early Bird Policy.

Clean Up. Members are expected to wipe down their equipment after use. Antiseptic wipes are available for this purpose. Bar brushes are available for removing chalk from barbells or the rig after particularly aggressive chalk use. If you bleed on any equipment, let a coach know and we can assist in using the correct solution. Leave equipment and the space how you would want to find it.

Tardiness.
We expect members to be dressed and ready to go by the start of class. We also understand that life gets in the way of our best laid plans. Being late on occasion is understood and we know you will join in class without disruption. If a member is chronically late in a way that is disruptive to the class or potentially putting themselves in danger by not allowing for adequate warm up and mobility, the issue may need to be addressed.

Membership Holds + Cancellation Policy.
Membership holds and cancellations must be requested by filling out the “Membership Management” tab at the bottom of our website. Requests must be made at least 72 hours in advance of the change. To read the full policy, see the “Membership Management” tab on our website.

Membership Changes.
Any changes to membership other than holds or cancellations, may be submitted in writing to info@waterburyfunctionalfitness.com. Changes must be requested 2 business days in advance of the billing date.

Kids.
For their safety and your sanity, children are not permitted on the gym floor while class is in session. If your children accompany you to the gym, they must be of an age and responsibility level to hang in the back room independently.

Dogs.
We love them, but not while working out. We take the safety of our athletes and their pets seriously, which is why dogs are not permitted in the gym during class times. If long runs are programmed during a WOD and you want to bring your dog with you, they must be on a leash and owners must be prepared to clean up after their dogs during the run. If your dog would like to say hello before or after class, we would gladly welcome that.

Community Etiquette.
This is a community and your behavior impacts others. If you chronically drop classes last minute, are disruptive, don’t clean up after yourself or disrespect our policies, coaches reserve the right to excuse you from class and ownership reserves the right to terminate your membership without refund.

We Are Hiring

Waterbury Functional Fitness is hiring!

WFF is looking to add a coach to our dynamic and committed team. We enthusiastically welcome diversity and strive to be inclusive both in our membership and our coaching staff.

WFF is a small CrossFit affiliate in the heart of Vermont, nested amongst mountains, water and delicious food. Our roughly 80 members are in the gym just as much as they are on mountain bikes or ski slopes. Despite our small size, 5 of our athletes qualified for The Games quarterfinals. So while we pride ourselves on how welcoming we are and how much fun we have together, we also have the ability to support and grow skilled, committed athletes. It’s a community where there is truly something for everyone.

This coaching position is salaried and part time, with the expectation to coach between 8 and 10 classes per week including weekends. Most classes will be regularly scheduled, some may be part of our On Ramp rotation. Compensation is $20-25 per class, depending on experience and certifications. Includes a discounted membership.

Consider this a starting point. We are open minded to new ideas and supporting our coaches’ development and passion.

Minimum Qualifications

1+ years of CrossFit or functional fitness training as an athlete
CrossFit Level 1
CPR Certification

To apply, please send a cover letter and resume to
info@waterburyfunctionalfitness.com
Address correspondence to Katie Bilodeau, Head Coach.

HOLD POLICY

You may place your Membership on hold one (1) time per calendar year up to a maximum of three (3) consecutive months. Advanced notice of at least 72 hours is required. The hold must be at least 10 days in duration. Upon expiration of the term of the hold, your account will automatically become active and payments will resume. Should you choose to return prior to the end of their hold period, the hold will be released and payments will resume.

CANCELLATION POLICY

All membership agreements require 72 hours written notice to cancel your membership. This form will serve as your written cancellation notice. Note that if you have a scheduled renewal payment within 72 hours of your invoice billing date, the payment will be processed as scheduled. Your membership will be canceled at the end of your final paid month. All membership payments are non-refundable.

MEMBERSHIP CANCELLATION REQUEST

Please fill out the form below and one of our team members will review your request. Warning. The submission of this form does not cancel your membership. We will review your request, then reach out to confirm.

HAVE QUESTIONS?

We Would Love To Meet You!

Simply fill out the form below
& one of our amazing
coaches will be in touch asap! We are excited to meet you!

ARE YOU LOOKING TO DROP-IN?

Experienced Cross Fit athletes are welcome to drop in to any of our classes.

Fill out the form below to reserve your spot in class, complete our waiver and make payment. Drop In Rate is $25 per class.

Dropping in for a few classes?

Message us and we'll figure something out for you.

Location:

53 N Main St, Waterbury Village Historic District, VT 05676, USA

PHONE:

GIVE US A CALL
(802)560-7198