Tess Bates

I grew up in South Shore Massachusetts, and I am so lucky to have had a lot of really great opportunities. Sports have been THE foundation for growth for me and are something I credit for supporting in the development of a plethora of life skills; leadership, work ethic, teamwork, communication, virtually any sought after skill. I spent the greater part of my life on this planet playing soccer for various clubs and then for the University of Vermont. Peak achievements was in high school with a National Championship win. Since fully retiring from soccer I have certainly gained a greater appreciation for other sports and what they can teach you, especially crossfit which encapsulates a mental, emotional and physical test each and every workout.

You won't find a greater advocate for the importance of participation in sport and I think that has attributed to my interest in being a coach and helping people reach their goals, get a good workout in and feel confident about themselves for accomplishing, every day they are in the gym, things that a very small percent of the world does. It's a privilege to be able to keep moving our bodies and testing ourselves-even when it's hard!

We are our own worst enemy and I think it can be a daily battle to believe in what you are capable of. I think the smallest feats of the day; getting up, going to the gym, getting your work done, showing up for your family are proof enough of what we are capable of. It is the building of good habits, sticking with your goals and understanding that the most important things to focus on in life are what you can control, and that can be hard to remember.

I think I have multiple turning points all the time that help change the trajectory of my life. Moments and thoughts that bring me back to reality and remind me that we are all really lucky to, hopefully, be in good health, have love in our life and have opportunities to do the things we love. It is always easier said then done to look on the bright side but I think it is important to at least identify the bright things in our lives that hep us be the best versions of ourselves.

My passion is to help people understand how important it is to work on and maintain their functional fitness, even if it looks different from other people. I am also passionate about the feeling you get after accomplishing something hard which happens every day in the gym and people should be really proud of what they're doing to better themselves. My motivation are the people who keep coming in and putting in the work; when it's scary, hard or uncomfortable. Let's just get it done to the best of our ability