Growing up, Coach J9 was always athletic and “abnormally strong.” Born and raised in Elizabeth, New Jersey, she was known as the trackstar that was going to the Olympics. When she was 10, she participated in The Colgate Women’s Games, still the nation’s largest track series open to all girls from elementary school through college and beyond. By high school, she competed at a national level in her respective events and throughout college at both the University of Texas and the University of Arkansas. Throughout her sophomore year, she struggled with chronic tendinitis in both of my Achilles. Although she had many successes at Arkansas, her chronic tendonitis in both of her Achilles snuck back up on her. After a few years of being home in Jersey, she earned her Master of Public Administration degree while serving as a graduate assistant for the Men’s & Women’s Track & Field team at Rutgers University-Newark. Back on the track scene, she started working out again and worked Part-time with the Joetta Clark Diggs Sports Foundation as a fitness instructor and assistant to 4-Time Olympian “Joetta.” She dabbled a little more in the nonprofit sector becoming Associate Director of Track & Field and Educational Development at The Armory Foundation in New York. There she gained experience from the other side at a managerial level, helping run one of the largest indoor track & field facilities in the world as well as its college prep program serving underserved student-athletes in NYC. In 2013, she accepted the position as Head Women’s Cross Country and Assistant Men’s and Women’s Track & Field Coach at Long Island University-Brooklyn (LIU). Coaching on the collegiate level was awesome, however, something was still missing. Speaking about her sense of emptiness with a former teammate and Affiliate Owner, they came to the conclusion that she missed training. She missed working out regularly with other people. That is when she set a date with CrossFit at CFJC (now known as JCFit). It was love at first lift and she truly felt the warmth of such a diverse and inclusive community. It was powerful and exactly what she needed in her life. In 2017, she resigned from her position at LIU and pursued coaching CrossFit and training full time. Now she gets to do what she loves every day; coach and train. As a Head Coach, competitive athlete and mother to two very attention-seeking pups, she still lives the life of a Champion. Additionally, being an OUT Athlete, Coach and Lesbian of Color, she knows that the fight for racial equality and LGBTQ+ equality go hand-in-hand. Therefore, she’s made it a personal mission to find innovative ways to spread awareness, advocate for access and be a leader in the fight against discrimination. With this, she believes that her passion will contribute to the success of The OUT Foundation and its initiatives and being a Board President will provide her the opportunity to make a greater impact.