Meet The Team

I am a born and bred New Yorker who has lived on 4 continents before I settled in Aotearoa. I spent over 26 years body-building, running and teaching aerobics before trying CrossFit in 2010. I became hooked on a fitness regime that focused ability and not aesthetics. A personal trainer at the time, I saw my clients who, like myself, were stuck in a monotonous routine with minimal and only visual results that never led to any sense of self-esteem or fulfilment. While many find themselves slowing down as they age, I am getting younger while raising a family of CrossFitters and competing in Olympic Weightlifting. I love watching Baseball (Lets Go Mets!), food (eating it, not cooking it), and the heat. I can sing three national anthems in three different languages.

Favorite exercise: The Clean

I was introduced to CrossFit in February 2011, and after my first WOD consisting of a 20min AMRAP of push ups, squats and sit ups I was instantly hooked and have never looked back! I love this sport with a passion and it’s this passion that has driven me to develop my individual skill and transfer this knowledge in a teaching environment. I have been actively involved in sport since childhood and represented the Bay of Plenty in netball at College level. I now follow my daughters sporting career and provide support to her and others at a coaching level also.

Favorite exercise: Double Unders
Least favorite: Thrusters

I started at CrossFit Waitakere as member at the start of 2015 after a few months of Olympic weightlifting and have never looked back since. CrossFit has given me strength physically and mentally over the years and it is my goal as a coach to help guide members on their own journey through fitness. Whether it’s preparing people for CrossFit competitions or helping them achieve their first pull-up, it’s a privilege to be part of the journey for all of our members on a daily basis.

I am a born and bred Westie (West Auckland)! I enjoyed playing sports whilst in high school. In my young adult years I did a little of bit of this sport and little bit of that sport, and a revolving “global-gym-goer”.I was introduced to CFW and started elements in July 2012. About 2013 I saw the light and converted to Olympic weightlifting. Since then I continued to train and actively compete in weightlifting. I also volunteer as a technical official both local and national competitions. Since June 2018, I have had the privilege and enjoy coaching Olympic weightlifting classes, catering for all levels of ability.

I was introduced to the world of CrossFit in April 2013. I fell in love almost instantly!! Since then, I have been addicted to the ever-changing workouts and challenges thrown my way. The mental and physical challenge that CrossFit demands is like no other training regime I had tried before. After living above the gym for almost a year as just a member, I realised that I was curious about the world of coaching. I completed by Level 1, and am now a part time coach at the box. I love watching people make transitions, and strive to become better at skills and movements, whilst smashing their goals along the way!

I was born and raised in South Africa and moved to New Zealand when I was 16 and now call myself ‘Kiwi’. After a few years of travelling I came back to NZ and graduated from the New Zealand College of Massage in 2011. I then went on to set up my Sports Massage business and I kept getting CrossFit clients which led me to go and try out a class to get a better understanding of the sport.

My first class was in 2013 and I fell in love straight away and haven’t looked back. I now coach part time and thoroughly enjoy seeing people progress, achieve their goals and surprise themselves with what they can do. I’ve always been involved in sport; hockey, running, rowing, swimming to name a few, but Crossfit has always kept me interested, challenged and looking forward to each training session.

I have worked, and currently work massaging alongside many sporting teams and individuals including the All Blacks, the Blues, the Gold Coast Titans, Ironman athletes, Rugby World Cup teams, the Black Ferns and with many community sporting events around the North Island.

Kia ora koutou , I have been with Crossfit Waitakere as a member since it opened and have been coaching for the past two and a bit years. I was a competitive swimmer when I was younger and played every sport that was going such as touch, netball, basketball – did bootcamps and a range of other things.

I remember being very anxious about trying CrossFit because I didn’t feel like I was fit enough. Turns out I sucked, however having found the courage to turn up and give it a go and still living to tell the tale, I was and still am hooked. I enjoy coaching and especially watching people challenge themselves and having personal transformations, whether it is in the mind, body or spirit.

I tried CrossFit for the first time back in 2013 and have loved being part of this community ever since. It has allowed me to do things physically and mentally that I didn’t think I could ever do. The members at CrossFit Waitakere inspire me to do the best I can in my coaching and I am grateful to see their progress through their own journeys in CrossFit and life.

My sporting background is mostly in hockey, where I have represented various regions through the age groups and now in masters grades. I have also proudly represented NZ playing for the 35s Master Hockey Team a few years back. Aside from CrossFit and hockey I also practice kung fu with my kids and am currently working towards my blue belt.

I coach our daughters hockey team and love supporting both of our kids in their respective sports.

I’m a full time rehab trainer at Unitec Sports Centre, where I train clients with parkinsons, dementia, Cerebral palsy, special needs and the elderly on a one on one, full time basis. Twelve years on, I still enjoy it.
My sporting career was as an Olympic Weightlifter for 8years. The high lights from this was winning my weight class in 2009 NZ nationals for the under 63kgW category.I then went on to try long distance running and loved it, but the combination of both Olympic weightlifting and long distance running was not a good one. So in 2013 I was invited to attend a CrossFit session, and found the programming had a good balance of strength, cardio and mobility.

In 2014 I decided to retire from Olympic weightllifting, sticking with running and CrossFit and I’m still going! Join me for our weekly fun runs on Sundays before Yoga.

I love to move, but have never excelled at one thing, never the fastest, strongest or most skilled at whatever sport or activity I have tried. I was searching for training regimen where I could express and improve as many physical qualities possible at once and be a generalist. So, when I found CrossFit I was hooked first with the idea, that it is possible, as it redefined what it meant to me to be “fit”.

I started training by myself at first, but motivation through healthy competition and equipment were lacking. Joining CrossFit Waitakere in 2014 I became part of a community, surrounding myself with people who want to better themselves, who push themselves and have fun while doing it. To me CrossFit training is about challenging yourself mentally, progressing yourself physically and most importantly socialising with others who have the same interests- after picking yourself up off the floor and left a sweat angel.

I love to coach, motivate and help people own their bodies to reach whatever physical aim they desire, I have benefited greatly from CrossFit and I enjoy assisting CFW members’ own fitness journeys by making class fun, engaging and as informative as I can.

Ehsan Bayati was born and raised in Abadan, Iran and has been weightlifting for 38 years since he was 11 years old. His best records are from the now retired u60 kg weight category with a125kg snatch, 152.5 kg Clean & Jerk and best Total of 275 kgs. He has won a total of 72 medals from 1984 till 2017. Ehsan came to New Zealand for the 2017 Master Games where he took gold in his age (45-49) and weight division (u69) in 2017 and has resettled here.
He has successfully done an international coaching weightlifting certification from 2004 through to 2008 and has coached many national and international athletes for the Iranian Federation including the 2016 gold medalist Sohrab Moradi in Doha.
We are very fortunate to have him at Waitakere Olympic Weightlifting where he is currently available for private coaching.

Ngapuhi Toa, Coach “K” has a background in yoga, mountain biking, swimming and Rugby. An avid surfer and never a gym goer, he was duped into trying CrossFit by his wife in 2011 and was immediately hooked. A rigger by day, he can often be seen at the top of the ropes or doing butterfly pullups from the roof truss.

Favorite exercise: Burpees
Least Favorite: Running

I have been doing yoga for over 25 years and CrossFit for the past 7 years.
You don’t need to be flexible to do CFW Yoga/Mobility but giving the body a chance to recover & realign through stretching is going to help with flexibility.
Elongating and creating more elasticity in our muscles will make them feel better, improve performance in CrossFit and is important in preventing injury.
So after a week of WOD’s, come join us on a Sunday for a ‘happy hour’ of Yoga and mobility -your body will thank you!