Vanessa McCoy competed in Olympic Weightlifting for over 10 years. In that time, she won the USA Weightlifting National Championships, American Open, and the National University Championships. She also holds medals in international competition at the World University Championships, and a bronze medal in the Olympic Test Event in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Team USA. Vanessa has competed in functional fitness across the world as well. Along with her many competitions and podiums throughout her career, she recently competed as a part of the United States Functional Fitness Team at the World Championships in Cairo, Egypt. She was a competitive gymnast in her youth, and has been coaching gymnastics for the past 15 years.

Cogen is a retired Marine Corps Sergeant, due to a combat injury and medical discharge. After being injured in Iraq, he discovered CrossFit a few years into his recovery. Doctors told him he would never be able to do high repetitions of exercise movements, lift heavy weights, or maintain the endurance and lifestyle he once had. A close friend and fellow Marine, (and Level 1 CrossFit Instructor), challenged him to try CrossFit because it was “scale-able” to all levels. Cogen couldn’t tell you what his first workout was or how much weight he lifted, but a few years later, he is lifting more, running faster, and challenging himself daily to bring more intensity into every workout.

In addition to CrossFit, Cogen played college football for two years and after the Marine Corps with the help of CrossFit he was a multi-sport athlete (swimming, track & field, and shooting) and competitive road cyclist representing Team USA paracycling and the Marine Corps as a disabled veteran. After years of leadership roles in the Marine Corps and a few seasons of coaching youth basketball, baseball and volleyball, Cogen is combining his passion for leading, coaching and love for CrossFit. He is looking forward to working with all types of athletes, both young and old, seasoned gym-goer or injured athlete to help them find the fire within. Never Surrender!