Zach Stern
Coach
Max deadlift: 405
1k row time: 3:37
Max unbroken double unders: 150
Qualifications
CrossFit Level 1 Certification
Adult and child CPR/AED/First Aid
Current undergraduate studies in Exercise Sports Science and Sports Medicine at UNC Chapel Hill
About Coach
My background as a former competitive ice hockey goaltender exposed me to sports performance and nutrition at a young age. I played throughout North America, finishing my career in the North American Hockey League for the Odessa Jackalopes. Due to multiple orthopedic surgeries, I had to put away my skates and find a new athletic outlet - that being CrossFit. Years of training as an athlete dealing with injuries - and returning to sport after surgeries - has given me tremendous insight into how to adjust workouts as needed in order to conform to an individual's medical history and limitations.
Turning Point
The first 18 years of my life were spent pursuing a professional hockey career, all to be ended in one night due to an undiagnosed ankle infection. I had two options: give up and be lost, or get up and find a new passion. I chose the latter. Instead of skates and a puck, I found a barbell and a pull-up bar. Not only that, but my laundry-list of injuries instilled within me a passion for learning about the human body, and as such I am now pursuing a career in physical therapy.
Motivation & Passion
CrossFit allows anyone and everyone to improve his or her fitness, whether it be to compete or to have a better quality of life. Coaching CrossFit is a way that I can help people attain these goals, just as coaches throughout my life did for me.
