Skip is the owner and founder of AZFITCO and has spent most of his life teaching, coaching, training, and finding ways to get people moving. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education and Health and is a certified Strength and Conditioning Coach through USA Weightlifting, Kettlebell Training Coach through Alpha Kettlebell, and Nutritionist through ISSA. He’s also the bestselling author of I’ve Done Some Really Dangerous Things with Hula Hoops!

Before opening AZFITCO, Skip spent 19 years as a K–12 physical education teacher and athletics coach. He didn’t open a gym because he thought it would be a great way to make a living—he opened one because fitness, and helping other people become fitter and stronger, is genuinely what he loves to do.

Skip’s own training background is rooted in bodybuilding (he even graced the cover of a handful of fitness magazines back in the day). He combined that experience with Amanda’s CrossFit background to create the unique strength and conditioning programming that became the foundation of AZFITCO. And after all these years, the deadlift still holds the top spot as his favorite lift.

Outside the gym, Skip loves hiking, mountain biking, paddle boarding, and just about anything outdoors with his family, and REALLY likes being on a beach. He also loves going to concerts, but wishes bands would start around 3 p.m. instead of sometime past his bedtime.

Amanda has been part of AZFITCO since long before there was an AZFITCO. When Skip decided to take the leap and open a gym, she was there for all of it: business planning, finances, admin, branding, promotion, and perhaps most importantly, being the constant cheerleader reminding him that this crazy idea could actually work.

While AZFITCO was Skip’s dream, Amanda helped turn it into a community. Warm, outgoing, funny, and just the right amount of sarcastic, she has a way of genuinely getting to know people. She’s the person who somehow remembers what’s going on in your life, asks about it the next time she sees you, and listens to the answer. That sense that we’re all in this together is a huge part of what makes AZFITCO feel like AZFITCO, and Amanda has been at the heart of it from the beginning.

Outside of AZFITCO, Amanda holds a doctorate in Organizational Leadership with an emphasis in Special Education. She is also the owner of Arizona Creative Therapy Services (ACTS), a pediatric therapy company serving children with special needs. She loves staying active, spending time outdoors with her family, hiking, mountain biking, paddleboarding, and balancing all that activity with a well-earned love of ice cream.

These days, Amanda gets to enjoy AZFITCO as a member, where she takes full advantage of the excellent workout programming created by her husband. But she’s never really stopped being part of what moves the gym forward. She’s proud of what Skip took a chance on building, invested in where AZFITCO goes next, and will always be a big part of its story.

Brian is a USA Weightlifting Level 1 coach who loves lifting heavy. Squats, deadlifts, pull-ups, kettlebells. If it involves getting stronger, he’s probably a fan. And if Brian had complete control of the gym speakers on heavy lifting days, you could expect the kind of angry, yelling music that makes you want to add another plate to the bar, or plug your ears. Fortunately, he’s considerate of the rest of us.

Quiet at first but sneakily funny, Brian always has a smile on his face and is about as genuine as they come. He brings a calm, encouraging presence to the gym and genuinely enjoys helping members get stronger and more confident in their training.

Outside of AZFITCO, Brian plays guitar and is dad to two teenage girls who keep him plenty busy.

Suzy is a certified personal trainer with certifications in USA Weightlifting, stretch and flexibility, and assisted stretching. She brings plenty of energy to the gym and loves helping people get stronger, move better, and push themselves a little harder than they thought they could.

Bubbly, upbeat, and always ready to have fun, Suzy is also not afraid to call you out when she catches you dogging it, and somehow manages to make you laugh while doing it. Her love of coaching extends beyond AZFITCO as the strength and conditioning instructor at Coolidge High School and a high school boys club volleyball coach.

Outside the gym, Suzy loves traveling, playing beach volleyball, swimming, and spending time with her family. Basically, even her downtime tends to involve staying active.

Rodney has been active in sports for as long as he can remember, and that love of movement has never really gone away. For him, working out isn’t just something he does—it’s part of how he lives, and he believes staying active is one of the biggest keys to a balanced, healthy life.

As a coach, Rodney is positive, encouraging, and always in your corner, but he’s also probably going to push you just a smidge harder than you planned. He has a way of making you wonder if you could add a little more weight, squeeze out another rep, or maybe weren’t quite pushing yourself as hard as you thought you were.

Rodney leads by example, without ego or arrogance, and genuinely loves helping people reach their goals. Whether you’re brand new to fitness or working toward your next milestone, his goal is to help you challenge yourself, build habits that last, and leave the gym a little stronger and more confident than when you walked in.

Angie is a certified personal trainer who loves a good complex lift—give her a barbell, and she’s happiest working on snatches, cleans, and anything else that requires equal parts strength and coordination. She’s also known for her wildly diverse (but undeniably amazing) playlists. There’s really no telling what genre, or decade, is coming next.

Outside the gym, Angie is co-owner and CEO of Off the Deep End Pool Service. When she’s not coaching or running a business, she loves spending time with her family, escaping to Sedona whenever possible, and finding a good excuse to relax and recharge.

Carrie is certified in Olympic Weightlifting, Pilates, and TRX Pilates, which is an impressive way of saying she’s spent an unreasonable amount of time learning how to make people uncomfortable in several completely different ways. Her favorite lift is the sumo deadlift, and she loves helping people get stronger, move well, and maybe have a little fun while doing it.

A mom of three beautiful and ridiculously smart kids, Carrie is powered largely by music, sarcasm, heavy deadlifts, and the possibility that she might get to lie down later. She loves any kind of music she can dance to and requires very little encouragement to start dancing, which AZFITCO members have probably already figured out.

Outside the gym, Carrie loves hiking, BBC dramas, and competitive-level napping.

Her coaching philosophy: Lift heavy. Move well. Dance often. Nap whenever possible.

Matt comes to the AZFITCO coaching team with a background in both baseball and CrossFit coaching and a passion for helping people build strength, confidence, and healthy habits.

Long before becoming a coach at AZFITCO, Matt earned a reputation as one of those members who simply puts his head down and gets to work. He’s a quiet grinder who trains hard, rarely takes the easy way out, and brings a little more seriousness to his workouts than some of the rest of us. Don’t let that fool you, though! He has a great sense of humor and fits right in with the AZFITCO crew.

Outside the gym, Matt serves as the Pacific South Regional Sales Manager for Riddell, working with coaches and athletic programs throughout the region. When he’s not working or training, you’ll probably find him golfing. And when it comes to lifting, the deadlift is his clear favorite.

As one of the newest additions to the coaching team, Matt brings the same work ethic and consistency to coaching that AZFITCO members have already seen from him while working out alongside him.