Coaches

Mike Rawlinson - Owner & Head Coach

After graduating from the University of Birmingham with a BSc in Economics, Mike began a career working for a large financial company in Harrogate. After five years with the company Mike was becoming increasingly disheartened with his desk job and in 2008 resigned in order to pursue a more rewarding career.

While studying for his qualification as a personal trainer Mike discovered CrossFit.com. After reading around the website and watching countless videos Mike began incorporating CrossFit workouts into his training and rapidly saw consistent improvements in his strength and fitness. Mike started using CrossFit methodologies with his personal training clients and group classes who all began enjoying their training more than ever and achieving excellent results.

In August 2010, after many months of planning, Mike set up CrossFit Leeds to offer a well equipped, functional, strength and conditioning facility where people could go to get quality coaching and become better educated on how to improve their all round health and fitness. Mike prides himself on teaching his members proper mechanics in order that they can train safely and effectively in order to get the optimum benefit from their training. He puts his heart and soul into training the members at CrossFit Leeds and takes great pride in watching his athletes consistently achieve new goals. Mike has coached and inspired five former members of CrossFit Leeds to go on to open their own CrossFit affiliates around the UK.

Having a sporting background in football and athletics Mike enjoys getting involved in the competitive aspect of CrossFit and has been competing as far back as the CrossFit Games UK and Ireland Sectional in June 2009. Since then he has been part of the team that finished second at the annual Divided We Fall Games in Swansea in 2010, won a gold medal at the English Indoor Rowing Championships in February 2011, and was a member of the CrossFit Leeds affiliate team that finished fourth in Europe at the CrossFit Games Regional competition in June 2011.

Qualifications

Premier Level 3 Personal Trainer

CrossFit Level 1 Certified Coach

CrossFit Weightlifting Certified Coach

CrossFit Football Certified Coach

UKSCA Weightlifting Instructor

OLF Extreme Kettlebell Instructor

Premier Sports Massage Therapist

First Aid Qualified

Rosie Plowman - Coach

Rosie has over eight years experience working one to one with personal training clients and coaching group fitness classes. While always working to improve her own knowledge and experience, Rosie constantly strives to better educate the people she works with in order that they can get the most out of their training.

Rosie has been doing CrossFit since the opening of CrossFit Leeds in September 2010. She has dedicated herself to learning and understanding the techniques and skills it takes to become a great CrossFit coach while consistently improving her own physical competencies. She went on to complete her CrossFit Level 1 Certification in May 2011 and has been a valued part of the CrossFit Leeds coaching team since then.

Rosie enjoys the competitive aspect of CrossFit and earned a spot on the affiliate team that finished fourth at the CrossFit Games Europe Regional in 2011. She has also won a gold medal at the English Indoor Rowing Championships and finished as the sixth fittest female in the UK at the annual CrossFit Central Manchester Games. Rosie has also enjoyed competing in two seasons of triathlons over sprint and Olympic distances and notes that her CrossFit training has improved her fitness and speed to make her stronger in all three disciplines.

Rosie believes in working hard for what you want to achieve in life, be it your career, fitness or goal of any kind. “If you believe in yourself, put the effort in and keep having fun along the way, you will be rewarded with great results.”

Qualifications

NASM Level 3 Personal Trainer

Level 1 CrossFit Certified Coach

Level 2 Certified Triathlon Coach

NASM Junior Athletic Conditioning Coach

NASM Advanced Pregnancy Training Specialist

First Aid Qualified

Luke Holmes - Coach

CrossFit and performance training for Luke are his biggest passions in life. His first experience in fitness came as an 8 year old boy being taught how to clean and squat with a broomstick by his dad, who ran a gym in a disused function room above a pub in Bristol.

Luke moved up to Leeds to study a BA(Hons) in Sports Development, and found CrossFit in September 2010 in his second year at university. CrossFit was very much a light bulb moment for Luke. Playing a lot of rugby has always given Luke an extensive interest in performance and strength training, and after training at CrossFit Leeds for a few months, Luke knew that this was his calling as a coach and athlete. After saving enough money and taking his CrossFit Level 1 Certification, Luke began coaching at CrossFit Leeds in October 2011bringing with him an extensive knowledge in sports science and coaching.

Luke takes pride in teaching people how to be stronger and move more efficiently, especially within weightlifting. His main areas of expertise and interest are around strength training, Olympic weightlifting and sport specific training.

As a youngster, Luke enjoyed taking part in sports like Judo and Boxing and then began to play competitive rugby in his teens where he competed at a county level. Since taking part in CrossFit Luke has entered various competitions, recently finishing in third place at the British Weightlifting/Crossfit Open in December 2011.

Qualifications

National Diploma in Sport and Exercise Science
Crossfit Level 1 Certified Coach

CrossFit Level 1 Certified Coaches