Gym in
Harrisburg

Hi, my name is Coach Jarrad. I have been involved in weight training and exercise since I was a teenager through playing sports, the military service, a volunteer firefighter, my law enforcement career, and as a soccer and basketball coach. Throughout this journey I have made mistakes, been coached by some excellent fitness coaches and some not so good coaches. I have been able to use those experiences in my own sports coaching, law enforcement instructor development, personal fitness and professional life to be a better student, coach, and athlete. Over the past 30+ years my personal fitness has been a focus of mine to maintain a healthy lifestyle and to be prepared for what my law enforcement career could throw at me in a moment’s notice. Regular exercise and lifting heavy weight helped me through some very stressful events in my life and helped me overcome PTSD. The past 10 years I gravitated to a more functional fitness environment with CrossFit, then a combination of Olympic Lifting and Powerlifting and more recently Strongman training. I trained with some very experienced coaches in Olympic and Powerlifting and understand these complex movements and the realistic limitations each of us may have due to injury recovery, fitness level, overall health and mobility. I view myself first as a student, always willing to listen and learn which translates into being a more effective coach and person. I am not a “fitness junky”, although my wife may disagree, HA, HA! or an overbearing “fitness nut” who sports 6-pack abs, or who has a social media presence of muscle flexing photos. I understand life happens and at times life can be a rollercoaster and there are times I have to drag myself into the gym. There are days where you just aren’t feeling it. But I also know I will feel better once I complete my workout and for me to be healthier in mind, body and spirit I have to make time for myself and focus a little on my own fitness and get to the gym.

Hi, my name is Laura. In 2016, I started learning how to lift weights by working with a personal trainer. At the time, I was a mom of two small kids, and strength training gave me an outlet to do something for myself and significantly improved my mental health. I had friends who were getting into powerlifting, and I wanted to give it a try.

Once I touched a barbell, I never looked back. I began competing, and my love for the sport only grew from there. Over the years, I have set records in several federations including World Records in 2024.

Sharing this sport with other people is something that brings me great joy, whether it’s reffing, handling, coaching, or just lifting beside someone in the gym.

Hi, my name is Kate. Sports and the gym have been a part of my life since I started playing soccer around six years old. I’ve been going to gyms off and on since high school and started personal training/strength training at Avenger Athletics in 2022.

As a mom of 2 who works full-time ,the gym is an outlet for me in a place where I can take time to focus on myself and make my long-term health and wellness a priority. I’m a strong believer that working on your physical health also helps your mental outlook. It’s not just about getting stronger (although that will happen) – the gym is a community. You will often see me at the gym with my kids, both of whom followed me to Avenger Athletics and are competitive powerlifters, which has helped them a lot with other sports including soccer, softball, and field hockey.

It’s incredible how much proper strength training and conditioning, combined with a strong sense of community, can contribute to building and maintaining self-confidence for both kids and adults.