our founder
Josh Martin
In the early months of 2011, I approached my wife Mandy with an idea – I wanted to leave my nice, cushy corporate job to open a CrossFit gym. Shrugging it off, she told me she’d take me serious when I showed her my “business plan.” What she didn’t expect was for me to have it ready. She was shocked! After looking it over, and some deep discussion between us, she told me to go for it.
Ok, it was on and my wheels were turning – I found a space, had my equipment list, figured out the gym insurance stuff. Now, we just needed a name. We toiled over this piece for a long time because we knew we wanted the name to convey not just what we did (CrossFit), but why we do it. We wanted it to covey what we believe. Nearly all the names we came up with were already taken or simply didn’t fit us. Then as if out of a movie, I woke up out of a dead sleep one night, scribbled something on a notepad I kept on my nightstand, and went back to sleep. When I woke up the next morning, I grabbed it immediately and as Mandy was getting ready for work that morning, I remember asking: “Hey love, what about ‘CrossFit For Glory?’” “Perfect,” she said.
Next we commissioned a dear friend, Whitney, to draw our logo. There is no denying that that original logo, and the one that adorns our wall, is the shape of a cross. Yes, CrossFit For Glory is a Christian owned and operated company. What does that mean? Well, a couple of things really: it means that we lovingly accept any and everyone with open arms. It means that we serve others joyfully, with compassion and integrity. It means that we have a genuine appreciation for where each person starts their journey and how they choose to navigate it. Yes, we are faith based. We believe that faith is the glue that holds it all together. Faith has an understandably religious connotation to it, but it also is an explicit trust in the process and support of a larger purpose. In our case, it is moving forward the movement of increasing the health and wellness of our world. That begins with those who walk through our doors.
And then, it all changed. Mandy told me that summer that we were expecting! How exciting I thought, a new gym AND a new baby!? Mandy was not quite so sure…leaving the comfort (and health insurance) of my job wasn’t to be taken lightly. But we both figured, if not now, then when? Mandy has always been the rock behind me – both supporting me when I needed to be held up and pushing me forward when I needed a kick in the pants!
So in November 2011, I turned in my resignation in pursuit of something bigger – my purpose. The next month, on December 3rd 2011, with a wife who was 7 months pregnant, we opened the doors to CrossFit For Glory.
our coaches
Stephanie Gaydosh
General Manager
Personal Trainer
Small Group Coach
Nutrition Coach
Hi! I’m Stephanie and I’m very excited that you’re here checking out CFG. I joined Coaching For Glory in December of 2013 and it completely changed my life. I became a CF-L1trainer, facilitated effective strength and conditioning programs, competed in CF locally and then weightlifting at the local and state level. I met my husband here and we have always felt supported by this community. In 2018 I was able to leave my teaching job and work full time at CFG so I could also be a stay at home mom to our daughter. That has been the biggest blessing!
Growing up I’ve always been very active. After 10 years of gymnastics, I moved into dance and cheerleading. Once I entered highschool, I played basketball, volleyball, ran track and cheered competitively. Needless to say, I love athletics! I grew up an Army Brat which is what brought me to the FishHawk area in 2003. I was in the first graduating class at Newsome High school, an unforgettable experience…Go Wolves! I attended Florida State University, where I earned my Bachelors degree in Early Childhood Education.
This led to a 9 year teaching career, where I taught 3 years of 2nd grade and headed back to Newsome for 6 years of Health and Physical Education. All the while, I coached team sports as a volleyball and flag football coach. I look back fondly on my years as a team’s sport coach and teacher!
I am passionate about helping busy parents take ownership of their health and fitness so they can lead happy lives. Whether it’s personal training, nutrition and habit coaching, individual design programming or being a friend, I’m happy to help any way I can!
Certifications/qualifications:
CrossFit Level 2 Trainer
Healthy Steps Nutrition Coach
USAW L1- sports and performance coach
Bachelors in Early Childhood Ed, Masters in Educational Leadership
K-12 Physical Education certification
K-12 Health Education certification
9 years of coaching youth sports grades 6-12
Athlete for Tampa Bay Inferno Women’s Tackle Football team for 2 seasons (2017, 2018)
Areas of Expertise:
Personal Training
Nutrition and Habit coaching
Margaret Clark
Teen Coach
Kids Coach
My interest in sports and fitness began very early and continued through high school, where I played basketball. I received my degree from the College of Charleston and after spending many years traveling employed by Delta Airlines, and as a military spouse, I discovered Crossfit in 2009. I had always been active, and fitness played an important role in my everyday life, but crossfit gave me the intensity in my workouts, friendly competition, and the camaraderie I missed from playing team sports.
I moved to Tampa in 2010, where my passion for Crossfit and interest in helping others achieve their fitness goals led me to getting my Level 1 crossfit certification. I began coaching soon after and in 2014 joined the Coaching for Glory team. After years of coaching group classes, and continuing my education in fitness, I discovered my true passion was in developing confidence, strength, and fitness in our teen community. Having teen children of my own involved in competitive sports, coaching teens in the group classes and seeing the rewards fitness brought them not only in their sport but in their everyday lives, led me to become more involved in our youth programs. In June of 2019, we began a teen program in addition to our existing kids jv and varsity programs. I have been so excited to see and am rewarded by the growth in the teens as well as the program so far. I am truly grateful that I am able to share my passion for fitness with others, and found a place that gives me the opportunity to learn and grow as an athlete and a coach.
Certifications
CrossFit Level 2 trainer
USAW Level 1
Crossfit Gymnastics trainer
Areas of expertise/interest
Teen/JV fitness
Gymnastics
Crystal Hendrickson
Coach
Nutrition Coach
Hey there! Since May 2022, I’ve been a small group coach, personal trainer, and nutrition coach at Coaching for Glory. I love that I get to start my days by helping others reach their unique health and fitness goals! If you’ve been in my class, you know I have big energy, even at 5:30am, whether you’re ready for it or not. I push hard because I know what you’re capable of and I demand that we get you to where you want to be! My journey in health and fitness started as a teenager with Olympic weightlifting, powerlifting, and bodybuilding. After high school, I joined the Army and continued my fitness journey with weightlifting, CrossFit, and mixed martial arts. Upon completion of my service, I sought out other opportunities to still serve others, ultimately finding my home as a coach and aspiring CrossFit athlete. I am married to my amazing husband, Steve, and we spend our free time working out and spoiling our oversized fur-baby, Gunnar Bear.
Certifications:
• CrossFit Level 1 Instructor
• EXOS Fitness Specialist
• Precision Nutrition Coach
• USAW Level 1 Weightlifting Coach
• M.S. Applied Physiology and Kinesiology (in progress)
Mark James
Coach
Mark found CrossFit when he walked into CrossFit For Glory in March of 2012 and has never looked back. The passion for fitness developed while serving in the U.S Army during a 25-year career, where the value of General Physical Preparedness for the unknown is a valued asset. He demonstrated his athletic prowess and excelled at endurance sports to include running and cycling winning numerous events in each sport.
Mark is married and has three children who are also a part of the CrossFit For Glory community. He is currently pursuing his Master’s degree in Education. Seeing progress and improvements in the athletes at CFG gives him an incomparable feeling of accomplishment no matter age or current physical condition.
Certifications/Qualifications:
- CrossFit Level 1 Trainer
- USAW L1
- US Army Master Fitness Trainer
- Retired US Army 25-Years
- Current Instructor Joint Special Operations University
- Lifetime of playing sports – baseball, basketball, cycling, running, obstacle courses, etc.
- 1994 U.S. Military Road Cycling Champion
- Ranked 39th in Southeast region age group 50-55 2014 Crossfit Open
- 6th place Master’s 40 and over CrossFit Beat Down on the Pier 2013
- B.S. History, Ashford University
Areas of Expertise/Interest:
- Endurance
Nick Mcilvaine
Coach
Hi, my name is Nick. I was born and raised in Philadelphia and have been involved in sports and fitness for most of my life. At a young age I played soccer, baseball and swam. I then became very into hockey and played for both high school and college. My family opened the National Personal Training Institute when I was in high school and that started my passion for fitness. I got myself certified and went on to work for a couple places in Philadelphia before discovering Orangetheory Fitness. I helped open the first studio In Pennsylvania and went on to work for the company for the past 9 years. Throughout those years I enjoyed helping others change their lives for the better as well as transformed myself. I came to CFG with the eagerness to learn a style of fitness that I wasn’t used to and to continue implementing my fitness knowledge.
Certifications:
NPTI (National Personal Training Institute) diploma
Certified Nutrition Consultant -NPTI
A-CPT (Advanced certified personal trainer)
NASM CPT
Mark McCarthy
Sports Performance Coach
Hi, my name is Mark! I am a University of Central Florida graduate with a Bachelors of Science in Sport and Exercise Science. I was very active growing up playing sports, specifically baseball, and still continue being active with weight training and general exercise. I believe that living a healthy lifestyle and being physically fit as a whole are very important. I really enjoy coaching young athletes here at CFG, and I hope to leave a positive impact. My goal is that each athlete I coach, leaves each of their sessions feeling better and more confident about themselves and their abilities!
Areas of Expertise:
Sports Performance Training
Youth athletes
Certifications:
B.S. Sport and Exercise Science
Ed Ho'omalu
Coach
Hey everyone! My name is Ed Ho’omalu and I recently moved to the Fishhawk area. My career in sports and fitness started at a young age in swimming, waterpolo and surfing, go figure since I grew in up Hawai’i! I continued my athletic career into college.
I got into CrossFit in about 2008, more on a dare and whim by a friend of mine. This grew into me getting my CrossFit Lvl 1 certification mainly for myself. In late 2009 I started to coach at a CrossFit gym and have been doing it ever since.
Over the past year or so, I have done a lot of work with the Strongfit movement principles and it has changed the way I approach fitness and my workouts, and coach athletes. What I enjoy about coaching is helping people become a better version of themselves one day at a time!
Coaching Certifications:
CrossFit Level 1
CrossFit Kettlebell
CrossFit Rowing
Strongfit Seminar
Areas of expertise
Playing with sandbags (the 100#mostly) and the deadlift.
