about
THE Colfax Strong Strength and Conditioning STORY
Chad & Esther Pinther, CF-L2, USAW-1 - OWNERS
Chad and Esther Pinther are husband and wife owners of Colfax Strong. Our story began with two like-minded souls with a shared passion for fitness and health and helping others achieve their very best. Chad was a track & field and wrestling athlete and has been an international fashion and fitness model for over 20 years. Esther is a lifetime athlete herself, having competed as a level 10 gymnast and as a swimmer at the Olympic trials in butterfly.
Esther and Chad started on their path of wanting to open a Strength & Conditioning Gym in 2018 when they opened their first gym in their garage. They quickly outgrew this location and started looking for a larger place and this led to their purchase of Colfax Strong. Fast forward to now, and they have built a community of 200+ humble, hungry, and happy people whose lives Chad and Esther and their exceptional coaching staff work tirelessly to improve their health, happiness, and fitness!
OUR coaches
Nick Law-Yue
CF-L2 Trainer
Barbell Strength Coach, Bergener Strength L1
Nick started his fitness journey at a young age through his love for martial arts and the art of Chinese Lion Dancing. Through this he realized that through movement one could reap benefits far beyond just the physical.
Inclined to help others experience the same benefits, he enrolled in the Focus Personal Training Institute in New York to begin his career as a personal trainer where he specialized in barbell strength and powerlifting. Shortly thereafter, Nick discovered CrossFit and was immediately drawn in by the sense of community and all encompassing approach to fitness it offered and hasn’t looked back! Nick loves using his unique skill set to help guide athletes on their own fitness journey to become the best version of themselves!
Alexis Winn
CrossFit Level 2
NASM Sports Nutrition Certified
NASM Certified Personal Trainer
From Phoenix, Arizona, Alexis discovered her love for CrossFit in the summer of 2019 and it has been a part of her life ever since. Growing up she found every outlet she could, from football to cross-country to dance. When she first got the opportunity to try CrossFit, she was hooked immediately and knew this was going to be her sport.
Mitch Howieson
CF-L1
B.S. in Exercise Science w/Strength and Conditioning Minor
I started Crossfit in 2016 after a class trip to a local box in Moorhead, MN. I started coaching shortly after. The thing that drew me into CrossFit was the constantly varied workouts. I have always enjoyed coaching and helping people improve. I enjoy coaching Olympic lifts the most. It is always awesome to see someone hit a new PR! Outside of the gym I enjoy playing all kinds of sports, mostly going snowboarding and playing hockey.
Gabriel Romero
CF-L1 Trainer
Barbell Strength Coach
I was wrestling at the Olympic Training Center in 2008 when a friend introduced a few of us to "CrossFit." I saw Air Squats and Burpees and thought, how hard could this be?
I was sore for three days and consequently fell. In. Love. with CrossFit – it fits me like a glove – and I have been coaching and competing ever since. Early on I realized that if I wanted my CrossFit to improve, my olympic lifting had to take precedence over anything else. So I focused solely on lifting for a year: I worked with Natalie and Casey Burgener and focused on technique and strength and it changed my abilities. I’ve been very fortunate to have had so many amazing coaches along the way and developed those abilities from some of the best people out there.
I am currently the barbell club coach at Colfax Strong and I look forward to helping you make progress in your olympic and power lifts!
Peter Hartman
Client Success Manager
Peter is our Client Success Manager. He is passionate about fitness and committed to ensuring every member feels valued and empowered on their fitness journey. He is here to help in any way he can!
Sean McCormick
Sales Director
In 2009, Sean was in the middle of applying for graduate school and decided to join a local gym to combat the effects of living a typical college lifestyle. What started out as a simple hobby quickly grew into a full-blown passion. Sean has worked in several areas of the fitness business to include general manager, trainer, and has extensive experience working in sales. His personal approach to fitness is simple: to blend heavy lifting, progressive calisthenics and active alignment. His favorite exercises include Muscle-Ups, Handstand Walking, Deadlifts, Broad Jumps, and Turkish Get-Ups.