About Us
MEET OUR
Fully Qualified Instructors
We are on a mission to make Corpus Christi the Fittest City in America. The last 10 years Corpus has been in the top 20 and ranked as high as the number 1 Fattest City. Our staff is committed to making this happen but we can’t do it alone. We need you to invest in your health.
Ervin Martinez
Owner / Head Coach
ABOUT ERVIN MARTINEZ
Certifications:
CrossFit Endurance
CrossFit Level 2
OPEX Level 1
USA Weightlifting
Christina Harris
Owner / CrossFit Coach
ABOUT CHRISTINA HARRIS
Christina is an Owner and Coach at Contender CrossFit. She’s also an award-winning gymnast, former cheerleader, and track and field star. Before joining CrossFit, Christina was a Les Mills Bodypump instructor with the goal of opening her own facility. When she acquired Contender, she decided to harness her passion for fitness and health by also coaching. “I want to inspire athletes to reach the next level of what THEY are passionate about; whether it is to gain strength, obtain better mobility, get off medication, or just look good naked. I want to motivate women to move beyond societal pressures of what is ‘beautiful.’ I believe you can find your own beauty through strength.”
Certifications:
CrossFit Level 1
USA Weightlifting
Brittany Fowler
CrossFit Coach
ABOUT BRITTANY FOWLER
When it comes to athletics, Coach Brittany has done a little bit of everything. She played Division I basketball at Texas A&M University for four years. She also helped them earn a NIT bid and was inducted into the TAMUCC Hall of Honor (2016). Brittany went on to serve in the Army where she was named Company Soldier of the Year (2007) and won JTF-71 Battalion Soldier of the Year through APFT. Brittany got her first taste of CrossFit via Community WODs with the original Contender CrossFit crew. She was immediately hooked and wanted to train and learn as much as possible. It drove her to earn her Level 1 certificate and officially begin coaching. “I truly believe people make their own happiness. If you aren’t happy, change your life. If you don’t know how to change it, I’m always willing to listen and give advice.”
Certifications:
CrossFit Level 1
NREMT/TDSH Licensed Paramedic
ProBoard/TCFP Hazmat Awareness & Operations
ProBoard Confined Rescue 1 & 2
TCFP/IFSAC Firefighter 1 & 2
Alexis Newton
CrossFit Coach
ABOUT ALEXIS NEWTON
Coach Alexis is a wife, mom, daughter, teacher, and fitness professional. Her road to CrossFit began with a desire to meet new people. After relocating to another city, she got a membership and decided to transform her body and her circumstances. “I loved the workouts, learning new things, and meeting tons of people. Within a year, I obtained my certification and started coaching a CrossFit boot camp. The best part of coaching is getting to know our members. I enjoy doing life with such cool people. CrossFit is more than a workout, it keeps me focused, challenged, and sane.
Certifications:
CrossFit L1
Texas 4-8 Generalist Teaching Certificate
Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Texas A&M
Yasminda Serrano
CrossFit Coach
ABOUT YASMINDA SERRANO
Yasminda always had a love for fitness and body movement ever since she was young. She dabbled in different areas of dance to include High School Dance Team, Folklorico and Middle Eastern Dance where she spent over decade in. Though she always kept moving a little her day job was working in an office and for the most part kept her pretty sedentary working on a computer for over 8 hours a day. She knew a change needed to happen and with the help/guidance of a Coach/ Friend she began working out at Contender CrossFit without realizing the affect this would greatly have not only her fitness but her entire life. Seeing the transformation that occurred in not only her life but many of her friends she knew that she needed to learn more resulting in leaving her job in Corporate America to pursue a career in fitness.
Prior to coming to Contender I rarely touched a weight and if I did it was never over 10 pounds. I then found this group of amazing, strong woman and men whom not only encouraged me but helped me reach depths of my own strength that I never thought possible. Realizing how strong and uplifting women (and men) can be I wanted to be on the other end of that helping those whom couldn’t see their own true potential and wanted to dedicate my life to helping others find themselves through fitness as I did.
Certifications:
CrossFit L1
Precision Nutrition L1
Birthfit Coach
OPEX CCP L1
CHEK Holistic Lifestyle Coach L1
Tommy Winning
CrossFit Coach
ABOUT TOMMY WINNING
Tommy is a Graduate Research Assistant at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi where he is working toward his Ph.D. in Coastal and Marine Systems Science. In addition to his research, he also teaches undergraduate courses in both the Atmospheric Science and Environmental Science undergraduate programs.
Tommy was first introduced to CrossFit at Kuleana Fitness in Honolulu, Hawai’i, and has been a member of Contender CrossFit since August 2015. He completed his L1 CrossFit training in September 2019 and began coaching at Contender in January 2020.
“I started CrossFit as a way to take my personal fitness to the next level. I found the addition of functional fitness workouts ranging from high intensity sprints to muscular and cardiovascular endurance to be a complement to my goals as a runner, and the result was beneficial to both.”
Tommy supplements his CrossFit training regimen with sprint and endurance running as well as yoga.
Certifications:
CrossFit L1
Celestial Banda
CrossFit Coach
ABOUT CELESTIAL BANDA
Originally from Kingsville, Texas – where she graduated from Santa Gertrudis Academy High School in 2016, Coach Celestial Gomez (Coach C) played college softball at Trinity Valley Community College (Athens, Texas) 2016-2017, Huston Tillotson University (Austin, Texas) 2017-2018, and Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi (TAMUCC; Corpus Christi, Texas) 2019-2020. She is a recent alumni from Texas A&M University – Kingsville, graduating with her Bachelor’s in Exercise Science and minor in Business (August 2019).
Coach C is currently getting her Master’s in Exercise Science at TAMUCC while working here at Contender CrossFit (as a Level 1 Trainer), and Ryze Sports Academy (as a fitness instructor and head softball coach). She is an ACSM Certified Exercise Physiologist, CrossFit Level 1 Trainer, and is currently working on getting her Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) as well as other certifications within this next year. Her hope is to bring great knowledge, intention, and purpose to all future athletes she encounters, specifically in the south Texas area.
Certifications:
CrossFit L1
Zachary Arn
CrossFit Coach
ABOUT ZACHARY ARN
Coach Zach is from Hutto, Texas. He lived there until he graduated from Hutto High School in 2016. Coach Zach attended Blinn College in Bryan until he transferred to Texas A&M University in the Fall of 2019. He is set to graduate at the end of Summer ‘21 with a Bachelor’s in Exercise Science.
Coach Zach grew up playing baseball until he graduated high school. When he stopped playing baseball, he searched for new things to keep him physically and mentally active. He tried out boxing for a year and enjoyed it, but didn’t like having to cut the amount of weight required. After boxing, he finally stumbled upon CrossFit in 2018 and has loved it ever since.
Cameron Garcia
CrossFit Coach
ABOUT CAMERON GARCIA
Certifications:
- CrossFit Level 1 Trainer
- Certified Movement Specialist
- Certified FMT Therapist