Charlene Schrock-Attanasio
- CrossFit Level One Trainer
- CPR and First Aid Certified
Charlene is originally from a small farm town in Nebraska. Growing up on the farm, she was always drawn to being outside and active. She started at her dance studio at the age of three and continued to dance all the way through high school, including being captain of her dance team. Movement felt freeing and dance was the expression. She also played other sports, such as track and tennis.
When Charlene went to college at the University of Nebraska, she found herself with a drastic lifestyle change. There were no more home-cooked meals by Mom on the farm anymore, just dorm food and dance classes were over. Trying to figure out this newfound freedom of “do whatever you want and eat whatever you want,” she found herself at the end of her first semester 50 pounds heavier than when she started in the fall. She knew when she stepped on the scale during Christmas break that something had to change.
Thus started her newfound passion for fitness. Never really in a weight room before, she started frequenting group fitness classes at the campus recreation center and absorbed all the information from the instructors. She got certified to teach Zumba and taught Zumba classes for the remaining 3 years of college, branching out also teaching HIIT classes and strength training group classes as she grew. After college, she worked for Lifetime Fitness before moving to Napa in 2016. In Napa, she went to her first CrossFit class and immediately was hooked.
The community, the workout style, and ultimately the fun had her keep coming back for more. In 2018, her at the time boyfriend (now husband) took a job in San Francisco, so they packed their belongings and moved to the East Bay. She initially started working for Orangetheory Fitness but found her next CrossFit home in Grassroots. Frequenting the barbell class is where Charlene learned to appreciate the Olympic lifts and the amazing members that make up this community. Realizing that she could make a bigger impact coaching at Grassroots, Charlene transitioned away from Orangetheory, becoming CF-L1 certified so that she could share her love and passion for fitness with our GRCF family.