Meet the Coaches

Hey there, I'm Kate!

I’m a native Seattleite, lover of coffee and sunsets, sparkling/bubbly beverages, Saturdays, waterproof mascara, stretchy jeans, burgers, Sounders soccer, indoor climbing, traveling, trail runs, reading ‘fluffy’ fiction, going to the mountains, horses, and dogs.

I used to ride and show horses in my teens. Someday I will again, but probably after my kids (15 & 18) are out of the house 🙃.

I’m a personal trainer, a health coach, a CrossFit Level 1 trainer, a kettlebell aficionado, an activist for positive life change, harnessing the power of our mindset, and cultivating better body image through strength and athletic training.

Personalization is a central tenet in my approach to coaching clients—helping them find the ‘goldilocks’ balance of exercise, recovery, healthier eating, and self care that helps them enjoy a higher quality of life.

I meet people where they are at physically, mentally, and emotionally, and then provide the ‘scaffolding’ to help them reach their goals and create a healthier lifestyle that’s both satisfying and sustainable.

My main focus is on strength training and health coaching options for people over 40 who want to get strong and feel their best through midlife and beyond—especially women going through the menopause transition (ie: their 40s/50s).

Having some grays and wrinkles doesn’t mean we have to settle for less or give up on our athleticism.

Actually it’s the PERFECT time to reinvest in our physical strength and athleticism so we can make the second half of our lives SUPER SATISFYING.

So if you’re over 40, too, I’m giving you a 👊 and telling you to keep picking up the weights and kicking butt!

I bring to the table my experience from 11+ years of personal training and group fitness instruction, 5+ years of CrossFit coaching, my experience with corrective exercise, my practice with using a variety of behavioral modification tools, my continuing education in nutrition, menopause health and fitness.

I also bring my life experience as a 48 year-old mother of two, being a military spouse for 17 years and living abroad for half of those years (shout out to all you military spouses and servicemembers out there!), my own history of back injury and healing, my own weight gain and loss, my experience with pregnancy and recovery, and now my sustained personal fitness and love of movement.

All these things combined help me to create appropriate and effective fitness programs for each client, to coach my clients through life’s obstacles and challenges, and to educate them so they can make lasting health and fitness changes.

My proudest professional accomplishments have been:

*helping clients who’ve been sidelined by an injury run again or play their sport of choice without pain;

*helping a client reclaim her athleticism and freedom of movement after her second hip replacement surgery, at the age of 72

*helping clients rebuild their strength and find a way to integrate fitness into their lives so that they can play and keep up with their kids/grandkids again;

*helping women grow the strength and confidence to do chin ups, pull ups, and lift heavy things;

*helping clients sidelined by a low back injury recover their mobility, build core and functional strength, and then surpass all former weight room PRs;

*helping a client who’d had a stroke learn to get up from the floor unassisted—with confidence—and reclaim more of his independence

*helping clients find peace and joy in their body and what it can do rather than angst and shame about how it looks or feels

These are my proudest moments as a trainer/coach.

That's what gets me fired up about training/coaching—the personal growth and triumphs that empower people to live a more fulfilling life with greater joy and fewer limitations.

 

 

Kate Whetsel
Founder and Coach

Sara Welch
Founder and Coach

Hello!

I believe we can all become our best selves through movement. I'm honored that as a Certified Personal Trainer I can share my passion for flourishing through fitness with my clients. My goal is that every one of my clients is physically and mentally capable of showing up in your life – no matter what life throws your way.

My own life has thrown me plenty, which is what led me to this career in the first place. Earlier in life I used alcohol to cope with depression and anxiety, which limited my ability to live fully in the moment. Then, one day I decided I'd had enough of feeling stuck and began taking steps to reclaim my life. I loved sports and being outdoors as a child and set out to rekindle that feeling. What began with kickboxing and boot camps evolved into triathlons, "century rides", and backpacking adventures – ultimately inspiring me to pursue a career as a personal trainer

After spending more than three years at the Olympic Athletic Club in Ballard as a Certified Personal Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor, I  – I partnered with Kate to open Resolve Fitness Ballard. We bonded over gritty outdoor parking garage training sessions during the depths of COVID and coffee breaks. There was an undeniable connection and opportunity to build our dreams…the universe aligned!

It brings me great joy to be a part of a client's fitness journey because they are filled with personal discovery, self-confidence and positive affirmation. I believe anything is achievable with a good plan, consistency, and a healthy dose of fun! 

My clients range from endurance athletes to sport-specific training to those that simply want to feel better and move with less pain throughout the day. Whatever you’re training for, I’m here to help you safely push your boundaries and broaden your horizon of possibilities.

I'm a native Seattlite and live in Ballard with my husband, daughter, dog and two cats. I love outdoor adventuring from hiking to skiing, swimming and biking. To fuel my adventures I love to cook and travel for inspiration

Happy fitnessing!