"As I drove away from my CrossFit Level 1 Seminar, I knew I had found my calling." Tia Rodwell recalls the moment she solidified her dream of becoming a full-time coach. She and her husband had come to CrossFit a few years earlier, and deep down felt they wanted to open their own gym. "We knew we could create a positive and supportive environment for all skill levels. That’s how ODIN was born." ODIN, the name of a mythological Norwegian god, is now also the downtown Frederick, Maryland gym owned by Tia and her husband Bobby.
Tia entered the Army at age 17, which she credits with providing her a rewarding experience and important life skills she still employs today. Next, she entered the field of Higher Education Administration, where she worked with eager young students to help them reach their goals. She eventually began coaching part-time; this has become her full-time job since opening ODIN.
Tia generously shares her words of wisdom on coaching women in this week's interview.
FF: What type of language or characteristics do you observe from women who are not yet skilled at tackling a challenge?
TR: Women who are lacking confidence remind the world and themselves of this fact all the time by the language they use. When complimented, they say, "Thanks, but....". Or when asked to try something new they say, "I can't do that." Or, "I wish I could". They talk themselves out of things rather than talking themselves into doing things.
TR: Women who are ready to tackle a challenge will say things like, "I will do this. I am not sure how, but I know I can." Or, "Let's give it a try!" Sometimes this seems to be the hardest part. Once a woman decides she will tackle a challenge, most likely she will do exactly that.
FF: How do you coach someone--especially women--to develop that attitude? Is it possible?
TR: It is totally possible! I focus a lot of my coaching time on doing exactly that. When women believe they can do something, they almost always can do it. I believe that for women, their mind is the only thing holding them back, both at the gym and in life outside of the gym. In order to teach women to think this way, I find you have to remind them constantly. So, when someone says, "I can't lift that much weight!" I always make a point to reply with, "You are unable to lift that much weight at this point in time. Nothing is impossible." By constantly challenging the way people think, eventually their habits and patterns of thinking change. Once women get used to believing in themselves, the sky is the limit.
TR: I often see small victories that completely change the way a woman thinks. For example, her first successful box jump, or the first time she is able to pick up the yoke or deadlift 200 pounds. Those are moments a woman may not have ever believed possible. But when she accomplished even one small task, she proved to herself that the seemingly impossible can be conquered.
TR: My favorite part of coaching women is seeing them feel absolutely powerful. Many women don't have that feeling often enough. But when a woman puts a barbell over her head, she feels powerful and untouchable. Seeing that never gets old.
My least favorite is seeing how many women talk themselves out of doing things. They seem to spend so much time and effort convincing themselves they can't do something, rather than working to do it. Although this is my least favorite, it is also my favorite thing to help women overcome.
FF: How do skills learned in the gym translate to outside the gym?
FF: If you could grab every woman by the shoulders (especially during a difficult session) and look them in the eyes, what would you tell them? What would you say to get them back in the game?
TR: “You are amazing. You are beautiful and wonderful and strong and amazing. You can do anything in the world you want to do. You just have to believe in YOU!”
Tia currently resides in Frederick, Maryland with her husband Bobby and ten year old son Joseph. You can find more information about Odin CrossFit at...
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