The Why behind Becky Wickes, General Manager, Head Coach, CF-L2, and now: Nutrition Coach
Why I became a nutrition coach is two-fold.
The obvious answer is because my existing nutrition coach left, and we needed someone to fill the gaps. But that answer is easy and only scratches the surface. Perhaps the question is not “why do you want to become a nutrition coach?” because given the circumstance it was kind of chosen for me, but rather, “why are you willing to take on nutrition coaching in addition to all the other hats you’re already wearing?”
And that answer is a little more complex, but it’s the fun stuff.
Coaching is what I do; it’s a part of who I am. My college degree is in social work, because I sat down with a career counselor after my sophomore year of college with a still undeclared major and she said, “You want to help people. But you also like action. Becoming a therapist might not be the best fit, have you thought about social work?” So I looked into it and I was sold. I started as a case manager, working with an agency who licensed and trained foster families, and placed children in the Child Protective Services system in foster families’ homes. Eventually I worked my way up to a family coaching role. I worked with families who had adopted children who had experienced trauma to promote bonding and attachment between family members. I visited families in their homes and communicated with them in between, giving strategies and activities to do to work towards their family goals.
All the while, I was coaching group classes at CrossFit Renew and had completely fallen in love with CrossFit. Over the years, my role grew from group coach to Head Coach, and in 2020 when my role at CrossFit Renew became too large to do part-time, I was promoted to General Manager and quit my social work job.
Something people ask me frequently is if I miss my other job and the answer is sometimes, yes. I loved that work and helping families. But I am completely fulfilled by my job(s) at CrossFit Renew, and the reason for that is because I continue to help individuals and families everyday. At Renew, one of our core values is “care for the whole person” because we believe your time spent in the gym is not only to make you better at CrossFit, but more importantly, it’s to make you better for the rest of your life. That’s the business I get to be in!
Both in fitness coaching and now nutrition, I get to build relationships with our clients, and that means I have the opportunity to play an integral role in people becoming the best version of themselves, so they can be better employees, better bosses, better moms and dads, students, you name it. I get to walk alongside people as they care for themselves to fight depression, eating disorders, addiction, or self worth issues. We’re not therapists and we don’t try to be, but we still get to be cheerleaders, and for a lot of our members, we as the coaching staff are some of the most consistent people in our athletes’ lives. It’s an honor to get to be a part of that, and the reason I am excited to expand my coaching into nutrition coaching as well. I love to see people walk through this journey in life, through all the ups and downs, and watch them grow.
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Becky has been an athlete at Renew since 2013 and a coach since 2015! Becky began her career in child welfare, working with foster and adoptive families but as the gym has grown, so has her role. On top of being Head Coach, a CF-L2, and a Precision Nutrition certified Nutrition Coach, Becky became the General Manager of Renew Fitness in 2020! If she had to change her career entirely, she would become a marine biologist. Becky lives with her husband, Jon, who has also lived in Austin for over a decade. She loves Jesus and believes He offers hope in this hard world. Her favorite benchmark workout is Nancy — though she hates running she loooves her some overhead squats!
If you’re interested in Nutrition Coaching, book a free consultation here! Becky would love to know ya.