Melissa Jill York

About Coach Melissa

OWNER OF 646 FITNESS (DBA: CROSSFIT 646)

• CrossFit 646 Coach since Jan. 2015 (Coaching Fitness & Strength and Conditioning since 2007)
• Bachelor of Science – Exercise Science and Minor in Business
• NSCA – Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist
• USA Weightlifting Club Coach
• CrossFit Level 2
• CPR-AED

Melissa was born in Michigan but has also lived in Missouri, Illinois and Virginia during her childhood. She is a graduate of George Mason University (GMU) where she studied Exercise Science and Business. At GMU Melissa was a two-sport D1 athlete in Volleyball and Track & Field playing as a defensive specialist and ran the hurdles and various relays. During her four years at GMU she researched injury correlation to gender and sport, as well as how to reduce specific injury rates through proper training and instruction and wrote several papers and did many studies on the topic.

She currently competes in CrossFit. She still trains Olympic Weightlifting within her CrossFit program and couldn’t go a week without hitting the lifts. She has competed nationally in weightlifting since 2010-2019, holding several records in the Maryland & Potomac Valley area and has finished as high as 5th at the USA Weightlifting National Championships. After suffering a couple major elbow injuries during her years as an Olympic Weightlifting she put her focus fully into CrossFit and has loved every second of it. Competing at a high level puts you at risk of injuries but Melissa “Mel’ wouldn’t have it any other way. Every Obstacle can be and is a journey, it is how you deal with it that shapes who you are.

Previously, she was general manager at BREAKAWAY Fitness and Sport in Virginia. While working as the general manager she also trained all types of individuals and athletes – injury clients, elderly population, and athletes from an array of sports including high-school athletes, Olympic weightlifters, CrossFit athletes and athletes at the collegiate level (working with athletes from every sport at Georgetown University at a Strength and Conditioning Coach).
After visiting her family in Tucson she quickly grew to love it and decided to take the leap across the country where she can enjoy the sun and wonderful people while she helps others change their lives through healthy choices, fitness, education and a new way to look at health care.
She joined Rejuv Medical Southwest in March of 2014 to head up the Medical Fitness division of the company as Medical Fitness Director and Head Personal Trainer.

In January of 2015, Melissa and Matt decided to follow their dreams and open a gym of their own. “I have always wanted to really help people, inspire them and encourage them to make changes in their life so they can enjoy all life has to offer them and so much more. This is a journey that will last a lifetime and I want to be there to help.” CrossFit 646 is where she found this opportunity. She is very excited to be a gym owner and is what she wanted to do when she went to college. Being a gym owner allows her to be a key player in changing the lives of the people who entrust their health to her and to set the standard for gym communities everywhere. Her mission as a Gym Owner is to “Offer World Class CrossFit Coaching, Unwavering Service, and a Humble, Hungry and Happy Community” through her core values that she lives by. To be Grateful for those around you, to have Integrity in everything you do, to be Enthusiastic in all areas of your life and to continually strive for Excellence.

When Melissa is not working at CrossFit 646 to change lives, she is training hard as a competitive CrossFitter, spending time with her son Ryker. husband Matt, and their two dogs Kilo and Gram. She also loves being outside, cooking, organizing, cleaning and is a little OCD.
“The secret of Change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” – Socrates