Nicole Christensen is the founder and driving force behind CrossFit Roots and a recognized leader in the global CrossFit community.
She began her coaching journey in the Northern Virginia Swim League, where she discovered a deep passion for athlete development and the craft of coaching. In 2006, she found CrossFit and immediately recognized its alignment with her interests in performance, health, and long-term athletic development.
In 2008, Nicole and her husband, Eric, launched what would become CrossFit Roots out of their one-car garage in north Boulder. By 2009, they moved into a small downtown facility, and over time, the gym expanded into an 11,000-square-foot space staffed by a full-time team of experienced strength and conditioning coaches.
Nicole built CrossFit Roots on a simple but powerful philosophy: that every athlete—regardless of age, background, or experience—deserves access to high-quality coaching, a professional training environment, a supportive community, and the opportunity to realize their potential.
At CrossFit Roots, Nicole continues to coach group classes and work one-on-one with athletes of all levels. She has a particular interest in sport-specific strength and conditioning, injury prevention, and youth athlete development. Her work with young athletes emphasizes foundational movement skills that translate across all sports and support lifelong athleticism.
Beyond the gym, Nicole has worked for CrossFit Headquarters since 2010. As a long-time member of the Seminar Staff, she has traveled internationally to teach both the Level 1 and Level 2 Certificate Courses. From 2022 to 2025, she oversaw the CrossFit Level 4 Coach Evaluation and has served as a Senior Content Writer for the CrossFit Education Department, developing coaching-focused materials and contributing to the growth and refinement of CrossFit’s educational offerings.
Nicole holds a B.S. from the University of Colorado and an M.C.P. from the University of Pennsylvania. She and Eric are parents to two daughters, and Nicole often speaks about how her roles as coach, entrepreneur, and mother inform and strengthen one another.
Her values—growth, grit, resilience, and community—are woven into every aspect of her work, whether she’s training elite athletes, mentoring coaches, or helping everyday individuals pursue health and performance with purpose.