EliteFTS Expands Team, Broadens Reach and Champions Diversity in Members to Provide Continued Knowledge and Resources
To everyone that responded to our quest seeking additional athletes to sponsor, thank you for taking the time, effort and interest in joining Team EliteFTS. From the beginning, we have sponsored athletes who embrace the entire athletic experience—training, competing, learning and sharing. And today, we proudly announce our new team members for 2008.
After we opened the gate for new members, we were flooded with many brilliant, interesting and some completely unique applications. In fact, we received more than 300, very thorough and well-prepared responses from all across the world. The diversity of people, athletic disciplines and backgrounds was quite simply amazing; we literally were overwhelmed with enthusiasm and talent.
The
Process
The first step in our process was soliciting applications from prospective new members. And, to make this as fair as possible, the only individuals we considered were those that took the time to submit a formal application via our Web site. As a result of the shear volume of candidates, as well as their incredible credentials and accomplishments, this made the selection process extremely difficult. As such, we went into the first stage of the process with several key benchmarks that we evaluated against each application. Among the indicators were overall experience, accomplishments and athletic credentials. Equally important, however, was attitude, motivation, initiative, stability, and overall insight.
We then narrowed the group of applicants down to our top 10 percent, or roughly 30 candidates. From this point, we personally called, interviewed and had conversation with every single person. To compound matters, each one of these athletes was exceptional, and the interview process ended up leading to an even more competitive decision. It also should be noted that the selection process was a collaborative effort, further designed to make this as fair as possible for everyone that applied. Each one of our current team members, as well as other staff members, played an important role in the selection.
Ultimately, we decided that one overarching quality that we wanted to bring to EliteFTS.com was diversity in ideas, thinking and experiences. To that end, we chose to expand our team with not only additional powerlifters and strength specialists, but other athletes as well. Our goal was to add members that complement and contrast our current team and hopefully create an even better value and resource to our readers. We also hope to expand our scope into parallel markets such as extreme sports.
Expanding the team; Broadening the experience
After much anticipation, it is with great pleasure that we formally announce the newest members to Team EliteFTS.
Among our newest partners:
Jeremy Frey—Powerlifting and University Strength Coach
Harry Selkow—Private Strength Specialist
Jo Jordan—Powerlifting
Kristen Yukness—Powerlifting
Matt Rhodes—Powerlifting
Felicia Oh—Mixed Martial Arts
Ryan Magin—BMX
Joey Smith—Bench Press Specialist
Scot Cartwright—Powerlifting
Jim Hoskinson—Powerlifting
Jeremy Frey
Jeremy brings to us a world of hands-on experience. In addition to being the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at Cornell College (Mt. Vernon, Iowa), he is also a competitive powerlifter. In fact, Jeremy was the 2005 Junior Division APF Senior Nationals Champion, as well as that year’s WPC Junior Division World Champion. What we really like about Jeremy is his passion for helping teach others and his ability to motivate and inspire those around him.
Harry Selkow
We think Harry is going to be a tremendous asset to our site and will bring a wealth of knowledge. Since graduating from Ithaca College in Physical Education, Harry has become a nationally recognized, highly sought after performance enhancement specialist.
He is currently in his second term as the Strength & Conditioning Coach of the Arizona Sundogs (NHL/Central Hockey League) as well as the Bradshaw Mountain High School football program. Harry has worked with hundreds of athletes from more than 20 different sports over the course of the last 31 years.
Jo has made some incredible progress during the past two years. At the 2005 AAPF Southern States, he totaled a respectable 1797. This past year, however, he squatted a huge 914 pounds at the 2007 AAPF Nationals and ended up with a 2,109 pound total. Jo also finished second runner-up at this year’s APF Senior Nationals and went 920 pounds in the squat, 611 pounds in the bench, and 666 in the deadlift for a 2,197 total. He competes in the 242 pound class in both the AAPF and APF.
To see Jo in action, click here:
Kristen Yukness
In short, we think Kristen is amazing. In addition to being a special agent in law enforcement and a leading instructor on physical conditioning, she also has an Elite total in powerlifting and has been consistently ranked in the top 20 in her class (123 pounds) in the USAPL. In addition to being a tremendous athlete and career professional, Kristen is a Certified Fitness Trainer; Specialist in Performance Nutrition; a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Fraud Examiner. In 2006, she also received a Distinctive Achievement Award from the International Sports Science Association.
Matt Rhodes
We believe Matt will be a tremendous resource for our readers by bringing the hard-to-find blend of both real world coaching and athletic experience. Not only did Matt play football at the University of Arizona (1996-98), he also has worked as a strength coach at the University of Richmond and was an intern at the University of Pittsburgh for the accomplished Buddy Morris. Matt now lives in Greenwich, Conn., and works as a Personal Trainer. What really caught our attention is that while Matt entered the sport of powerlifting in 2001 at 220lbs (6’ 4”), he now tips the scale at over 300 solid pounds and has squatted 880 lbs., benched 550 lbs. and deadlifted 750 lbs. The path has been anything but easy for Matt, and that is why we admire his resolve.
Check out this interview:
Felicia Oh
Felicia is one of the world’s top fighters in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has dominated many national competitions. She was awarded her black belt by Jean Jacques Machado after just four-and-a-half years — an achievement that has left many of her male training partners both envious and struggling to keep up. This year, Felicia became the first woman to win both the Pan American Jiu Jitsu Black Belt Gi and No-Gi divisions. After winning the ADCC North American Trials and securing her spot to represent the United States at the ADCC World Submission Wrestling Championship, she had convincing victories over a multi-time BJJ World Champion and a Japanese superstar that put her in the finals of the most prestigious grappling event in the world. In addition to teaching at Otis College of Art and Design, she is a certified Kettlebell instructor and currently teaches Women’s Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as well as Kettlebells at Big John McCarthy’s Ultimate Training Academy in Valencia, Calif.
We really liked Ryan for several reasons. For starters, he is overwhelmingly enthusiastic about helping spread our message into new markets. At the same time, the guy has an iron will and basically trains his ass off. Sometimes, however, pictures are better than words: http://www.xceler8edstrength.com
Ryan was one of the most exciting people that we spoke with. He has been riding a bike since age 6 and is now a professional BMX rider. His attitude, when it comes to helping others, is exceptional. And, he just started his own training facility in St. Petersburg, Fla. In terms of personality, professionalism and pure guts, Ryan seemed like a perfect fit. Through BMX, he looks forward to broadening the resources of EliteFTS.com to not only strongman competitors and powerlifters, but to all athletes from a diverse array of other extreme sports.
Check Ryan out here:
Joey Smith
Joey Smith currently ranks as one of the top 275 pound class bench pressers in the world. In the past year, he has made both a 500 pound raw bench press and a 735 pound shirted press in competition. When it comes to enthusiasm and excitement, as well as a desire to help others, Joey is among the most ambitious lifters today.
You can see Joey in action here:
Scott Cartwright
Scott “Hoss” Cartwright has totaled Elite in both the 275 pound and 308 pound weight classes and has put up over 2,300 pounds in single ply gear. His best total to date is 2,436 pounds.
Amazingly, Scott — having completely tore his triceps tendon at last year’s WPC World Powerlifting Championships in Lake George, N.Y. — came back just six months later to total a 215 pound personal record. Talk about determination.
Scott “Hoss” Cartwright: Get Injured and Get Stronger Interview
If we had to choose one word to characterize Jim, it also would be determination. Several years ago, Jim was working for a Christian power team, performing various feats of strength and helping better lives. While performing in Alabama, he tore both quads and ruptured his patella tendons. Being in a rural part of Alabama, Jim took a two-hour ambulance ride to the nearest hospital that could treat his injuries. He sat in the hospital for more than 13 hours with no pain medication, and it was over 28 hours until he would enter surgery. Doctors gave Jim little chance to walk again, let alone being able to lift. Being confined to a wheel chair and wearing leg braces just motivated him more. Today, Jim has totaled over 2,500 pounds in the 308 class, is both an APF Senior National and WPC World Champion, and has competed in the WPO. Jim’s message to all is very simple: If there is a will, there’s a way; and it
can be done.
