Meet the Staff

antoinette williams

General Manager

Training within CrossFit since 2009, competing on a team at the Regional level, and coaching along side some of the best athletes in the world, you may think that Antoinette would work exclusively with top end athletes.  Nothing could be further from the truth, as her passion for helping anyone improve their Health & Fitness significantly outweighs her pedigree.  She is phenomenal with a very broad and inclusive client population – young and old, advanced and beginner, hungry and timid.  She is a fierce competitor when it comes to training, but also when helping others improve.  She is ready to help you NOW.

dr. jared van anne

Director

Coming from a multi-sport background, training within CrossFit since 2010, and having a Masters in Sport Science & Rehabilitation as well as being a Chiropractic Physician, Dr. Jared brings an enormous amount of experience and expertise to CrossFit Levo.  And just like Coach Antoinette, though he has worked with amazing, high-end athletes his passion for helping anyone move better and experience greater capability is not limited to any specific group.  He is ready to help you NOW.

meghan pugachev

Coach

Meghan, the partner marketing manager by day, has a knack for selling technology to big businesses, and she does it with a dash of humor that’s almost as impressive as her work. But when the office lights dim and the fitness journey begins, Meghan reveals her adventurous side.

Growing up, Meghan was a sports enthusiast, dabbling in various games. However, her fitness journey took an interesting turn when she stumbled upon CrossFit, quite by accident. Picture this: she was following a free fitness program online, oblivious to the fact that it was essentially CrossFit-style workouts. As fate would have it, her gym even had a “functional fitness” section that she’d somehow overlooked. Ignoring the friendly jabs from her friends and internet memes about CrossFit, Meghan took the plunge and attended her first on-ramp class with Antoinette in 2018. And that’s when it happened – she came for the fitness but stayed for the incredible community of like-minded, sweaty souls.

Now, here’s a random nugget about Meghan that adds an extra layer of intrigue to her story. She once hiked up a Colorado mountain at the ungodly hour of 4:30 AM just so she and her husband could tie the knot at sunrise on a breathtaking mountaintop. Oh, and the kicker? They married themselves, in a place where Colorado’s unique laws permit such adventures in love.

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Will Thomas

Coach

Meet Will, the man whose fitness journey began back in 2014, during his freshman year at Lindenwood University. In those early days, his idea of exercise was lifting weights at 24 Hour Fitness and mastering the art of cafeteria under-eating – a skill most college students unknowingly acquire.

But in 2015, a momentous change occurred. Will, in a daring move, teamed up with a fellow student and ventured into the world of CrossFit. It was a revelation. The adrenaline, the camaraderie, the peculiar mix of grunts and high-fives – it was all there, and Will was hooked faster than a fish on a well-baited hook. CrossFit became his daily bread, and it even led him down an unexpected path to a career in Chiropractic, thanks to the twists and turns of his fitness journey.

These days, you can find Will eagerly counting down the hours at work, not because he’s avoiding his job, but because he’s eagerly anticipating his gym session at the end of the day. Whether it’s breaking a sweat to enhance his own fitness or donning the coach’s hat to help others on their journey to progress, Will is always up for the challenge. In his world, fitness isn’t just about staying fit; it’s about sharing the joy, the laughter, and the occasional muscle cramp with the fantastic people he meets along the way.

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Brett Millaway

Coach

Brett’s early immersion into fitness began on the soccer fields of grade school, continuing ardently through his high school years. To keep himself in peak physical condition during soccer off-seasons, he delved into mixed martial arts. This dual commitment not only ensured Brett was always in top form but also broadened his repertoire of athletic techniques.

After high school, Brett’s priorities naturally shifted towards his career and college, placing his active pursuits on the backburner. Though he rekindled his passion with a brief stint in Jiu-Jitsu in 2016, his dedication had somewhat diminished by then. Everything changed in 2021 when “The World’s Fittest Man” on Netflix reignited Brett’s zest for fitness, introducing him to the dynamic realm of CrossFit. Embracing this newfound zeal, Brett has since been fervently committed to his own athletic development. Today, he channels this dedication into coaching, guiding others towards realizing their fitness goals.

Outside of the gym Brett works as a Technical Solutions Architect at WWT.

Random fact -In 2016, Brett hiked the Inca trail to Machu Picchu in Peru throughout a grueling four day experience.

Abby Gibbs

Coach

During her grade school years, Abby was engrossed in basketball, and as she entered high school, her athletic interests broadened to include cross country and track, in addition to her ongoing passion for basketball. Built more muscular than many of her female peers, Abby often grappled with channeling her innate strength, feeling she was merely average in her sporting endeavors. However, post-high school, feeling the need for a new fitness avenue, she searched for local gyms and stumbled upon a CrossFit establishment. The intensity and excitement of her maiden metcon session captivated her, propelling her to delve deeply into the CrossFit methodology and the thrill of lifting substantial weights. Following her enrollment, Abby submerged herself in the world of nutrition, undergoing a comprehensive dietary transformation. Today, almost seven years later, she continually challenges herself in the gym, driven by both goals and grit. Yet, above all, Abby’s desire is for others to experience the transformative essence of CrossFit and the vibrant lifestyle it advocates.

Random facts: At the age of 21, Abby bravely embraced the thrill of skydiving. Additionally, in 2019, she embarked on an adventurous 12-day road trip, traversing the breathtaking terrains of Costa Rica.

Myles Walker

Coach

In 2013, while Myles was procrastinating online, he unexpectedly came across the CrossFit Games. This chance encounter steered him towards a series of enlightening functional fitness classes at his school, guided by a seasoned CrossFit coach. Though these classes were brief, they left an indelible mark on Myles. Eager to delve deeper, he joined a nearby CrossFit affiliate. The CrossFit journey hasn’t just honed Myles’s physical prowess; it has equipped him with the tenacity to navigate life’s challenges with newfound resilience. He fervently recommends the transformative power of CrossFit to anyone willing to step out of their comfort zone.

Since embarking on this CrossFit journey, Myles has achieved a college degree and is ardently pursuing a career as a Firefighter/Paramedic. He harbors a deep passion for sports science and physiology. Boasting a CrossFit Level-1 certification and several years of training experience, Myles revels in coaching and consistently injects enthusiasm and positive energy into every class he oversees.

Joanne Salas

Coach

Meet Joanne, the Director of Applied Research & Analytics at SLU’s Advanced Health Data Institute. She’s a self-professed big data, math, and computer science dork. In her past life, she was a soccer enthusiast but veered into cycling and triathlons in college, neglecting strength training. In 2011, CrossFit rescued her from the endurance sports abyss, and she’s been hooked ever since.

Joanne holds CrossFit Level-1 and CrossFit Kids certificates, turning her passion into coaching. She’s not just about lifting weights; she’s also dabbled in Strongman competitions and rocked various CrossFit team contests in St. Louis. When not sweating it out, Joanne plays competitive ice hockey, beer league softball, and golf. And to balance the scales, she enjoys long hikes with her pup.

Fun Fact: Joanne is a first-generation American, with Greek immigrant parents who shortened their last name to “Tsalamandris” shortly before her birth, and she proudly carries on the Greek tradition of having no middle name.