Carrie Cooley is one of the cool kids, and it’s not just because of her name. She’s strong, stylish, and sassy. She understands the value of a hard day’s work. She’s an RTC “OG” who was doing CrossFit well before it was a trend. She’s got a heart that’s both fierce and golden, and she’s more than deserving of being named the first “Member of the Month” for the new year!
Carrie has been a member of RTC since the doors opened, but was doing CrossFit with work friends many years prior. She was introduced to CrossFit with the benchmark WOD “Fran,” and says “she had no idea what she was doing,” but was immediately hooked by the challenge, intensity, and style of the workout. She continued doing CrossFit “on and off” over the years and, already close friends with Coach Allie, toured RTC’s new facility when it opened and knew it was perfect for her. “It has the best equipment…the best of everything!” she says. “Allie really cares and it shows. I’ve been to several CrossFit gyms, and RTC is the cream of the crop.”
Carrie is a regular at the 7:30 AM class, which she says is an “ideal start” to her 12 hour workdays. “I come here and have an outlet to really push myself,” she says. “I try to let it all out, and then I feel better, I sleep better, and I’m overall a better person. I like that I can reach my fitness goals without being at the gym for 5 hours. And everyone at RTC is so nice and welcoming. Even if everyone is quiet at the beginning of class, by the end we’re all talking and high fiving. I appreciate the sense of community.”
Carrie is the owner of Shades Salon in Canton, and has been a hairdresser for 24 years. A self-described driven person who has never been afraid to take a risk, she built her successful business from the ground up after working independently for about 10 years. She works with 5 stylists in her salon, and says that she loves the relationships she has built with both them and her clients, as well as the freedom she has to make her own schedule.
Carrie and her husband Scott have 2 children: Braylon,14, and Tasya, 26. Tasya and her new husband Javon are expecting their first child next April, and recently moved to Nashville. Braylon loves all things sports and has taken up lifting, and Carrie knows the time will soon be right to introduce him to all the fun to be had at RTC! Carrie and her family love to travel, and she spends multiple weeks per year at her favorite getaway destination, Siesta Key, FL, where you would find her relaxing on the beach with a drink and a view of the beautiful turquoise ocean.
Looking ahead to the new year, this caring and fierce lady who loves to laugh says that she doesn’t make resolutions. “I don’t like to fail,” Carrie says, “and by that I mean I feel pressure and that is something I hate to do to myself. So I skip resolutions!” Instead, Carrie focuses on goals she wants to achieve, and an important one for 2022 is making more time for the people she loves. “I plan to cut my hours back in January because I want to be more available and not have such a tight schedule,” she says. “I want to enjoy my health and see my kids and grandkids grow up.”
If you’ve made it to the end of this article, then you’re a cooler person just for having read about Carrie Cooley. If you’re lucky enough to call her friend or even share a laugh or a lift with her, then your “cool-ometer” rises another notch or two. No one rocks a leopard print like she does; no one is both as tough and tender as she is; no one is more deserving to start the year off right as the January Member of the Month!
