May 2026 · Member of the Month

Get to Know Jenny Dobrea, the RTC May Member of the Month

“Some people join a gym. Some people become part of it. Jenny Dobrea is the latter — and then some. She has been a part of RTC longer than most of our members have known what CrossFit is. She has shown up on the coaching floor through seasons of life that would have made most people disappear, and she has done it every single time with her whole heart pointed at the people in that room. There is no version of RTC without Jenny. Choosing her as our first-ever coach to be named Member of the Month isn’t just an honor — it’s long overdue.”

— Coach Allie

What Jenny Loves About RTC

Before the doors of our current gym ever opened, Jenny Dobrea was already there. She is an RTC original — one of the five coaches who helped build this CrossFit affiliate from the ground up — and the only one still on the floor today besides Coach Allie. That kind of loyalty isn’t something you manufacture. It’s something you earn through years of showing up, day after day, for the people around you.

Jenny’s path to CrossFit started long before RTC. She began gymnastics at age 7 and competed through college, building a foundation of athleticism and discipline that would follow her into adulthood. After college, she tried to find her footing again — yoga, running, Zumba — but nothing quite fit. “I was having a hard time finding the motivation to work out consistently and I missed the competitiveness of an organized sport like gymnastics,” she says. It was a former coworker who finally pointed her toward CrossFit. True to form, Jenny didn’t jump in. She researched it for six months before she ever walked through a door. “I am SO glad I did,” she says. “It really helped me find the motivation and community to stick with fitness and get healthy again.”

That community eventually led her to Allie — and to RTC. “I remember meeting Allie as a coach at our previous CrossFit gym,” Jenny recalls, “and at first I have to admit I was super intimidated by her, but she was one of the best coaches I ever had.” At the time, Jenny was dealing with significant injuries and losing momentum. Allie’s coaching changed that. “Having a coach who not only cared about my safety but truly wanted to see me improve gave me renewed energy and motivation. I immediately became interested in being that person for someone else.”

And that’s exactly what she became.

What Jenny values most about RTC now — both as an athlete and a coach — is the standard of coaching that exists here. “One thing I really appreciate about RTC is that our coaches coach each other,” she says. “I have been to a lot of gyms where once the coach finds out I am a coach or have a lot of experience in CrossFit, they feel like they don’t need to coach me. I have improved so much every year I’ve been at RTC because our coaches are relentless in finding ways to help me improve.” She’s also leaned into RTC’s nutrition coaching over the years, which she credits with helping her reach new levels of fitness by learning to fuel her body right.

Beyond the programming, it’s the people. “I have made some of my closest friends through RTC,” Jenny says. “Having a community of people at the gym who genuinely care and support you — it keeps me coming back on days that I don’t feel like it.”

Get to Know Jenny

Jenny was born and raised in Cleveland Heights, where her parents still live. Her older brother Josh is nearby in the Cleveland area as well. In recent years, Jenny has taken on a meaningful caregiving role for her mom, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, and she is passionate about raising money for Alzheimer’s research and awareness. When she’s not at RTC or with family, Jenny is an elementary school counselor at a K–4 school and works part time training educators in a positive behavior management program called Pax Good Behavior Game. She has two beloved cats, Louie and GiGi — and a former foster named Ziggy who is currently looking for his forever home. “If anyone reading this is interested, holler!” she says. If that doesn’t tell you everything you need to know about Jenny, nothing will.

Fun Facts about Jenny

• Favorite exercises: ALL the gymnastics and Olympic lifts
• Least favorite exercise: ALL machines, wall balls, and thrusters
• Favorite food: Pizza
• Favorite movie: Can’t pick just one — but a total sucker for scary movies and true crime documentaries
• Favorite books: Recently started reading more — loved The 7 Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, and currently reading Ragged Company
• Best vacation spot: Italy
• People would be surprised to know: She has traveled to a new country every summer for the last three years
• Something that always makes me smile: Family, friends, and animals
• If I won the lotto I’d: Quit my job and travel the world — after donating quite a bit to pet rescues and Alzheimer’s research
• Tell me you’re a teacher without telling me you’re a teacher: “When I am coaching I call class members ‘friends’ — which is totally an elementary school teacher thing!”
• A goal I’m working on: Improving endurance and cardio

Congratulations, Jenny. RTC wouldn’t be RTC without you.