Co-Owner/Coach Momentum CrossFit 715
In the past 20 years that I have been teaching fitness, middle school PE for 15 of them, I have learned that exercise is so much more than burning a few calories. It has the power to affect so many other facets of our lives.
I feel so blessed to be a part of Momentum CrossFit 715 and to be able to share my passion of fitness with others. I get to work with the most genuine, caring and knowledgeable coaches in the area. The positive energy it gives is nothing like I have ever been a part of. As I look back, the last couple of years have been a crazy journey. I am so blessed to have met so many amazing people during this time.
My family and faith is the absolute most important thing in my life. I love that I am able to share this with those closest to me. It's nice to be able to say that the line between work and play have become a blur.
Credentials:
- B.S. in Physical Education - UW Eau Claire
- M.S. in Pedagogy - UW LaCrosse
- NSCA-CPT
- USAW Level 1
- CrossFit Level 2
- CrossFit Mobility
- CrossFit Olympic Lifting
- CrossFit Kids (in progress)
- TRX
Co-Owner/Coach Momentum Sport Fitness CrossFit715
Jim completed his Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Sport Pedagogy and received his personal training certification through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA-CPT) in 2011. Since then he has completed numerous certifications through CrossFit, Olympic Weightlifting, and Sport Performance.
Jim has always believed in hard work and goal setting. He competed in baseball, football, and wrestling in high school and continued to play football throughout college. He played for two years at Rochester Community Technical College and finished his junior and senior years with the UW-Eau Claire Blugolds.
While at UW-Eau Claire, Jim worked part-time as a water aerobics instructor and fitness consultant. He appreciated working with area seniors who had challenges with strength and mobility. Throughout the 2010 football season, Jim was a defensive coach and special teams coordinator for the Eau Claire North Huskies. After graduation In 2011, he coached wrestling at North Star Middle School and was a youth wrestling coach for Eau Claire Parks and Rec. In the spring of 2011, he helped out the Blugolds as a positions coach for their defensive line. By 2013, Jim and Jackie partnered together and bought Momentum Sport Fitness from Kurt Mattison, keeping Kurt's ideals while establishing a CrossFit philosophy.
In his spare time, Jim enjoys all outdoor activities from hunting and fishing to hiking and swimming. He also considers himself to be a fine landscaper and horticulturist. He looks forward to helping new clients experience success through one-on-one, group personal training, and CrossFit classes.
Credentials:
- University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire: BS Kinesiology - Sport Pedagogy
- University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire: Blugold Football
- National Strength & Conditioning Association - Member
- National Strength & Conditioning Association - Certified Personal Trainer (NSCA-CPT)
- Certified Water Safety Instructor (WSI)
- CPR, First Aid, and AED Certified
- CrossFit Level I Certified Trainer
- CrossFit Olympic Weightlifting Certified Trainer
- YogaFit Level 1 Certified Yoga Instructor
- USAW Level 1 Sport Performance Coach
- CrossFit Football Certified Trainer
- CrossFit Gymnastics Certified Trainer
- Catalyst Athletics Level 1 Certified
Founder/Director of Sport Performance
Kurt founded Momentum in 2003 out of his desire to train athletes. He moved to the current London Rd location in 2009, where he still enjoys helping a wide variety of youth and adults from age 12 to 88 reach their fitness and performance goals. In March 2013 he sold the business to Jackie and Jim, and continues coaching and designing programs here. Having coached since age 16, he feels blessed to still be doing what he loves with passionate owners and trainers, and our highly motivated members. Kurt has trained hundreds of athletes, including dozens of all-conference and state champions in several sports, including two WI Mr. Hockey Award winners and several athletes who are now playing professionally. Outside of Momentum Kurt enjoys doing "grandpa stuff" (including training his granddaughter), being a sports fan, coaching wrestling and learning self defense/martial arts. He also serves as Director of Care Ministry at his church and as a Chaplain for the Eau Claire Fire and Police Departments.
His experience includes:
- M.S. Sport Science/Fitness Management - U.S. Sports Academy
- Bachelor of Arts, Sociology/Education, Coaching minor, University of Northern Iowa
- Member UNI 1975 Hall-of-Fame NCAA National Championship Wrestling Team
- Former HS psychology teacher, wrestling coach, and strength & conditioning coach
- Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist, NSCA
- CrossFit Level 1 Certification, USAW Level 1 Sport Performance Coach
- Licensed Senior Chaplain, Certified Youth Minister
- Quarterfinalist for National Fitness Director-of-the-Year, Eau Claire Athletic Club
- Excellence in Education award, District Coach-of-the-Year, Fergus Falls HS, MN
CrossFit Coach
Craig has been a trainer for 14 years and a CrossFit coach for the past 5. He really enjoys helping people become the athlete they were meant to be no matter their fitness or what their goals are. He likes to utilize strength training, cardiovascular and mobility training to help the client/athlete feel better, get stronger and gain greater fitness.
Craig likes to stay active as much as possible by mountain biking (racing for the past 21 years), road biking, XC skiing (5 completed Birkies), downhill skiing (taught skiing for three years), doing CrossFit (Granite Games athlete, more to come!)...almost anything really. Next years goal is to complete a marathon with his new found Pose running technique! Always looking for new challenges. When not doing those things he is spending time with his wife Jessica and their two daughters Olivia and Isabel.
Credentials:
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire: BS Kinesiology
National Strength & Conditioning Association - CSCS Certification
CrossFit Level 2 Certified Trainer
USAW Level 1 Sport Performance Coach
CrossFit Endurance Certified Trainer
Director of Fitness
I was first introduced to CrossFit 4 years ago. I have always been a person who likes to stay active and am always up for a challenge. My workout routine was starting to get repetitive and I was getting frustrated because I was not getting the results I wanted. Then one day, I saw these people running outside with weighted vest and I immediately knew I wanted to be one of those people. I called that day to meet with a trainer and it's all history from there; I had found what I was looking for. I started seeing results that I thought weren't possible and along the way have met some amazing people. I have competed in my very first CrossFit competition and have more lined up in my future. CrossFit has truly changed my life in more ways than one. I am very passionate about CrossFit so in September I became a certified CrossFit coach. My hope is to give the same positive experience I have received over the past two years and help those who feel like they have tried everything. I want to give you that chance to see that there is something out there for you. Along the way I have also led our very own nutrition challenge at Momentum. My best advice to people is just try it. It's not your typical gym, there are people there to challenge you and along the way encourage you to do "ONE MORE". The Momentum CrossFit 715 community is like no other and I am proud to say I belong to such an awesome community.
My challenge to you is try it once and see for yourself!
Credentials:
CrossFit Level 2 Coach
CrossFit Gymnastics Certified Trainer
USAW Level 1 Sport Performance Coach
Catalyst Athletics Level 1 Certification
Eat to Perform Certified Trainer
Travis graduated from UW-Eau Claire in December 2014 with a major in Kinesiology Movement Studies and a minor in Business Administration. He received his personal training certification through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA-CPT). Travis was involved in both football and track during high school. He was first introduced to CrossFit when UWEC’s kinesiology club went to Momentum to do a WOD and learn what CrossFit is. It was one of the toughest workouts he had ever done. CrossFit caught his attention from learning new movements to always challenging workouts to the community. Travis looks to continue improving and getting better at weightlifting/fitness.
Credentials:
UW-Eau Claire: BS – Kinesiology Movement Studies
National Strength & Conditioning Association – Certified Personal Trainer
- USAW Level 1 Sport Performance Coach
Travis Baker
Coach
Jamie is one of the new faces at the front desk. She just graduated from UWEC this past spring (2015) with a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and a minor in Global Studies.
She has been an athlete her whole life by being involved in swimming, soccer, horseback riding, cross country and track. She ran cross country and track her freshman year at UWEC. After a few years away from competitive running, she was introduced to CrossFit. She reluctantly tried her first “WOD” and was humbled by how out of shape she felt. After that, she was hooked. Coming from a long distance athletic background, she was surprised to figure out how weak and immobile her body was! As her body grew stronger and more mobile, she grew to love CrossFit even more. Every improvement, no matter how small, is what made the sport worth it.
This year, after two years of CrossFit, she decided to try competing. One of the three competitions she participated in was the Granite Games, which only inspired her to improve and enjoy the CrossFit world more! CrossFit has made her accomplish so much more than she thought she was capable of, as well as meet many new friends in the outstanding community.
In the future, Jamie hopes to get her CrossFit Level 1 certification as well as work for a non-profit organization. For now, she is enjoying working at Momentum CrossFit 715 with the rest of the Momentum family!
Credentials:
USAW Level 1 Sport Performance Coach
UW-Eau Claire: BS – Social Work
CrossFit Level 1 Coach
Jamie Bengtson
I began participating in organized sports and structured weight lifting when I was fifteen years old. My primary sport was boxing. I trained and competed year round and enjoyed quite a bit of success in the amateur circuit. I also played football and wrestled during this period.
I joined the Wisconsin Army National Guard when I was nineteen, and acquired an even greater desire to push my physical limitations. On my first deployment to Iraq, I spent most of my down time lifting and running. I also began writing workouts for other service members, and coaching them on lifts in the gym. On my second tour to Iraq, I was in charge of the physical readiness of my subordinates and instructed training sessions regularly outside of missions.
Coming from a combat sport and military background, I saw the necessity to not only be strong, but also be able to perform high intensity activities under heavy load. I found training for competitive fighting to be a satisfactory mix of strength and cardiovascular ability, but the first day that I walked into a CrossFit gym three years ago, I realized I had not yet tapped into the potential that was displayed by the CrossFit athletes.
I began CrossFit in 2016. I love the training process and putting my abilities to a test at competitions. I’ve competed in the Granite Games and Gameday Competitions, as well as in several local events. I do the CrossFit Open every year to gauge my standing on the world stage. I feel that all of my fitness experience in the past led me to CrossFit, and my only regret is that I did not find it sooner!
Credentials:
BA English with Legal Studies - UW Eau Claire
CrossFit Level 1
USA Boxing Level 1 Coach
COACH
I am newer Crossfit and Coaching, but not new to fitness and nutrition and have been pretty active my whole life. Growing up, I participate in volleyball, track & field, cross country and waterskiing. In college, throughout nursing school, I ran and did home video workouts, and finally found my way into a weight room in 2012. I quickly found my love for weight lifting, and with that followed my interest in nutrition and learning how to eat to best support my lifting lifestyle. I started noticing family, friends, people at work etc were constanly asking me for fitness and nutrition advice, so I decided to become a Certified Personal Trainer through NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine). I found my way into Momentum in February of 2018, after finding myself not so excited about going to workout in a conventional gym. My husband bought me the foundations package, and after the first session I was hook, line and sinker’!
Outside of the gym, I work as a nurse, tend to my extra large vegetable garden and multiple flower gardens, keep plenty busy with our three pups, make messes in the kitchen and dream of traveling the world.
I am very excited to be a part of the MO Team, and am pumped to learn, and become a better coach and athlete; and I look forward to helping MO Members do the same!
Credentials:
NASM - CPT
Viterbo University - BSN
BLS/CPR/ALS
- CrossFit Level I Certified Trainer
I have been a very active and competitive person my whole life. My exercise and activity routines have varied with the different seasons of life. They have including everything from standard big gym workouts to home DVDs. After having my daughters, running became my primary mode of exercise. While I learned to love running, I still felt like something was missing and longed for some sort of resistance training. I had come to a couple “Bring a Friend” days at Momentum and knew that between the people and the workouts, this place would be a great fit. The members and coaches provided such a fun and motivating atmosphere, my husband got on board as well. We decided to quit using our girls as an excuse to not get a gym membership and committed to improving our lives through fitness. We joined in 2016 and have never looked back.
I absolutely love how there is always a challenge in CrossFit. There is always something to work on. Not once have I felt bored or felt that my time at the gym has become stale, like had with previous routines. Plus, there’s nothing quite like the excitement you get when you hit a PR or learn a new skill, especially when you’re surrounded by friends in class. Even better than that is witnessing your friends doing the same, and being there to celebrate their accomplishments with them. I have been able to use CrossFit to scratch my lifelong competitive itch, participating in various competitions around the area and can’t wait to do more.
Outside of Momentum I have worked as a Cardiac Rehab exercise specialist since 2010, facilitating/monitoring exercise routines for patients, and educating them on lifestyle changes they can make to help reach their health and wellness goals. I am a firm believer in prevention and that exercise is the best medicine, so I’m very excited about the opportunity to coach here at Momentum.
In my spare time I love spending time with my husband and 2 daughters, Hannah and Kacie. I enjoy pretty much anything outdoors. Some of my favorites things are camping, turkey hunting, fishing, tennis, soccer and mountain biking.
Credentials
University Of Wisconsin -Eau Claire: BS Kinesiology-Human Performance
BLS/ACLS
I absolutely love how there is always a challenge in CrossFit. There is always something to work on. Not once have I felt bored or felt that my time at the gym has become stale, like had with previous routines. Plus, there’s nothing quite like the excitement you get when you hit a PR or learn a new skill, especially when you’re surrounded by friends in class. Even better than that is witnessing your friends doing the same, and being there to celebrate their accomplishments with them. I have been able to use CrossFit to scratch my lifelong competitive itch, participating in various competitions around the area and can’t wait to do more.
Outside of Momentum I have worked as a Cardiac Rehab exercise specialist since 2010, facilitating/monitoring exercise routines for patients, and educating them on lifestyle changes they can make to help reach their health and wellness goals. I am a firm believer in prevention and that exercise is the best medicine, so I’m very excited about the opportunity to coach here at Momentum.
In my spare time I love spending time with my husband and 2 daughters, Hannah and Kacie. I enjoy pretty much anything outdoors. Some of my favorites things are camping, turkey hunting, fishing, tennis, soccer and mountain biking.
Credentials
University Of Wisconsin -Eau Claire: BS Kinesiology-Human Performance
BLS/ACLS
- CrossFit Level I Certified Trainer
I am passionate about helping others and fitness. A few years ago I discovered that when I am doing both is when I am at my best!!! That’s how I ended up in personal training and group exercise.
I started weight training when I was 12 years old for pretty much the same reason any other 12 year old would work out. Because my dad did, to avoid being scrawny and impress the girls. In high school I discovered what lifting could do for my success at sports and I was hooked. The summer before my senior year I spent 6 hours per day training and became a dual sport all conference athlete in football and basketball that season.
I love athletics and being athletic, but after high school my old fitness routine left me un-athletic and tight. I had big muscles but realized people who didn’t look in nearly as good of shape as I was would have an easier time with everyday tasks like moving furniture. It was then that I knew I needed a change and I found Crossfit. This inspired me to make my training a lot more functional with a focus on what my body can do rather than how it looks.
Since then I have taken my training to new heights, relentlessly educated myself on weight training and athletic performance, and garnered several years of training/coaching experience at State of Fitness (MI), Gold’s Gym, Burn Bootcamp and now Momentum Sports Fitness. Every time I step on the floor to coach I give it my all and I know it was meant to be.
Credentials
- B.S. Business Management – Northwood University
- National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer
- CrossFit Level 1 Trainer
- CPR/AED and First Aid certified
- USAW Level 1 Sport Performance Coach
Eli Tinkle
I realized how passionate about fitness I truly was once I no longer had the outlet of high school athletics. A three sport athlete during high school, once I graduated and went off to college I Intuitively knew I had lost a major piece to my life. I tried to fill this void with running which satisfied my need for physical activity for a short period. I competed in 8 half marathons during this phase.
Long distance running did not touch on all the aspects of fitness that were important to me, so I joined a circuit training fitness program that included strength training in the regimen. I found that circuit training was an effective way of maintaining fitness, but more importantly I found I was able to help motivate and push others in the classes with me. This led me to starting my own boot camp style program called FierceFit. At that point I had never been so fulfilled as when I was helping others reach and exceed their fitness goals.
The first time I did a Crossfit WOD at Momentum, I knew crossfit was the final missing piece in my fitness journey. I became a crossfit competitior which gave me back the thrill of putting my fitness to the test against other athletes once again. Joining with Momentum to run the Sweat program has fulfilled my other desire to help others realize their fitness ambitions. Crossfit has been my destination from the first time I stepped foot on a volleyball court or crossed the finish line of a half marathon. Helping others is my overall passion and teaming up with Momentum I know that my range to do so is unlimited.
Credentials:
B.S. Business Administration - UW Stout
Associates Degree in Marketing - CVTC
CrossFit Level 1 Trainer
CPR/AED and First Aid Certified
USAW Level 1 Sport Performance Coach
