About Us.
Locally Owned & Operated
ACE-Certified Personal Trainer
The Founders.
Melissa Whitmer
Co-Founder | #TeamCrushNTX
Melissa Whitmer was born in Austin and raised in Wichita Falls. She attended the University of North Texas where she studied business and met her husband Jim.
Her passion for health and fitness started after her youngest son was born in 2008. She had put on a significant amount of weight during her pregnancy and struggled with high blood pressure. She made a pact with herself to lose weight so she could build strength, endurance, and confidence as a young mother of three. She knew it was necessary to keep up with her little ones and live her best life!
With proper nutrition and a consistent exercise regimen, Melissa accomplished her goal and fell into a love affair with exercise. This is where her passion for fitness flourished. She began teaching group fitness in 2009. She worked in wellness for United Regional Healthcare System and is an American College of Exercise-certified personal trainer with a specialty in functional training. She now teaches a wide range of classes from Zumba, Body Combat, Body Pump, Body Flow, Bootcamp, Yoga, CXWorx, The Trip, and HITT Cycle, as well as, a Rhythm Cycle class.
Tara Poche
Co-Founder | #TeamCrushNTX
Tara Poche was born in Syracuse, NY, and raised in Shreveport, LA. She attended Louisiana Tech University where she studied sociology and family studies and met her husband, Seth. Not being from Texas, they got here as quickly as they could!
Knowing that exercise is important, Tara tried to be active consistently, but couldn’t stay interested in fitness. After years of being in and out of the gym, she discovered group fitness and quickly fell in love! It turns out that for her, a fitness community is what she needed to stay consistent. It wasn’t long before she attained her first certification and began teaching classes.
Ten years into her fitness career, Tara has discovered her true passions – personal training and endurance sports. She loves training one-on-one as it allows her to form more personal connections with the members she serves and helps them in a more impactful way. Tara finds joy in helping her clients achieve their goals whether it be weight loss, competing in the Hotter ‘N Hell Hundred, or lifting heavier weight. She holds several certifications including ACE-certified personal trainer, ACE behavior specialist, TRX, and several Les Mills programs.
Like Melissa, her passion is fitness for everyone – she loves sharing her gifts with others to help achieve their health and fitness goals!
