Our Coaches
Meet the coaches who make Gauntlet Fitness great. With 42 combined years of experience teaching and coaching kids and adults between them, Coaches Shawn, Ashley, Chris, Liam, and Addy know how to get the best from any athlete who works with us. Our passion is getting YOU to your goal, whatever that may be!
Coach SHawn
Coach Shawn D. Mason is a specialist in the prescription of movement and athletic performance. After earning his Bachelor’s degree from Southeastern Oklahoma State University, Shawn acquired his certification as a strength and conditioning specialist (C.S.C.S.) from the N.S.C.A. He started Gauntlet Fitness, his athletic performance facility in 2008, then expanded with the first Ninja Warrior gym in the state of Oklahoma in July 2012. His gym has landed 15 athletes on the show American Ninja Warrior and American Ninja Warrior Jr. He has also placed 2nd at UNAA World Finals and last year he took 1st place in the international UNAA’s International “World Ninja Challenge.” More importantly, Gauntlet Fitness landed 13 of the world’s top 39 podiums and secured the “#1 gym in the World” for the same challenge.
Coach Mason is a regular speaker for the NSCA at State Conferences for progressions and modalities pertaining to the demands of the Ninja Warrior athlete. He has developed appropriate training protocols based on biomechanical requirements and joint angle manipulations specific to Ninja Warrior. His training develops athletes’ responses for optimal timing. He has implemented a 10-tier-level progression for the Ninja Warrior athlete which safely progresses all skill level athletes of all ages to top performance within the sport.
He has devoted his studies to mastering the 3 energy systems and specializes in maximizing human performance by ensuring harmony with ATP generation and demands of specific movements; namely advanced movements in acceleration, agility, balance, conditioning, flexibility, mobility, power, stability, & strength.
Coach Shawn trains all of our coaching staff to his exacting standards and considers it a privilege to shape the coaching staff of the future at Gauntlet Fitness.
Coach Ashley
From coaching, to writing the weekly gym emails, to working the front desk, to social media- you have probably seen Ashley everywhere! A lifelong athlete and healthy food lover, she enjoys coaching natural movement, functional fitness, and kettlebells. She has her Movnat Level 1 trainer cert, as well as being an Institute for Integrative Nutrition Certified Health Coach, and is working on her StrongFirst SFG Level 1. She has also worked as a private chef, as well as the head chef for a farm to table concept restaurant. She coaches The Gauntlet strength and conditioning adult class, and is also accepting nutrition coaching clients. Having fought back against auto-immune issues with diet, her specialty is helping people uncover the emotional reasons they aren’t in optimal health and giving them the tools they need to switch to a whole foods diet. It goes beyond fat, carbs and protein here- Ashley looks at the whole person and comes up with a plan uniquely suited to that person’s bio-individuality.
Coach Liam
Coach Liam is 19 years old and has been doing ninja since he was 9, and he’s been helping coach classes for about that long as well! He’s been a fixture at Gauntlet Fitness since the very beginning! He says he has learned a lot of things coaching for a decade now, which he uses to help every athlete he works with.
Liam competes and places in the top 3 in UNAA and NNL regularly. He hasn’t applied to American Ninja Warrior but has plans to do that in the future.
His other hobbies include music, playing a variety of different instruments such as the piano, drums, guitar, and ukulele. His favorite instrument by far though are the drums, which he’s been playing the longest.
He loves all kinds of food, and trying out new foods. He loves living in Dallas for all the awesome new restaurants he gets to try!
Liam helps coach all classes, as well as helps at the front desk and keeps an eye on kids on the floor during open gym. Liam specializes in high-energy private lessons that work on filling gaps in an athlete’s competitive game. He loves building the confidence of the athletes he trains and is available to schedule for private lessons by hitting the button below.
Coach Chris
Dallas born and raised, Coach Chris is 21 years old and is a UNAA certified Ninja Coach who has been coaching for 3 years. He is a graduate of W.T. White High School where he played football, wrestled, and ran track. He’s currently a junior at UT Dallas studying Information Technology. Chris was a competitor on Season 13 of American Ninja Warrior, and he will be back this year for Season 14! He hopes that every athlete he works with will work hard towards their goals and have fun doing so. When he’s not coaching he enjoys watching basketball, Disney movies and just having fun!
Chris helps coach beginner and intermediate classes, as well as the Gauntlet Kids athletic performance classes. You’ll also see him working the floor during open gym.
Coach Addy
Addison is 15 years old and has been doing ninja since she was 5. She’s been a top female competitor at every ninja competition she’s attended and regularly places in the top 3. Addy was also a competitor on Season 2 of American Ninja Warrior Jr, and learned so much and had so much fun being around all the other athletes. One of her favorite things about ninja is how it’s not only good for you physically but mentally. It teaches you so many lessons about resilience, learning from your fails, and overcoming mental obstacles. Addy helps coach beginner and intermediate classes, and works as a party host and ninja coach on the weekends.
Addison is also a competitive dancer and has danced since she was 3! Dance, ninja, and music are her main loves in life and she aspires to be a musician and create her own music. She also loves cooking and making healthy meals for herself and her family- they especially appreciate this particular talent!
