Ryan DeWitt, Owner, Physical Therapist and Coach
MPT, OCS, CSCS, CES, CF-L1, CF-L2, CrossFit Movement & Mobility, USAW-L1PC

Ryan, a native of Santa Cruz and lifelong athlete, is a physical therapist and the owner of DeWitt Physical Therapy, Inc. With a strong background in sports medicine including additional certifications in Strength and Conditioning, he wanted to create a training environment to help his clients and athletes reach their potential. In 2013, DeWitt Physical Therapy opened CrossFit UP in their new location becoming the first physical therapist-owned CrossFit Affiliate in the greater Santa Cruz Area. With Ryan’s extensive background in orthopaedics, manual therapy and movement correction, along with inspirations from the teachings of Dr. Kelly Starrett, DPT, Gray Cook, MPT, EXOS and many others, he enjoys helping his patients and clients move better and achieve higher levels of performance. He has been a CrossFit Level 1 Trainer (CF-L1) since 2010 and received his CrossFit Level 2 Trainer in 2018, and also has a CrossFit Specialty Certification in Movement and Mobility and is a Sports Performance Coach through USA Weightlifting .  Ryan lives in Pleasure Point with his wife and children and can be found surfing in and around the East Side of Santa Cruz.

Sonja DeWitt, Owner and Gym Operator
CF-L2, CrossFit Movement & Mobility

Sonja started CrossFitting when her husband Ryan talked her into opening a box in the fall of 2013 as part of their expansion for DeWitt Physical Therapy. Very skeptical at first, she went through the first Fundamental series CrossFit UP offered and was immediately hooked. After her first year of doing CrossFit, she became a Level 1 CrossFit Coach in the fall of 2014, and received her Level 2 Trainer Certificate in 2019. Sonja oversees all general operations of the gym and coaches intermittently when time allows. She also manages her family of four and enjoys surfing, traveling, dancing and everything German.

Aaron August, Director of Training CFU and DPT
CF-L1, NSCA - CPT, FMS - Level 2, USAW Level 1, and FRC

Aaron August has been instructing fitness, movement, and well-being since 2005. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science from Fresno State in 2007 and has since worked as a personal trainer, group fitness instructor and assistant football coach at Cabrillo College, He worked in the EXOS system for over three years and most recently held the role of Assistant General Manager for Stanford University Recreation and Wellness department. Aaron is excited and eager to be a part of the wonderful community at CrossFit UP.

Aaron lives in Aptos with his wife Bri and their growing family! They enjoy everything fitness, the outdoors, and cold beer!

Kelly Kelly, CrossFit Expert and Coach

Competitive Athlete, CF-L3 and FMS

A Bay Area native, Kelly grew up playing soccer and water polo and found CrossFit in 2010 after returning home from the University of Michigan. Her first year in the CrossFit world was humbling and taught her that human beings are only truly limited by their own expectations. After pursuing her CF-L1, CF-L2, CF-L3 and FMS certifications, Kelly's coaching career over the last ten years has spanned age groups and continents, from working with youth soccer and basketball teams, to running weightlifting and gymnastics courses in South Africa. She believes that a solid foundation, quality movement and commitment to continuous growth are the keys to building more resilient human beings. Kelly is also a competitive CrossFit athlete, competing in the 2011, 2012 and 2014 Nor-Cal Regionals with Team Lifeworx and as a individual at the CF Regionals in 2013. Upon finishing her individual year, she then competed alongside Phoenix Rising in South Africa in 2017, and at the California Regionals in 2018 with Team Diablo Moxie. She has been an individual competitor the last few years, with a 6th place finish at the Mid Atlantci CrossFit Challenge Semifinal in 2022. You can catch Kelly walking on the beach enjoying the sunshine with a strong cup of bullet proof coffee, daydreaming about traveling and puppies.

CrossFit HQ did a coaching profile on Coach Kelly!

Watch it by clicking the video below

Daniel Malillos

CrossFit Level 2 Trainer (CF-L2)

Daniel Malillos was born in the Philippines and later moved to Italy. He became a skilled chef and immersed himself in the culinary world. His love for food with a strong passion for wellness led him to discover CrossFit. He earned his CF-Level 1 in 2017 followed by CF-Level 2 in 2022.

Now residing in Felton with his wife, he embraces an active lifestyle, cherishing outdoor adventures and various physical activities.

Katie Ferraro

CrossFit Level 2 Trainer (CF-L2)

Katie first walked into a CrossFit gym in March 2014 out of curiosity, simply looking to learn more about fitness. Growing up on a horse farm, she didn’t have a traditional fitness background and didn’t expect anything of it. Then, she got hooked.

After signing up to volunteer on the media team at the then California Regional, Katie was able to blend her new passion for fitness and her professional media background, growing her CrossFit community even larger. CrossFit changed Katie’s life in more ways than one, so the natural progression was to earn her CF-L1 certification which she did in 2019. Over a hundred hours of shadow time later, she stepped into leading classes on her own.

After nearly 10 years of CrossFit later and investing in her CF-L2 certificate in February 2024, Katie is still as curious and passionate about changing lives as she was when she first picked up a barbell.

Amber Leisinger

CrossFit Level 1 Trainer (CF-L1)

Born and raised in Iowa, Amber discovered CrossFit in 2016 while watching YouTube videos in college. After six years of body building style workouts and running, she joined her first CrossFit gym in 2018. Shortly after, the Army brought her out to Monterey, California and then on a deployment, where she was able to keep up CrossFit style training. After her 2021 deployment, she moved to Santa Cruz and decided to pursue personal training and coaching CrossFit.

Amber loves seeing physical fitness and a healthy lifestyle improve the quality of CrossFit athletes and her clients' lives. She loves CrossFit not only for the physical challege but for the strategy, mental strength, and community. When not working out (or watching others workout), Amber is fawning over her cat, having game nights with friends, trying new food with her partner, and outside enjoying the beautiful California sunshine.