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

Tim Youmans

CrossFit Level 2 Trainer (CF-L2)

Tim has called Santa Cruz his home ever since he was a young man, fresh outta high school. He has a lifelong passion for sports, fitness and competition, but has to admit that the Dad-Bod had taken over after many years where other priorities had pushed fitness down the list somewhere below his Friday night slow-pitch softball league. That was until Tim walked into his first Crossfit workout in 2013. He went in thinking of how the workout was incorporating familiar routines and regimes he had used previously, and when he finished he thought of how challenging, yet rewarding it had been. Oh and that everyone should be doing this. That’s when the trainer said that the warm-up was over and it was time to start the real workout. Tim fully believes that his fitness journey has saved his life and is excited that he can use his passion to help others achieve their own fitness aspirations.

Tim earned his CrossFit Level 1 (CF-L1) trainer certificate in 2018 and his CrossFit Level 2 (CF-L2) trainer certificate in 2022. He is a black belt instructor in Shotokan, Tang Soo Do and Taekwondo Karate and has competed in international karate competitions. Always the weekend warrior, Tim runs Spartan races, sprint triathlons and has competed in multiple CrossFit competitions including his most recent 1st place finish at the 2022 Northern California Classic, a 1st place finish at both the 2018 NorCal Masters and 2019 Masters Clash, and a 2nd place finish at the 2019 Northern California Classic.. The Youmans CrossFit clan includes his wife of over 30 years, Kelley and his two adult ‘yutes’ Shannon and Christopher.

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.

Elijah Schoepp
Physical Therapist

Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT)

CrossFit Level 2 Trainer (CF-L2)

Elijah received his Bachelors of Exercise science at Long Beach State and his Doctorate of Physical Therapy at California State University of Northridge. Elijah’s interest in rehabilitation and optimization of human potential stemmed from his time spent playing rugby for LBSU. He completed his CrossFit Level 1 Trainer Certificate in 2021 and Level 2 Trainer Certificate in 2024 and coaches at CrossFit UP next door. Elijah continues to push and challenge himself with surfing and weightlifting/CrossFit endeavors.

Dave Bunton, Staff Coach

Dave was born an Air Force brat having a father who was in the Air Force for 22 years. Dave finally settled, after living in places like Florida, Nebraska and Okinawa, in San Jose where he went to Leigh High School and then De Anza Junior College. Dave played college football at Springfield College, in Massachusetts, where he earned a degree in Physical Education and a Masters in Education. Dave has coached High School athletics for over 30 years which included Football, Baseball and Track and Field.

He started Crossfit in Massachusetts in 2010 and was impressed with how it compared to sports and competition. Dave earned his L1 in 2011 and also owned his own Personal Training business for five years where he enjoyed developing relationships and helping people accomplish their goals. Dave has run seven marathons and in 2022 thru-hiked the 2,193.4 miles of the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine. Dave, the father of two young men, currently lives in Santa Cruz.