MEET OUR COACHES
Christopher Bell
Ed.D, CSCS, USAW, CrossFit-L3
OWNER & DIRECTOR OF IMPACT SPORTS TRAINING
Chris earned his B.S in Exercise Science from UW-Superior, his Masters degree in Exercise Physiology from CSS in 2003, and his Doctorate degree in Sports Management with an emphasis in Sports Health and Fitness from the U.S Sports Academy in 2018. In addition to working with hundreds of local high school and college athletes, Chris has served as the Strength and Conditioning Coach as well as Assistant Coach for the UWS Men’s Hockey team. Chris worked for the US Olympic Committee at the Olympic Training Center in New York and trained athletes from both winter and summer sports. In addition to Olympic athletes, Chris has trained athletes from a variety of professional sports.
Brendan Willis
MS, CSCS, USAW, CrossFit-L3
COACH
Brendan graduated Magna Cum Laude from UW- Superior in 2012 with a degree in Exercise Science and a minor in Coaching. Brendan also earned his Masters in Exercise Physiology from the College of St. Scholastica in 2014. Brendan played 4 years of baseball at UW-Superior and was named captain during his senior year. In addition to playing collegiate baseball, he also played hockey and football throughout his high school career in Thunder Bay. Brendan has been competing in CrossFit competitively for over 10 years. He recently competed in the 2026 Masters CrossFit Games.
Alex Taray
MS, CSCS, USAW, CrossFit-L3, USAPL-CC
COACH
Alex graduated Magna Cum Laude from Concordia University St. Paul with a Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Science. Alex also earned his Masters in Exercise Physiology from the College of St. Scholastica in 2014. Alex started training at IST as an athlete his senior year of high school as he prepared to play division II football at Concordia St. Paul. Alex has since finished his career as a CrossFit & Powerlifting athlete and has transferred his passion into coaching.
Liv Honsey
B.A.Sc, CrossFit L-1
COACH
Liv moved to Duluth from Annandale MN in 2021. She graduated from the University of Minnesota Duluth in 2025 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Health and minor in Health & Wellness Coaching. At UMD she competed on the Women’s Tennis Team, including being captain her senior year. She found her passion for coaching in college, while teaching group fitness classes and personal training through the RSOP. Liv started attending classes at IST in 2023 and fell in love with the community! She started coaching at IST in the Fall of 2025 after receiving her L-1.
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Carter Vork
MBA, CrossFit L-1
COACH
Carter is from Esko Minnesota. He graduated from UW-Superior with a degree in supply chain management. Carter continued his education, earning his MBA at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities with a focus in Finance. He first started as an athlete at IST in 2013 while playing high school hockey for Cloquet. Carter began coaching at IST in December of 2024. Since then, he has competed in Ultra Marathons, HYROX races, and more. He now specializes in IST HYROX classes.
Austin Gotchnik
BS, CrossFit-L1
COACH
Austin grew up in Cloquet Minnesota. He attended school at The University of Minnesota Duluth and Saint Cloud State University where he earned a degree in Civil Engineering and Land Surveying. Austin currently works as a Professional Land Surveyor. While in high school, he started training with IST which started his passion for strength training. This prepared him to play football at The University of Minnesota Duluth. During his college years, Austin started coaching at IST.
Bre Lohn
BA, DPT, CrossFit-L1
COACH
Bre is a Physical Therapist and has practiced full time since 2015. She graduated from The College of St. Scholastica in 2012 with honors and a B.A. in Psychology. She then continued on to the DPT program which she completed in 2015. During her undergraduate work she was a member of the Women's Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field team, competing in high jump, triple jump and javelin. She has been a CrossFit athlete since 2016 when she joined her first gym while living in Washington.