July Business Spotlight: KOPA Crossfit
Meet Ashley Payne! Ashley is the Manager at KOPA Crossfit in Jefferson owned by Jeremy and Delinah Kozup and Miles and Amy Parker. Ashley lives in Franklin County with her husband and daughter. Ashley started Crossfit 10 years ago. She has gone through three owners and two locations. Ashley still remembers her very first workout like it was yesterday! It left her feeling super sore in a good way and she remembers thinking, “this is it, I’ve found it!” Ashley immediately fell in love with the community and the ability to grow every day. “You are never stagnant with Crossfit. There’s always room to grow. You are always getting stronger and faster.”
Within six months, Ashley earned her Level 1 CrossFit Certification and started coaching classes. You have to renew your certification every five years and when time came due, Ashley went on to earn her Level 2 CrossFit Certification. She knew that if she wanted to continue coaching, the Level 2 was a huge game changer because it teaches you more about the coaching aspect of CrossFit and helps you dial in your coaching abilities. She’s had her Level 2 certification for four years. Ashley plans to earn her Level 3 certification and maintain it through continuing education classes. In addition to her Level 2 certification, Ashley recently added CrossFit Kids to her coaching hat!
Q: What does KOPA mean?
“KOPA is the first two letters of each of the owners last names (Kozup and Parker). KOPA also means together.”
Q: How did KOPA come to be?
“When the previous owner was talking about selling, Miles Parker was interested and we talked about it. I also knew that Jeremy Kozup was interested in purchasing the business as he is also the owner of the building. I knew their personalities and knew that they would be great business partners. They didn’t know each other because Jeremy worked out in the mornings and Miles worked out in the evenings. I set them up to talk and now here we are a little over a year later!”
Q: What can people expect when they visit KOPA? Is CrossFit for everyone?
“I am so glad you asked that! Absolutely anyone can do CrossFit! It’s 100% what you make it. People tend to get intimidated by CrossFit, but we are not a gym full of CrossFit professional athletes. We’re an everyday gym, filled with everyday people that are all wanting to better their health. We do have some that are a little more competitive, but not to the professional athlete level. We are a group of people that come to the gym to become a better version of ourselves and sweat a little in the process. You don’t have to be fit or in shape to join us. Our members’ fitness abilities vary! We have athletes that want to lose weight, some that want to gain muscle. We have athletes of all different ages. CrossFit is scalable for everyone.
When you walk in you can expect to be greeted by one of our coaches with a warm and smiling face. They will lead the class and tell you exactly what to do. They will know your limitations and help guide you with scaling options for the workout of the day.”
Our coaches are all certified and train before they can lead a class on their own.”
Q: What times are your classes?
“Monday through Thursday we are open at 5:30 AM, 7:00 AM, 8:15 AM, 9:15 AM, 4:00 PM, 5:00 PM and 6:00 PM. Fridays are the same except that there is not a 6:00 PM class. Classes are one hour long. We also have what we call Open Gym where our members can access the facility outside of regular classes.”
Q: Do you have childcare?
“We are actually working on that! We have a small building on our property that is being prepped to be our daycare. It will have AC/heat and we are hiring someone to take care of the kids. This is going to be a great addition as we have so many parents that need this option.”
Q: What does KOPA hope to provide the Jefferson Community?
“Our goal is to provide a place where everyone feels comfortable and included just the way they are. We want to create a community where members support and help one another inside and outside the gym. We also want to help our members live healthier lives by educating, coaching and supporting them along the way.”
Q: What do you love about Jefferson?
“I live in Franklin County, but I drive to Jefferson everyday because I love it that much. Jefferson is great! You can feel that it’s a strong community. I see the Jefferson decals everywhere I go, even on the interstate going home! I’ve loved getting to know the community and making friends by extension.”
Q: What’s something on your bucket list?
“CrossFit related, I want to see the CrossFit Games in person. I love the affiliate level and visiting different affiliates, but it’s different from the sport level. I want to go see the professionals do it!
Personally, I want to obtain my Level 3 certification and continue to see the gym grow where we can have adult and kids classes going on at the same time.”
Q: What are you excited about?
“CrossFit Kids! This is something I’ve wanted to do for a really long time and I love that we are finally doing it. This is a huge deal to me. I don’t want to let the kids down, but I’ve loved getting it started and seeing it through.
Q: What are you currently reading and/or listening to?
“I LOVE podcasts! Anything from nutrition to fitness. I’m currently listening to a neuroscientist’s podcast.”
I have the honor of knowing Ashley personally as we've been done CrossFit together for almost 10 years! She is an incredible coach and asset to the community. She does everything with excellence and it shows through her coaching and managing KOPA. If you are hesitant about trying it out, reach out to her. I promise, you will be in great hands! I also know the owners personally and I'm so proud of what they have been able to offer to our community. KOPA CrossFit is not just a gym, it's a family. And family walks alongside you through everything. The people you meet in the classes will become some of your greatest friends. I encourage you to try it out!
You can follow KOPA CrossFit on Instagram and Facebook and visit their website. KOPA is located at 143 Hill St. in Jefferson.
