The Cave Staff
Get to know our family! The Cave’s coaching and support staff have backgrounds and experience in a wide variety of sports and other disciplines. With extensive knowledge in strength training, conditioning, and kinesthetics, our coaches will help you obtain and exceed your goals.
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Roger HarrellCEO/CIO, Coach -
Shawn KelleyFacilities Director, Coach -
Amy DockusOperations Director -
Ron BenitezCrossFit Director, Coach -
Dr. Lori O’DellWomen's Gymnastics Team Program Director, Head Coach -
Andrey PfeningParkour Manager, Parkour Coach -
Kevin BullParkour Coach, Management -
Auriyon JacobsOffice Manager -
Courtney GradlEvents Manager, Gymnastics Coach, Office Admin -
Janel HathawayGraphic Designer, Website Manager -
August KilesIT Support -
Taalib SmithSocial Media Manager, Gymnastics Coach -
Emily BeckerRec. Gymnastics Curriculum Coordinator, Gymnastics Coach
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Victor BezardGymnastics Coach
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Bryce HaddockGymnastics Coach
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Berry HolubGymnastics Coach
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Nicholas KarsantGymnastics Coach -
Natali KasprowiczGymnastics Coach
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Tony MarelichGymnastics & Parkour Coach
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Sian NicholsonGymnastics Coach, Office Admin -
Reanna SantosGymnastics Coach
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Hannah PattersonGymnastics Coach
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Malaha SmithGymnastics Coach -
Beatriz SouzaGymnastics Coach -
Lexi SchumacherCrossFit & Gymnastics Coach -
Teddy FleitasParkour Coach
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Daniel MachadoParkour Coach
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Noah MarquieParkour Coach
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Christopher MerronParkour Coach -
Maxwell MommsenParkour Coach -
Luke NittaParkour Coach
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Matthew PoshCrossFit Coach -
Henry De Leon SignorYouth Strength & Conditioning Coach, CrossFit Coach
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Graham PowellParkour Coach
Roger comes to The Cave with over 30 years of experience in gymnastics, and over 25 years of coaching experience. His passion for fitness is contagious. His technical knowledge and scientific approach help to refine everything we do. Roger holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering and spent several years working on enormous processing plant projects, ore refinement systems and chemical weapons disposal facilities. Throughout it all he has kept a hand in coaching and training and has finally dedicated full time to his true passion. Roger has been involved in CrossFit since the early days and is also the gymnastics curriculum writer and core competency expert for the global CrossFit community.
When Roger is not at the gym he is with his incredible family. His wife Pam of 20 years and their two children, Caitlyn and Logan. You can meet the three of them at the gym either taking classes, or being involved in other capacities.
Growing up moving every couple of years, Amy discovered that playing sports was a good way to fit into her constantly changing environment. She was a strong soccer player from an early age, often playing on boys’ teams because the opportunities for girls were limited. She was an All Conference and All State player in high school and was recruited to play Division 1 soccer for Villanova University, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree, double majoring in English and Communications.
Four knee surgeries took Amy off of the competitive soccer field, but she continues to play a diversity of sports and stays fit by participating in CrossFit classes and running. She is also an adrenaline junky and has felt the thrill of solo accelerated free-fall skydiving, bungee jumping off a 500-foot railroad bridge, class 5+ whitewater rafting, running the New York City marathon, and circumnavigating the country on her motorcycle more than once. True to her gypsy roots, she’s lived the softer side of San Francisco and the harder side of New York City, and she has backpacked through thirty different countries within South America, Central America, Mexico, Africa, Asia, and Europe.
Prior to becoming Operations Director at The Cave, Amy served as Office Manager where she helped create the administrative infrastructure that is in place today. She previously worked in a variety of service and management positions, including being a Product Development Manager for Restoration Hardware. She also spent a year in Africa working for eight different non-profit organizations in twelve countries. She worked in orphanages, counseled street children in the Kampala slums, taught kindergarten and art classes, coached a traveling girls’ soccer team in the Kibera slums, helped build and paint schools, took photographs for fundraising and social media back in the United States, and created a large-scale art mural with child soldiers in a village in Northern Uganda. Her outreach and working with children were clear indications that she was a good fit for The Cave.
Amy stays involved in the community by volunteering with the American Red Cross as a First Responder for national disasters and on the Northern California Disaster Action Team. She loves all things creative, spending one of nine years at Burning Man building a 20-foot art sculpture with acceptance from the Black Rock Arts Commission.
Business has more than tripled since Amy joined The Cave in 2012. She can’t wait to see what’s next on her journey. 
Ron has always been into fitness and team sports, having played basketball in elementary, junior high, and high school. He also played football in high school, participated in outside recreational leagues, and was a cheerleader for his school’s competition squad—mainly focusing on partner and group stunts and tumbling. (He’d probably need a few months of practice now to show off that roundoff back handspring back tuck!).
Ron was in the traditional Globo gym scene and was introduced to CrossFit in 2007. CrossFit Newport Beach came by his work to hold a Pose running and kettlebell clinic, and he has been hooked ever since. From 2007 to early 2009, Ron mainly participated in group WODs, and it wasn’t until summer 2009 that Ron began to spend time with the founder of CFNB, Melissa Metzke, where he shadowed her and volunteered his supervised coaching abilities with the adult classes, kids classes, and barbell classes. In late 2009, his corporate job took him to San Francisco, where he worked out at CrossFit San Francisco and began training with Diane Fu’s FuBarbell Club. In 2009, Ron tried out for the Team CrossFit Games. Although Ron did not make the team, he has always enjoyed the community and competitive atmosphere surrounding the tryouts.
Life and work took Ron and his wife back and forth to Southern California and San Francisco between 2010 and 2011. Finally, he and his wife settled in San Francisco—she to open a small apparel boutique and he working back in the corporate world. Currently, Ron is helping with his wife’s store and focusing on fitness. Having been an athlete most of his life, his goal is to take what was a hobby and turn it into something more tangible, inspiring others the way his past coaches and CrossFit boxes have inspired him.
Ron and Tricia have a little girl, Harlow Sloane, who was born on February 26, 2015. 
Dr. Lori O’Dell, a member of the NorCal gymnastics community for over 18 years, brings over 25 years of experience, dedication and achievement in arts and athletics to The Cave’s competitive gymnastics team. She has served as a compulsory through elite coach, choreographer, NCAA judge and meet director during this time. Dr. O’Dell was the NorCal State Judging Director from 2015 to 2019 and has been a state and regional championships judge since 2009.
Some of her other accomplishments include:
•USA Gymnastics National Team Selection Camp – 2021
•Choreographer of the Year – NorCal Gymnastics – 2014-15
•NorCal and Region 1 Dance clinician – 2009-present
•Board Member, Region 1 and Northern California – USA Gymnastics & National Association of Women’s Gymnastics Judges – 2011-19
•Professional Dancer & International Ambassador – NFL – Atlanta Falcons, New England Patriots, Oakland Raiders – 2001-08
•Choreography & Dance Performances in South Korea, Japan, Qatar, United Kingdom & Africa – 2006-18
A former Division I scholarship gymnast, Dr. O’Dell earned a Master of Music in Piano Performance from Georgia and a Doctor of Education from California State University, Stanislaus. A resident of San Francisco, she serves as an adjunct faculty in music at various colleges throughout Northern California. She maintains an active coaching and choreography schedule, creating hundreds of routines each year.
Andrey Pfening was born on March 11th, 1990 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. He spent his childhood in Samara, Russia, and at the age of twelve moved to America. He has resided in the San Francisco Bay Area ever since.
While in high school, Andrey came across a YouTube video of David Belle (co-founder of Parkour). He was instantly drawn to the activity and began seeking out knowledge and experience, practicing with friends and dedicating himself to training on his own several days a week. As he gained proficiency, others were drawn to his abilities and attracted to his teaching style.
Andrey has now become a recognizable member of the Parkour community. He helps orchestrate local monthly jams in San Francisco and is committed to educating himself about Parkour and the most effective teaching tools. He frequently attends local and national parkour summits, with well known practitioners, which review the most up to date trends in the discipline and how to implement these trends into his teachings.
Outside of the gym, Andrey spends a lot of time coming up with skill progressions, class outlines, and visual aids, which assist his physical and vocal style of teaching. He uses video of himself and his own students to break down progressions, frame by frame.
Annually, Andrey performs in live performances, working with local choreographers such as Scott Wells, Zoe Klein, Natasha Kaluza, and others. In 2015, he had a rare opportunity to be part of a massive San Francisco Opera production “The Trojans.” And in 2016, he will be part of the San Francisco Opera’s “Carmen” production. He also periodically choreographs and performs pieces of his own. 
Kevin grew up in Scotts Valley, CA. Most of his early athletic experience was based on informal tree climbing and exploring what the wilderness had to offer. At CSU Stanislaus, Kevin found success in running. He became an all-American in 
Auriyon, also known as Auri, is the office manager here at The Cave. Everything from giving facility tours to finding the classes that fit best for you, Auri does it all! When she isn’t working, you can find her at a CrossFit class here, baking, or dancing it up! She is also a huge dog lover (new puppy alert! -2022). 
Courtney grew up in Marin and went to Sonoma State University to study Kinesiology (human movement). She started gymnastics at 7-years old and competed until age 19. She competed level 9 gymnastics throughout California as well as other states.Now, she has been coaching gymnastics (on and off) for over 10 years.
Her experience lies with recreational classes, pre -team, and adult gymnastics. As well as experience helping with compulsory team. Aside from gymnastics, she has worked in the field of behavioral therapy and loves to travel. She spent many years traveling abroad, but lately has kept traveling to local areas (mainly outdoor places). Hobbies include adult gymnastics, hiking, hot yoga, going to the beach or river. 
Sian brings a wealth of experience to the world of gymnastics coaching, with four years of expertise in instructing IGC, recreational, and team programs. Drawing on a background in child development cultivated during her seven-year tenure as a preschool teacher, Sian not only excelled but also directed her preschool program for three years, showcasing her leadership at a young age. Her journey into gymnastics stems from a familial connection, as her parents, who are Olympic coaches with their own gym, inspired her passion for the sport. Sian, a former competitive gymnast concluding her career at level 8, seamlessly blends her athletic prowess with her understanding of child development. Beyond gymnastics, Sian’s diverse athletic background includes four years as a varsity track and field athlete and as a competitive swimmer during high school. Originating from the Jersey Shore and NYC, Sian’s love for sports and adventure extends to her enjoyment of photography and extensive travels to over 20 countries. With a genuine enthusiasm for teaching kids her favorite sport, Sian’s coaching journey is a testament to her multifaceted skills, shaped by a rich tapestry of experiences in gymnastics, education, and athletics. 
Lexi is a Bay Area native, born in San Francisco and raised in the East Bay and Silicon Valley. She has always had a passion for coaching and working with children. She played competitive travel soccer for 10 years and has a State Cup win under her belt. Lexi enjoys working as a sportscaster for her university’s radio station, going to National Parks, and taking her dogs on hikes. She will be graduating in May 2018 with a BA in Communication and Media Studies and a BA in History. Since her start with The Cave’s Events staff in the summer of 2016, Lexi has fallen in love with the creativity and freedom of parkour. 
Maxwell was born and raised in the SF bay area and spent their enormous amounts of childhood energy running, jumping, and climbing on everything they could find. After trying numerous sports growing up, it was only natural that they would then fall in love with Parkour as the grass-roots movement began to gain popularity through the new medium of YouTube.
Maxwell’s formative years as a Parkour athlete co-occurred with the burgeoning of this discipline, and many years were spent entrenched in the community learning from more advanced athletes and oftentimes discovering the potential of Parkour with friends of their own skill level. Max worked to help start a Parkour program in their home community before moving to LA to pursue degrees in Linguistics and Classical Languages & Civilisation.
During their college years Max continued to fall deeper in love with various martial arts, quickly winning several area tournaments for Kung Fu and becoming an instructor at UCLA. This pathway solidified Max’s love of movement in general, and opened their eyes to the wide breadth of knowledge one could gain from such cross-training, adding things like Flow Arts (Juggling and Poi), rock climbing, dance, and even skateboarding to their repertoire.
Having always had a passion for teaching, Maxwell has moved back to the Bay and decided to move into teaching movement full time, continuing to teach both Martial Arts and Parkour to students of all ages. Some of their current interests in expanding their own pedagogical method include incorporating mindfulness into their movement and teaching practice.
When they aren’t teaching or training, Maxwell likes spending time with their dog Phoebe, creating through art and music, and keeping their research skills sharp through independent study. 