Coaches


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Joe Ling (Co-Owner/Head Coach)


Whether playing football, riding bikes with friends, or competing in high school track and field, Joe has always had a strong passion for exercise.  But as he got older and fell into his daily “grown-up” routine, Joe’s health took a back seat in life.  On his 30th birthday, Joe realized he was overweight and knew something had to change.  He spent the next two years gym-hopping throughout South Jersey and Philadelphia, trying to stay engaged with the workouts he knew he needed to stay healthy.
In 2009, Joe heard whispers of something called “CrossFit”– a new kind of workout that was fun, exciting, and results-driven.  CrossFit challenged him both physically and mentally and he was hooked after his first workout.  Joe loves CrossFit’s focus on staying healthy through proper diet and exercise, but he believes that the true bonus of CrossFit is the community created by the owners and members.  Building on that love for community and fitness, Joe is excited to take his love for CrossFit to new heights at CrossFit Novem and is looking forward to helping people in the CrossFit Novem community to reach their full potential in health, exercise, and life.


•    CrossFit Level 1 Certified 2011
• CrossFit Coaches’ Prep Course 2012
•    CrossFit Olympic Lifting Certification
•    Wilkes Olympic Lifting Seminar 2011
•    Carl Paoli Freestyle Connection Gymnastics Movement Seminar 2012
•    David Spitz California Strength Olympic Lifting Seminar 2012
•    Rudy Nielsen Outlaw Way Seminar 2013
•    AED/CPR Certified

Lesha Meyer (Co-Owner/Head Coach)

A Ragin’ Cajun by birth, Lesha has called Philadelphia home for the past twelve years. Lesha was consistently involved in sports from a young age, spending her high school years competing in powerlifting competitions and excelling as a cross-country runner. After college, Lesha played rugby for more than six years with the Philadelphia Women’s Rugby Football Club and loved the camaraderie and competition that rugby provided. In 2009, with retirement from rugby fast-approaching, Lesha realized that she needed an alternative athletic outlet to maintain her commitment to fitness.  With her background in powerlifting, CrossFit provided her with the perfect combination of intensity, community, and a never-ending combination of ways increase her fitness. Lesha has been an avid CrossFitter for almost three years and has been a CrossFit trainer for the last two years. She has a tremendous passion for training and competing, along with a deep love for coaching her clients to reach their peak in CrossFit and fitness.


•    CrossFit Level 1 Certified 2010
•    CrossFit Motion and Mobility Certification
•    CrossFit Running Certified (CrossFit Certified Pose Instructor)
•    CrossFit Coaches’ Prep Course 2011
•    USA-Weightlifting Certified Sports Coach
•    USA-Weightlifting Level 2 (Certification Pending) 2013
•    Wilkes Olympic Lifting Seminar 2010
•    Carl Paoli Freestyle Connection Gymnastics Movement Seminar 2012
•    David Spitz California Strength Olympic Lifting Seminar 2012
•    Rudy Nielsen Outlaw Way Seminar 2013
•    Basic Olympic Lifting Certification – Leo Totten & Mike McKenna – East Coast Gold 2013
•    AED/CPR Certified


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Laura Curran (Assistant Coach)


Born and bred on the Jersey Shore (no, she’s not orange, nor does she have a “poof”), Laura spent most of her youth involved in various sports and martial arts. In high school she played four years of field hockey, two of which were spent as team captain. Upon entering college, opting out of team sports took a toll on her body – and entering the post-college office world did not do it any better. After 6 years and 65lbs later, Laura was very overweight and decided it was time to make a change. Thanks to some in-home training programs, she lost about 25lbs and started to realize how much she loved and missed an active lifestyle. A month later she quit her desk job and enrolled in a personal training certification program at National Personal Training Institute (NPTI, Oct ’10-Mar ‘11). It was here that she was introduced to Crossfit. It was also at this time that Laura got involved in Muay Thai Kickboxing at Girl Fight MMA. Beyond her love of the sport, it was the camaraderie and team atmosphere that she fell in love with. Fast forward to January 2012, Laura packed her bags and moved to Philly. Knowing that she wanted to continue her pursuit of fitness, joining a local Crossfit was the natural choice. Lucky for her, this rad duo (aka Joe and Lesha) opened up a box just a couple months before she moved into the area. Five minutes into her first class at Crossfit Novem, Laura could already see that she was once again among a team of which she immediately felt comfortable. Thanks to the skill of our coaches and support of Novem Nation, she is in the best shape of her life and isn’t stopping here. Right now, Laura is looking forward to tackling more fitness goals, coaching at Crossfit Novem, and in 2013 heading to grad school to work on a Doctorate in Physical Therapy.


•    CrossFit Level 1 Certified 2012
•    NPTI Certified
•    AED/CPR Certified

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Christine “Cuz” Cousins (Assistant Coach)


I hail from Maryland by way of New York City.  I was lucky enough to grow up in a very sporty household and was encouraged to try any sport that crossed my path.  I mainly focused on team sports: gymnastics, volleyball, softball and in high school found field hockey.  I opted not to continue with field hockey in college but was on the equestrian team for a short stint.  It wasn’t until taking a weight lifting class my senior year did I realize how much I missed working out.  After graduation I became a globo gym rat but always felt something was lacking. I missed the camaraderie and the drive of competition that I had with team sports.  It wasn’t until I found Crossfit did I fill this void.  In 2007 while living in NYC I found Crossfit after it was mentioned in a magazine article.  I was hooked and over the past five years I have gotten more involved starting off as a member and now a coach.  I have competed on two different teams that went to the Crossfit Regional Games as well as several individual competitions and many local competitions.  However I find the most enjoyment out of coaching and helping someone conquer a new movement or get a new PR.  I love Crossfit’s focus on being healthy through activity and nutrition. I am lucky to be apart of the Crossfit community.


•    CrossFit Level 1 Certified 2010
•    Crossfit Motion and Mobility 2010
•    AED/CPR Certified

Andrew McGinley (Assitant Coach)

A product of sunny Northeast Philadelphia, Andrew has been a lifelong Philadelphian and today calls Fishtown “home.” Growing up Andrew played a wide variety of sports, including one traumatizing season on the parish basketball team, but was always most passionate about long distance running. He began running for fitness in college and signed up for races for new challenges.

After plateauing and not seeing his desired results, he signed up for Novem’s first OnRamp in 2011 and has been hooked on CrossFit since. He’s done a handful of local competitions and thinks they’re a great way to push yourself and gage progress. His running, general fitness, and mood have improved greatly since getting involved at Novem.

A lawyer by day, Andrew comes from a long line of educators and thinks coaching is his chance to teach. He loves seeing people improve their fitness and take on tasks they previously thought they could not do. He’s energized by the fast paced atmosphere of a CrossFit class and thinks that constant variation is the key to staying engaged in fitness.


• CrossFit Level 1 Certified 2013
• AED/CPR Certified



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