Mariela Atlas

Fitness Coach & Lens Queen

Mariela walked through Brazen Fitness' doors in late 2015, with no previous athletic experience and even less body awareness. She attributes the majority of her athletic and personal development, over the past five years, to the warm community and adept coaching staff within the walls of this gym.

Her goal as a coach is to help athletes evolve their confidence, master new skills, and ultimately do things they never believed they were capable of. She loves watching members grow, not only as athletes, but also as confident individuals. As a crossfitter and functional fitness enthusiast, now also turned dance enthusiast, movement has become an integral and beloved part of her life.

These days you can find her either: shoving a camera in your face, finding a new sport to play, or bragging about her new dance moves to the rest of the coaching staff.

Coaching Specialties:

Olympic Weightlifting, Pure Capacity/Conditioning

“My opinions may have changed, but not the fact that I’m right.” - Ashleigh Brilliant

Elise Pérez

Fitness & Nutrition Coach, Gym Manager

Elise joined the fitness world after achieving her own health transformation. She specializes in nutrition, fat loss, and helping clients get out of pain. Elise’s coaching takes a whole-person approach; by teaching and empowering athletes to significantly enhance their lifestyles. She lives for the moments of clients moving some heavy a** weight, realizing their true strength and seeing that strength manifest in other parts of their lives.

“Life sometimes gets heavy, baby. But that’s why we strength train our spirits too.” - Unknown

Coaching Specialties:

Strength training, pain & injury, nutrition coaching, fat/weight loss

Stu Menn

Fitness Coach

Stu first discovered CrossFit in 2015 at Brazen Fitness (aka. CrossFit South Arlington). A lifelong athlete, Stu was looking for a physical and mental challenge to replace the absence of basketball, baseball and competitive swimming he was immersed in throughout his life. Stu was immediately hooked by the Brazen community and the constantly varied and challenging workouts.

As a CrossFit coach of 5+ years or 21-year active duty Air Force officer, Stu finds personal growth and happiness in serving others. His passion is coaching athletes and helping them chart a path to reach their goals. He’s always happy to jump in a workout with any athlete and “endure the suck” so they don’t have  to journey alone. He has coached at 3 CrossFit gyms and managed 1 thanks to the military moving him around the country. 

“The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.”- Michelangelo

Eliza Sturgeon

Fitness Coach

I kicked off my CrossFit journey in the summer of 2018, during a summer internship in DC. I was a competitive swimmer for over a decade, but struggled to keep up with a fitness regime in college. I vividly remember walking back from my very first workout & calling my mom & saying “I have to keep doing this it’s so hard I’m so tired” (spoiler: I still feel that way all the time!). I found a gym in my hometown of Richmond, VA, & haven’t looked back. I started coaching in Richmond last year as a way to give back to the gym that had given me so much but also simply because I love to teach people. I have my USA Weightlifting L-1 certification and my true loves are 45 minute chipper workouts & emo pop punk music.

I grew up homeschooled in Richmond, VA. I’m super close with my family, but I have never convinced them to do CrossFit with me. I graduated from college in 2019 & spent a few years taking some time off before moving to the DC area for my current job. I love to read, cook, swim, & organize my closet like a crazy person.

Coaching Specialties:

Strength Training, Olympic Weightlifting, Gymnastics

“Do it again, but don’t suck this time.” - my Olympic lifting coach in RVA & friend Crowder