Jay Rhodes
Owner/Head Coach at CrossFit Outlaw North
- CrossFit Level 1
- CrossFit Level 2
- Olympic WeightLifting Certification
- Precision Nutrition Level 1
- Standard First Aid + CPR-C
- Bachelor of Arts (Honours), Kinesiology
- Bachelor of Education
Experience Coaching since 2009
Jay coaches all populations across CrossFit group classes, 1-on-1 personal training, online training, and Olympic weightlifting. He is a co-founder and owner of Outlaw North.
HWDSB High School Teacher, 2010-2019
Athletic Background Jay competed at the national level across multiple disciplines:
- Track & Field
-1999 Ontario Legion, 2nd place, 400m
-2000 OTFA Champion, 300m Hurdles
-2000 Ontario Summer Games Champion, 300m Hurdles
-2000 Ontario Summer Games Champion, 4x400m
-2001 OTFA Indoor Champion, 200m
-2001 OFTA Indoor Champion, 400m
-2001 OFSAA Champion, 300m Hurdles
-2001 Ontario Legion Champion, 400m
-2002 OTFA Champion, 400m Hurdles
-Varsity at Western University
-Western University All-Time Top 10 – Men’s 4x200m
-Western University All-Time Top 10 – Men’s 4x400m
-Varsity Track & Field Captain, 2005/06, 2006/07
-2022 Western Hall of Fame Inductee, 2003-2005 Men’s 4x400m Relay Teams - Football
-2x OFSAA National Capital Bowl Champion, Frontenac Seconary School, Kingston
-2nd Team All-Canada East Running Back (2003)
-Varsity at University of Western Ontario - Olympic Weightlifting
-Masters record holder – Snatch, C&J, Total – 85kg class, 2015
-Masters record holder – Snatch, C&J, Total – 77kg class, 2016
-2nd place Ontario Championships (2016) - CrossFit
-CrossFit Games Competitor (Team, 2011)
-CrossFit Regionals Competitor (2010–2014)
-2013 CrossFit Open Fittest Man in Ontario
-2012 Best of The Best, 3rd place
-Project 6ix Champion, 2018, 2019 - Endurance — Marathon, 50/50/50 (50km bike, 50km run, 50km bike), Around the Bay, Barrelman half-iron triathlon, 3x Hyrox finisher
Coaching Philosophy
“My job as a coach is to help people see in themselves what they can’t already see.”
Jay’s core belief: fitness isn’t optional if you want to live well. “Our bodies and minds are meant to move.”
The hardest part of coaching, in his experience, is one most coaches won’t say out loud: “Seeing people who want it, but not enough to make it non-negotiable through the curveballs and hard seasons of life. That’s often when it helps the most.”
Background & Perspective
Jay grew up quiet and shy. Sport gave him an arena. “It gave me confidence and let me excel in things — a place to express myself in my own way. It also showed me a very direct correlation between working hard and getting what you want.”
His mentors span sport and business: track coaches Dave Grant and Jim Parker, football coaches Wayne Tindale and Andy Stubbert, and business mentor Chris Cooper.
As owner of Outlaw North, he’s built something he’s still a genuine part of: “Even as an owner and coach, I find I still get all the benefits our members do — and that comes from building in a way that’s authentic to us.”
What keeps him training: “I’ve always been interested to see what I’m capable of. I do best when I have something on the calendar to prepare for that I care about.”
