Lacey Rhodes
Owner/Head Coach at CrossFit Outlaw North
- CrossFit Level 1
- CrossFit Level 2
- Olympic Weightlifting Certification
- Sports Nutrition Certification
- Standard First Aid + CPR-C
- Bachelor of Arts, History & Geography Master of Education
Experience Coaching since 2012
Lacey coaches all populations — youth, general fitness, athletes, masters, and postnatal — across CrossFit gym, commercial gym, and gymnastics settings. She is a co-founder and owner of Outlaw North.
HWDSB High School Teacher, 2014-2021
Athletic Background
Lacey’s competitive resume spans three distinct sports at the highest levels:
Gymnastics
- Eastern Canadian Champion (2002)
Track & Field
- 2004 OFSAA gold medalist, Long Jump
- 2010 USports National Championships, Long Jump, 9th place
- 2012 Canadian Olympic Trials, Long Jump, 9th place
- 2012 Canadian Olympic Trials, 100m, 24th place
Olympic Weightlifting
- Canadian National Champion (2015)
- Ontario Record holder, 58kg class – Snatch 90kg (2015, World Championships, Houston)
- Canadian Record holder, 58kg class – Snatch 91kg (2016, Winterlift, Toronto)
- Canadian Record holder, 58kg class – Snatch 92kg (2016, Ontario Championships, Toronto)
- Team Canada Member – World Championships (2015) and Pan American Championships (2016, 2017)
- 2016 Rio Olympic Games – Alternate
Coaching Philosophy
“My job as a coach is to help people become stronger, healthier, and more confident so they can show up better for the people and experiences that matter most.”
Lacey’s core belief flips the conventional motivation narrative: “Consistency creates motivation — not the other way around. The more often you show up, the more momentum you build, and the more you want to keep going.”
Her biggest evolution as a coach: “Great coaching isn’t about coaching the workout. It’s about coaching the person.”
The hardest part of coaching that nobody talks about: “Fitness is rarely the real challenge. People come in thinking they’re there to work on strength or endurance. Often what’s really holding them back is stress, confidence, self-belief, or life outside the gym. Learning to support the whole person is one of the most challenging parts of this work.”
Background & Perspective
Lacey holds a Master of Education and has spent over a decade thinking seriously about how people learn, grow, and change. That academic foundation, combined with elite competitive experience across three sports, gives her a depth of understanding that’s rare in any coaching context.
As co-owner of Outlaw North alongside her husband Jay, she’s helped build something she genuinely believes in: “There’s something special about a group of people showing up for each other day after day. As a coach, I get a front-row seat to watching people surprise themselves and realize they’re capable of far more than they thought.”
Her most influential mentor: Jay. “He has a unique ability to see potential in people before they see it in themselves — and to challenge them while still making them feel supported. He’s done that with me all along.”
What sport taught her: “Almost every meaningful accomplishment I’ve had in fitness happened because someone encouraged me, challenged me, or believed in me. That’s a lesson that applies far beyond the gym.”