Marlin Coast CrossFit

Owner/Head Coach Ashton Purkiss has been CrossFitting for seven years and specializes in finding the most important thing that a person needs to move them forward, whether their goal is for health and fitness or to be a competitor. “Our biggest weakness is our greatest opportunity for improvement,” he says. “I love exposing that weakness and creating a plan to turn it into a strength. This could be corrective work, or skill development.”

Ashton believes that true freedom is about being able to express yourself. “I am driven by being able to share the freedom that comes with living in a fit body,” he says. “That expression might be hiking a mountain, going surfing, being able to play with your kids, or compete in a CrossFit competition. I considerate it a privilege to be able to help others fight for their greatness.” He loves watching the growth mindset that happens when people break through previous limitations, and seeing how that mindset carries over to other aspects of life—their confidence, their attitude, and how they approach a challenge.

His love for fitness began as a teenager in Canada, where Ashton was lucky enough to have a strength and conditioning coach five hours a week for three years. “He taught me the principles of effective training. Upon returning to Australia, I finished high school, did my cert 3 & 4 in fitness and began working as a personal trainer.” While working as a personal trainer and training himself for muay thai kickboxing, Ashton was introduced to CrossFit and was immediately hooked. “I did my L-1 certification and knew one day I would open a box. In 2012, I did a year-long trip to Canada and the U.S., with the purpose of visiting CrossFit boxes and learning from the top coaches in the industry.”

In his spare time, Ashton plays the drums and is in a dirt-bike gang called “The Indicators.” He also enjoys snowboarding and surfing when he gets the opportunity.