Josh Diesel

 

NCCP #
1194001

Josh Diesel is our Head Coach, and NCCP Certified. He has competed as a weightlifter since 2010, and has achieved a Silver medal at Nationals, multiple Gold medals at Western Championships and Provincial Championships.  As a coach, Diesel has had his weightlifting club since 2015, but has worked as a personal trainer since 2006.  The athletes at Valhalla have achieved medal status at nationals and have competed at the international level at the Pan American Championships in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

In addition to providing coaching for weightlifting, Diesel also programs for CrossFit athletes at the Novice and Regional level, as well as providing general strength and conditioning programs for anyone looking to develop themselves athletically.  In addition to helping people achieve physical greatness, focusing on mentality and mental strength is also a major part of his philosophy.

Austin Van Dam

NCCP#: 6324280
Austin Van Dam is Valhalla’s assistant coach. In 2017, Austin graduated with a Bachelor of
Science degree and became a certified personal trainer. Since then, Austin has become a NCCP Trained
Weightlifting coach, interning with Josh Diesel. Austin has developed and coached many athletes in the
sport while competing himself since 2018.
Along with coaching and programming for Olympic Weightlifting, Austin also helps
clients/athletes, of all fitness levels, unlock their true strength potential. Not only does Austin specialize
in traditional strength training but he is also a certified FRC Mobility Specialist. In order to be an
effective coach, he believes that you must possess the ability to communicate instructions differently
between each person to accommodate their individual needs as a learner. Lastly, many people
underestimate how powerful the psyche is, so Austin aims to coach athletes not only physically, but also
psychologically.