Get Bent

OK, let’s rip the bandaid off. Our good friend and one of our amazing coaches is moving, and this will be her last month at Get Bent. At first we talked about throwing a big party for her at the end of the month, but knowing Katie, I think what she would appreciate even more is hearing from all of you before she leaves.

I met Katie while I was working my first job as a trainer at Powerform Gym in Oakland back in 2015. She was one of the first clients to really believe in me, and our relationship shaped a lot of the way I grew as a coach and as a person. She stuck with me through multiple gyms, and even trained with me in our backyard before we opened our first location in downtown Oakland.

What started as a professional relationship turned into one of my favorite friendships. Katie has this ability to be both kind and empathetic while also being dependable and structured in a way that made it easy to feel comfortable around her. At one point earlier this decade we talked about her leaving her corporate role as a head of HR to become a trainer. That path didn’t fully happen, but she still ended up joining our team as a Powerlifting Coach. Now in 2026 it’s hard to imagine coming to work without her.

Katie has been an integral part of our team. She’s coached athletes to national bench records, connected with the youth in our community, and has been our go to coach for beginners who need hands on guidance done right. She’s a special human, and Denver is going to be lucky to have her, even if we’re sad to see her leave the Bay. We’ll find people to help fill her roles, but we’ll never replace her. She’s irreplaceable.

Katie’s last day at the gym will actually be while we’re away at Nationals at the end of the month, but we’ll be celebrating her birthday on Saturday 5/16 at Powerlifting Club. As someone who has known her for a long time, I truly believe the best thing you can do before she leaves is send her a note and then just spend time with her like it’s any other day at the gym. Katie loves her routines and will appreciate your company more than anything.

- Coach Jason and Get Bent Family

Councilwoman Carroll Fife stopped by the gym last weekend for our annual Spring Break powerlifting meet, and we think she had a great time! So many kids and families came out to compete, support each other, and be part of something positive. To us, that’s exactly what being a small business and community space in West Oakland is all about.

We’re also excited to announce our Summer Slam Deadlift Party and Fundraiser on August 15th! This is our biggest fundraiser of the year for our youth-focused nonprofit, and we’d love to see you there. Stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks.

This last Saturday was so special. I think this may be the most people we’ve ever had inside our gym and none of this would’ve been possible or ran so smooth without our incredible team or coach’s, organizers and members who volunteered. Spring Break was a huge success and we can’t wait to run it back this Fall for Gas Brake Lift 3!

We’ll be posting more photos about this soon, but for now it’s back to work! See you soon!

📸: .tiniophotography