The Team
Izabelle (Izzy) Beard
Chief Fitness Operator
Fitness Background:
Growing up on a farm, life was always about using my body and fitness in some capacity. However, I would say the first sport I really got into was competitive cheerleading. While I was doing that, I joined my mom and did CrossFit in Leesburg. At the age of 12, this was my first experience with CrossFit. I found it provided me an outlet to have fun, be myself, and learn a lot. When I was 16, we moved to Umatilla, where CrossFit became my main outlet. Since then, I’ve been deeply involved in the community and the sport, accumulating seven years of fitness experience, and I love it more and more every day.
Coaching Experience:
Upon moving to Umatilla and becoming part of the CrossFit community, I decided to obtain my Level 1 Certification. This was extremely nerve-racking for me, as my personality doesn’t naturally fit that of a group fitness coach. This journey has challenged me 100% and forced me to open up. I have now been coaching group classes for 2 years. In addition to coaching fitness classes, I hold a nutrition certification and have worked with multiple people as their nutrition coach.
Day in the Life:
Coaching classes, writing workouts, reaching out to members, and helping people become the better version of themselves.
Fun Facts:
In my spare time, I love tinkering with my saltwater fish tank, cooking/baking and going on fun dates with Colin!
Colin Schmidt
General Manager
Fitness Background:
For as long as I can remember, I’ve always been involved in sports, playing soccer, basketball, baseball, tennis, and golf while growing up, always on the move. Eventually, I settled in as a soccer player and became relatively competitive. I played on several travel/club teams and at one point aimed to play collegiate soccer. After being told I was too small and needed to gain weight to compete at a higher level, I found myself in a CrossFit gym. After about a year of playing soccer and doing CrossFit simultaneously, I discovered my true passion for fitness. Now, 7 years into my CrossFit journey, fitness is central to my life.
Coaching Experience:
After committing to CrossFit full-time, I obtained my CrossFit Level 1 Certification and started coaching. This is where I began to realize the significant impact I could have on someone’s life and the lasting effect it could create. I’ve now been coaching for 6 years with no end in sight.
Day in the Life:
Coaching classes, creating social media posts, talking to future members and helping our members Live Free!
Fun Facts:
In my spare time, I enjoy shooting my bow, golfing, and doing jigsaw puzzles!
Brenda Britt
Tilla Fit Coach
Fitness Background:
Like many professionals, I found myself increasingly sedentary and realized I needed to make my health a priority. That realization led me to group exercise training, where I quickly discovered not just the physical benefits of regular movement, but also the sense of community and mental clarity it brought.
What started as a personal decision to stay active soon grew into a passion for fitness and overall well-being. Over the years, I’ve continued to build on that foundation. Embracing structured training, improving my own performance, and encouraging others to prioritize their health.
Day in the Life:
I’m a Umatilla native through and through, and that small town mindset of hard work, community, and staying grounded carries through everything I do.
My mornings start at the gym, it’s my way of setting the tone for the day, getting focused, and making time for myself before the hustle begins. After training, I shift gears into work mode as anBusiness Intelligence Manager, developing and implementing the company’s BI strategy, and overseeing data analysis and reporting.
Evenings are reserved for what matters most, time at home with my family, catching up, unwinding, and enjoying a slower pace.
Come the weekend, you’ll find me where I’m happiest: surrounded by family and friends, out on the water. Whether it’s offshore fishing, boating to the springs, or just floating under the Florida sun.
Fun Facts:
I love all things water – offshore fishing, springs hopping, or just soaking up the sun
Kane Minor
Tilla Fit Coach
Fitness Background:
“I’m 29 years old and was born and raised right here in Umatilla, Florida. Growing up, I was all about sports—football, weightlifting, swimming, and track kept me busy throughout school. My sister Kendall and I were known around town as “The Minor Twins,” even though we’re 14 months apart. We’ve always been pretty easygoing and could get along with just about anyone.
My fitness journey started back in high school with competitive weightlifting, and over the last eight years, I’ve fallen in love with fitness. While I’m newer to coaching in the fitness space, I’ve been in leadership and instructional roles for a long time. I’ve spent over nine years with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, eight of those years on the SWAT team. I now lead both our SWAT Competition Team and the Sniper Team, and I also teach at the Sheriff’s Office. Over the past seven years, I’ve competed in tactical fitness events all across Florida—including an international event in Orlando that blends strength, endurance, marksmanship, and strategy.
Day in the Life:
My day-to-day life is all about staying mission-ready, training hard, and leading by example. Off duty, I spend time with my girlfriend Lindsay—who’s also part of the Tilla Fit family—and her twin daughters, Hadleigh and Harper. You’ll usually find them dressed like princesses or in some wild outfit with their bright blonde hair lighting up the room. We live here in Umatilla, and I’m almost always around town—whether I’m on the lake, at the beach, or hitting a Tilla Fit class..
Fun Facts:
I’m a proud Gryffindor and a huge Harry Potter fan— wand always at the ready.”
Grace Hawkins
Tilla Fit Coach
Fitness Background:
I first got into working out at my dad’s friend’s house, tagging along with my brother’s wrestling team back in 2017. When COVID hit, I jumped into home workouts with my parents during lockdown, and that’s when I really got into functional fitness, which I stuck with for a few years. In my sophomore year of high school, I started competitive weightlifting and kept at it through 2024. These days, you can find me at Tilla Fit, still going strong and loving every step of the fitness journey!
Day In The Life:
A typical day in my life starts with loving on my cat, Mumbo, and then heading to Tilla Fit for a workout. After that, I am either working at the counter at Sunsational Farms, studying for my Computer Science degree at UCF, or enjoying some video games like Resident Evil or Animal Crossing during my free time!
Fun facts:
I went to Las Vegas for weightlifting nationals in 2022, and in my senior year of high school, I placed 5th at the state competition.
I collect Pokémon cards (mostly just for the sake of collecting—and the cute ones).”
Linsey Hawkins
Tilla Fit Coach
Fitness Background:
I was always “against” working out and even felt frustrated because my husband loved it so much. I worked out, but not regularly. I enjoyed Zumba classes and outdoor activities with my family, but never had a normal day to day routine. I just felt like I never had time. Two kids, active lifestyle, full time job, always stressed, often anxious. No time for exercise.
In 2019, I decided to give CrossFit a try at a local gym, where Colin and Izzy happened to be. Truthfully, I joined because I wanted to share something with my husband that he loved. My first class, I left in tears because I felt like I could not do it.
But I did not give up.
Today, I am in the gym more than my husband. I love the bootcamp, functional fitness style of training because it makes me feel like a powerful woman who can accomplish anything. My main goal is longevity and being physically able to do all the things I love for years to come.
I am not the strongest and definitely not the fastest. But I am a completely different person than I was in 2019. I go to the gym for myself. My favorite part is having an outlet for stress and anxiety. Feeling good and liking my body composition is just a bonus.
Coaching Certifications:
I have been a certified teacher in Florida since 2005. I have taught both elementary and high school students and coached cheerleading and tennis during my time in high school education. I currently lead professional learning for adults in education, specifically school leaders.
Teaching is ingrained in who I am. I love helping people become better versions of themselves in their education and careers, and I knew I would enjoy applying those same skills to coaching at Tilla Fit.
With almost seven years of experience in the gym, and with Colin and Izzy as my coaches the entire time, I feel equipped to help people learn appropriate movements and move well. I am excited to keep learning, earn my Level 1 certification, and begin this coaching journey at Tilla Fit.
Day In The Life:
Most mornings start with a class at Tilla Fit. It sets the tone for my day and adds energy and focus to my work. I work from home and can easily sit at a computer for most of the day without breaks. Starting with physical activity motivates me and gets me moving.
After work, it usually means some sort of activity for my son Nate. He is a senior in high school and signs up for just about everything. It is currently baseball season, which means multiple games a week, and I love it. I know I am going to miss it next year.
Many of you know Coach Grace. She is my daughter. My days of balancing both her and Nate’s activities have passed, and while the focus now is mostly on him, she was a very active student too.
That being said, I am not quite sure what I will do with myself next year. Hence, coaching. I am excited for this new adventure and also looking forward to our empty nest era with my husband, Simon.
Fun Fact:
Simon and I have been together since I was 15 years old, since 1998. We will celebrate 24 years of marriage this June. He is truly my best friend, and the adventures we get into are endless. He is the “fun manager” of our house.
I have lived in Umatilla my entire life, minus about three years in Leesburg when I was little. Umatilla is my heart and soul, and I love what Tilla Fit is doing for my community.
You, Umatilla, are my people. Helping our community become a little healthier is pretty special to be a part of.