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Thijn Schoenaker logoThijnPersonal training

About Thijn

Two coaches. One small studio.

Thijn started with a simple idea: everyone deserves coaching that fits their body, their week and their life. No mirrors full of selfies, no crowded floor, no shouting. Just good training.

Illustration of the Thijn studio: lifting rack, dumbbells, kettlebells and a turf lane under a big blue and orange wall stripe

Est. 2019

Our story

Built for people
who hate gyms

Ffion opened Thijn in a converted carriage works off West Colorado Avenue in 2019. Most of her first clients had one thing in common: they’d tried big gyms and felt lost, rushed or judged.

So the studio stays small on purpose. There are never more than four people in a group, every session is booked, and there’s always a coach on the floor. It’s quiet before 7 AM, buzzing after 6 PM and stroller-friendly all day.

Today we coach around 120 people a week, in the studio and online: nurses and soldiers on rotating shifts, parents fitting training around daycare drop-offs, climbers, runners and retirees learning to deadlift.

The coaches

Meet Ffion
and Yusuf

Ffion Beckett

Founder & head coach

Ffion Beckett

Ffion grew up in Wales playing field hockey, moved to Colorado Springs for college and never left. She spent eight years coaching in big commercial gyms before opening Thijn in 2019, so she could give every client the time she’d always wanted to.

She specializes in strength for beginners, sustainable fat loss and returning to training after pregnancy. Expect clear explanations, a lot of encouragement and absolutely no shouting.

StrengthFat lossPostpartumNutrition habits

Qualifications

  • Accredited personal trainer certification
  • Prenatal and postpartum exercise certificate
  • Habit-based nutrition coaching course
  • CPR, AED and first aid, renewed every year

Off duty

Slow hikes up the Manitou Incline and very slow high-altitude sourdough

Book with Ffion
Yusuf Dacre

Performance & mobility coach

Yusuf Dacre

Yusuf ran the 800 meters in college, then studied exercise science and coached high school cross-country for five years. He joined Thijn in 2021 to build its sport and mobility programs.

He loves helping desk-bound people move freely again and getting weekend athletes faster without more injuries. He’ll test, track and explain everything, then make it fun.

Sport performanceRunningMobilityClimbing

Qualifications

  • Degree in exercise science
  • Strength and conditioning coaching certification
  • Accredited personal trainer certification
  • CPR, AED and first aid, renewed every year

Off duty

Turkey-trot pacer and an unbeaten rec-league soccer goalkeeper (allegedly)

Book with Yusuf

Our approach

Four things we
won’t compromise on

Strength is for everyone

Whatever your age, size or history, getting stronger makes daily life easier. We start where you are and build from there.

Progress you can measure

We track lifts, times, habits and how you feel, so you can see change happening, even on weeks when it doesn’t feel like it.

Life comes first

Shift work, a new baby, finals week: plans change. Your program flexes with you instead of making you feel guilty.

Honest about our limits

We’re coaches, not doctors or physical therapists. If something needs a professional, we’ll say so and work alongside them.

Milestones

How we
got here

From a single rack to a studio with a turf lane, two lifting platforms and a waiting list for Saturday mornings.

  1. 2011

    Ffion starts coaching in a large commercial gym in Colorado Springs.

  2. 2017

    She adds a prenatal and postpartum exercise certificate after a run of client requests.

  3. 2019

    Thijn opens in Suite 3, Carriage Works, with one rack and a lot of chalk.

  4. 2021

    Yusuf joins from cross-country coaching and launches sport and mobility programs.

  5. 2023

    Online coaching launches for clients who move away (and their friends).

  6. 2026

    The studio doubles in size with a turf lane and a second lifting platform.

The studio

Everything you
need, nothing you don’t

1,900 sq ft at street level with step-free access, a quiet locker room and a fresh-air system that actually works.

  • 2

    Lifting platforms

  • 50 ft

    Turf sprint lane

  • 4

    Max per group

  • 6:00 AM

    Earliest session

  • Step-free access
  • Shower & locker room
  • Stroller-friendly
  • Bike racks
  • Two parking spaces
  • Filtered water
  • Lockers
  • Free towels

You’re in safe hands. Both coaches are insured, CPR and first aid certified and background-checked. We keep a defibrillator on site and review our health questionnaire with every new client. Qualifications listed here are examples for a fictional studio.