Our team
Our Founder
Meghan Ackmann
Hi there!
I’m Meghan-. How did I get started with Top Gun Strength? – by pure accident. But it’s been one of the most beneficial accidents to happen to me.
I’ve actually been with Top Gun Strength since it’s conception in 2010 with Steve, now my husband. Wanting to perfect his coaching skills, Steve started by leading his sister Leslie, Don, and myself in WODs he created out of our garage- just as so many ol’ school CF Boxes originated from. Leslie has always had a natural athleticism since childhood, and Don has since become a numerous Strength competition winner. And then there was me, who never lifted a barbell in my life and had a Marlboro red smoking habit of 20+ years. Describing my performance as less than stellar compared to Leslie and Don’s is such an understatement. However, being dutiful, I wanted to support Steve in his endeavor to open a Box so I knew I had to either do Strength training or smoke, but I could not do both.
We opened Top Gun Strength in a space outside of our garage in Jan 2010. Fast forward to now and I have been smoke-free since Feb. 2010. Despite patches, pills, 3rd party assistance, and after dozens and dozens of attempts to quit, Strength training was the ONLY thing that actually got me to quit. I am living proof that you don’t have to be in shape in order to start Strength. I am also proof that you don’t have to be naturally athletic, as well, since everyone who knows me knows how clumsy I am and my hand-eye-coordination stinks. I’m not competitive, so I Strength train to be able to enjoy life, food, wine, etc and to get a hard workout in! But hands down, our community at Top Gun Strength is the best part of our Box to me. I love supporting and motivating everyone – Strength is the only sport where everyone is cheering the loudest for the last person to finish.
Forward to 2020 and I officially stepped into the Owner role from Manager. My favorite part is helping potential, new, and current members. So feel free to email me with questions, comments, ideas, etc! See you at the Box!
Hobbies: traveling abroad and to tropical locations (favorite trips were Egypt, St. Maarten, Turks & Caicos, Curacao, and Cuba), enjoying good food, wine/bourbon and lover of animals – especially rescuing and fostering shelter dogs with Safe Hands Rescue.
Favorite workouts: The Bear Complex, Chief, Diablo, Bring Sally Up, anything lifting weights.
Least favorite: anything running, rowing, air bikes.
Our Coaches
Steve aka Maverick
Steve Loeding aka "Maverick"
Strength Level 1 / Level 2
Strength Weightlifting
Strength Endurance
Strength Gymnastics
NASM Personal Trainer
API Caveman training instructor
USAW Level 1 Coach
Coach Anna
Anna Hotz
CrossFit Level 2
American Council on Exercise (ACE) Personal Trainer
STOTT Pilates Matwork and Reformer – Level 1
Hello. I’m Anna and I joined the Top Gun coaching team in 2016. I first tried CrossFit in 2014 and quickly knew it was my kind of workout. For over a decade, I’d been teaching a variety of group fitness classes, Pilates, and personal training. I taught everything from swimming to step aerobics to cycling and weightlifting. But, I always found myself coming back to the basics and developing programs grounded in functional movements and focused on training for life. CrossFit brings together these elements of functional training that have always been the core of my training philosophy, so it was a natural progression for me to take on the new challenge and become a coach.
In addition to the well-grounded training approach, I like the community of CrossFit. You can walk in the door at any box and feel welcome. I love dropping in on a class when traveling. And, the Top Gun family is no exception. It’s great to be part of a community that supports one another not just at the gym, but in all aspects of life. I encourage everyone to take advantage of this unique group of individuals and be active in the community beyond just the barbells.
When I’m not in CrossFit land, I have found another love in aerial classes. My favorite apparatus is the Lyra, or aerial hoop, but trapeze comes in a close second. I also enjoy cooking, gardening, and just generally spending time outdoors. My husband Mike and I live in the neighborhood, just a few blocks from the gym. We like hosting friends for summer BBQs and football game watches, attending concerts and plays, and traveling any chance we can, but we also like lazy Sunday afternoons watching golf and napping on the couch.
Favorite WOD: Probably a chipper style workout with lots of components that I know is going to kick my ass – kettlebells, heavy weights, box jumps, push-ups…
Least favorite: Wall balls and double unders kill me every time (which means I should be doing more of them. Never avoid the movements you hate, tackle them head on! I promise they will get better).
Coach David aka 'Cheeks'
David Olshanski aka “Cheeks”
CrossFit Level 1
SportSafe Certified
I rarely engaged in physical activities until I was an adult, because I had uncontrolled asthma. Even once modern asthma medicines were developed, I exercised only moderately, mainly rock climbing, ice climbing, and mountaineering starting in about 1987. I never joined a gym or followed any exercise regimen, relying on moderate activities and commuting by bicycle to keep me in reasonable shape. I lacked the motivation to exercise on my own, quitting as soon as things became tough. I work a sedentary office job, and once I hit my mid 40’s my health and physique were noticeably declining.
My wife was going to Crossfit and every day telling me about the WOD and what skills she was working on—at her urging I gave it a shot. With Top Gun Crossfit I was challenged and entertained by the workouts that changed every day, and working out with our great community of members gave me the motivation to stay engaged and to complete the daily workouts. Now at 50 I feel as fit and strong as at my peak in my 20s.
Hobbies:
mountaineering, hiking, gaming (Role-playing games and Euro-style boardgames), raising 2 sons.
Favorite workouts:
weighted lunges or weighted box-steps
Least favorite:
anything that requires flexibility
Coach Tim
Coach Tim
L1 Certified
I’m Tim and I’ve been doing Crossfit for about 3 years. Growing up I was never really into sports other than skateboarding and snowboarding, and I considered sports more a “jock thing” and so resigned myself to not being into it. Being a total introvert and having a congenital retinal disease prevented me from really being interested or involved in sports, as I’m almost completely blind in my right eye. It wasn’t until my mid-twenties that I really discovered the benefits of exercise on the mind and mental health, and that’s what really roped me in.
I started out going to corporate gyms for a couple of years, and at some point a friend suggested some sort of “Crossfit” workout while we were doing squats in his garage. He went to the main site, found a workout and scaled it down, and it was the most fun I’d ever had working out. I found myself competing to catch up with my buddy (I’d never been a competitive person before) and afterwards it left me wanting more. I found a Crossfit gym and started soaking up all the Crossfit I could! Crossfit has taught me diligence and dedication not only in the gym, but also in life. It’s brought about a bodily awareness that’s helped forge a better connection between my mind and body that did not exist before. The WODs are my meditation and coaching gives me the opportunity to help others!
At Topgun Crossfit I’ve found a community of friends that encourage and support each other. Over the last few years Crossfit and the people at Topgun have continued to be awesome, supporting and helping me through good times and bad times!
Hobbies:
Writing music, music production, guitar, bass, piano, cooking, hiking, backpacking, snowboarding
Favorite Workouts/movements:
Murph, Clean & Jerk, pull-ups
Least Favorite:
Pistol squats
Coach Brett
Coach Brett
Crossfit Level 1