Meet The Team

Jesse stepped into the fitness world at the age of 13 in the small town of Fort Sumner, New Mexico, where a local natural body builder, and manager of the teen rec center took Jesse under his wing to help him gain strength for high school sports. During high school Jesse realized that it was the “training” for the sports that was his true passion, so instead of playing college football he began competing as a Natural Bodybuilder. While attending Eastern New Mexico University Jesse worked at both the ENMU Fitness Center, and Bodies In Motion, a small fitness center in Clovis, NM. While attending college Jesse became a Certified Fitness Trainer through the International Sports Science Association.

As much as she loves working out, her real passion is helping the kiddos. This isn’t surprising with her 6 years of experience as a Kindergarten/1st grade teacher, and 2 years (so far) as a homeschool mom. Her favorite roll at New Roots is coaching the KIDZ Class. Somehow, she has the gift to get 6 -11 year olds to listen for just enough time to hear what fun exercise they’re supposed to do, and the patience to remind them of what they are supposed to do when they forget 5 seconds later. She is a great asset to the team, and loves being able to help others get fit and healthy.

@tayloroster / Born and raised in Flagstaff, Taylor Connolly began participating in a variety of sports at a young age. From soccer to basketball to softball, Taylor thrived during the fitness portions of the practice and games rather than playing the sport itself. In middle school and high school Taylor transitioned to cross country and found a love for long distance running. Growing up in a family whose family members constantly struggled with weight and health concerns, Taylor was determined to break the cycle. Her first job was also at a local gym which only increased her passion for exercise and fitness. In college Taylor studied engineering, but spent many hours diving deeper into fitness- always excited to try new workouts in weightlifting, HIIT, TRX, etc. In 2017, Taylor became a certified AFAA Group Fitness Instructor and Les Mills GRIT Instructor for a local gym in town. She quickly realized that teaching group fitness classes and empowering others to push past their comfort zones was incredibly fulfilling. Since then, Taylor has continued to learn new workout styles and train more seriously in weightlifting. In early 2019, Taylor joined New Roots as a fitness coach and has loved being part of a fun and cutting-edge team of trainers who care for clients in a way that is world-changing. In her spare time Taylor enjoys hitting the Flagstaff trails, eating good food, and spending time with her husband Sean and golden retriever Midge. 

@cww.fitness / Christian is originally from Georgia, but moved to Phoenix in 2013. Currently, he is enrolled at NAU studying Exercise Science and Nutrition. He became a member of the New Roots family in June 2019, and became an official coach in November. Some of his hobbies include watching movies, playing video games, watching football, playing sports. His favorite athletic movements include power lifting and any kind of athletic movement such as jumping, sprinting, agility, etc.

@charlotteledvina / Charlotte went to high school in Phoenix then moved to Flagstaff to attend NAU. She graduated with a bachelor’s in business management and married her best friend, Ben Ledvina, in 2017. She has always been an athlete even from a young age. Her sport growing up was soccer and played competitively until the end of high school. In college, she started taking fitness classes to stay in shape. It wasn’t until she met Ben when she began lifting regularly and eventually fell in love with it. “Sports and fitness have always been a major part of my life. I am blessed to be able to combine to things I am passionate about: healthy lifestyles/fitness and marketing.” She is the creative director/marketing manager for the gym. A few of her favorite hobbies are reading a good book, taking long walk and cuddling her kitties.