Devynne Berry

Bio

 have been in Montana since May 2022; I relocated out here with family to open/re-open a Chinese medicine clinic (acupuncture & herbal medicine) in the downtown Kalispell area. Prior to my move, I had spent the last 10 years in South Carolina where I operated a successful practice and clinic with my dad and got my start within CrossFIt. 

Training to become a collegiate athlete was my primary exposure to things like weightlifting and speed & agility training – I was no stranger to the barbell, even at an early age. In high school, I had come across the idea of CrossFit a few times, but it wasn’t until almost a decade later, in 2019 that I took the plunge. There was a new local box opening close to where I worked and lived at the time, so I thought what a perfect opportunity to check it out and see what CrossFit was all about without having to worry about being the “new kid in class.” From my first class I was hooked! 

After about a year of training, I decided to get my Level 1. My initial interest was purely personal; I’ve always had a love for throwing myself all in to whatever it is i’m doing, so I thought it would be a great opportunity for me to learn and grow as an athlete – I actually never had an intention in coaching classes. February 2020 I passed my Level 1 and then the world shut down. As mandates lifted and things opened back up, I got an opportunity to begin coaching. When I wasn’t training, working in my clinic, or coaching I found myself hanging out at the gym, shadowing and soaking in all that I could. 

Through coaching I fell in love with CrossFit through a different lens. Really, the rest is history. I trained at the same gym for 4 years, was a coach for nearly 3. In that time I learned that CrossFit is more than a sport and even goes beyond being a lifestyle. For many, it is the place we go on the good days to be with friends and it’s where we go on the bad days to feel better. It was important to me when I moved across country that I find a gym/box that was more than just somewhere to workout. I was seeking community, friendship, support and encouragement. 

After a lapse in my own training with the move, it has been nice to have a place to get active again, to train and ultimately be surrounded by likeminded individuals.  While I have not been around long, I am encouraged by what I’m feeling and experiencing at BMCF and I could not be more excited to be part of the coaching staff! 

In addition to being a CrossFIt coach, I am also a Doctor of Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine. I own/operate a couple businesses in downtown Kalispell, including a Chinese medicine clinic – Jing Shen Healing Arts. We do a variety of work for individuals, including all the physical aches, pains and injury recovery as well as internal medicine help for things like digestion, sleep and hormones. Our specialty however, is with mental-emotional health and trauma recovery, offering support and help for anxiety, depression and PTSD. We have a deep love and passion  specifically for helping/working with veterans, military and first responders and their families. I love that this often overlaps deeply within the CrossFit boxes!

I’m grateful for the ability to lean into my health and wellness background as a Doctor of Chinese medicine within the gym setting in order to help athletes navigate their challenges and life circumstances, whether that be physical or mental/emotional. Through the various aspects of my job(s), I’ve come to learn that most days, most people have ‘something’ going on. sometimes what we need, especially in the gym, is permission to simply “show up” even when we may not be feeling 100%. AND sometimes we need permission to trust ourselves again and go for it – to push the edges and challenge ourselves in ways we may not have thought was possible! There will always be ebbs and flows – it’s true in the gym and it’s true in life!  My hope is that when people show up to class they feel supported and met where they are and find the courage to give themselves permission to be where they are on any given day. Show Up. Stay Safe. & HAVE FUN!