Meet Our Team
Real coaching for real people
Cara hipskind
Owner & CoachA love for movement and team dynamics led me to the world of fitness early on. My curiosity and passion for learning have kept me focused on delivering the most current, effective approaches to health and wellness—both inside and outside the gym. As an early adopter of CrossFit in 2006, I joined the original gym and developed a deep appreciation for quality movement, small group training, and smart, functional programming—an approach suited for high-level athletes, beginners, and aging populations alike.
We take a science-based approach to fitness rooted in functional movement, strength training, mobility, nutrition, and community. Coaching is my passion, but people are my purpose. I believe that health is a lifelong pursuit—and that we’re better when we pursue it together.
Certifications:
CrossFit Level 3 Trainer
TRS-C Mobility Coach
CrossFit Kids Trainer
Precision Nutrition Coach
olivia clark
I grew up in Norwalk, Connecticut and have worked in the fitness industry for 6+ years. I rowed crew in high school and D1 in college and have been passionate about health and exercise all my life.
I have coached classes at various gyms in the Santa Cruz area, instructed kickboxing and boxing classes, and ran my own personal training business before owning Swift Fitness.
I am passionate about helping others build mindset skills and sustainable habits to live a healthy lifestyle of fun, sport, and most importantly, balance. I started as a member of Swift Fitness (previously SCG Fitness) and fell in love with the community and encouraging energy.
After battling chronic overuse injuries, I loved coming into a space that harbors a safe environment for all levels to connect with likeminded people and grow together. My mission as owner of Swift Fitness is to help folks find a lifelong fitness routine and harness the strength they didn’t even know they had.
Certifications:
NASM Certified Personal Trainer
Certified Functional Strength Coach
NASM Stretching & Flexibility Coach
CrossFit Level 1 Trainer
Owner & Coach
erica degarmo
Erica grew up in Wichita, KS, and loved dancing and gymnastics as a kid. She’s a proud third generation Jayhawk from the University of Kansas. Inspired by her dad, an ultramarathoner and daily runner, she took up running in college and added Iyengar yoga when she came to Santa Cruz in 2004 for grad school at UCSC.
After the birth of her first son, she discovered bootcamp classes and loved the inspiration and camaraderie she found there. The pandemic and the birth of her second son led to the desire for more strength training and coaching around weight lifting. She quickly fell in love with this gym and its mix of challenge and support. As a bonus, she is rediscovering the joy of recess time with rope climbing, jumping rope, handstands and swinging on bars.
She is excited to be a part of this awesome Swift Fitness community!
Operations Manager, Coach & Personal Trainer
ellie hamner
Born and raised in Santa Cruz, Ellie grew up outdoors and very active. As a teen she played soccer, rode mountain bikes, ran track and was a Varsity cheerleader. As an adult she was a competitive runner, avid rock climber and frequent gym goer. She found her way to CrossFit through a friend in 2013 and immediately fell in love with the workouts and the community. She is a certified CrossFit L1 trainer and also has a certificate in CrossFit Nutrition. She says that coaching is an aspect of her life that brings her a great amount of energy and joy. “I focus on meeting people where they are at on any given day and celebrating their individual goals and successes. I always want to I encourage everyone to be positive and feel empowered by how strong and capable they are physically and mentally.” Her hobbies and passions include working out with and spending time with friends, trail running with her two Jack Russell terriers, cooking, baking and living life to the fullest with her husband and three active kids.
Coach & Personal Trainer
christian bouchard
Christian started Crossfit in 2008 at age 10. His first athletic love at that time was volleyball. CrossFit provided a foundation in movement and strength that he wouldn’t realize was essential until 2015, when he got serious about CrossFit and went from an OK volleyball player to a starting player. From there, he transferred his passion for playing volleyball to a passion for teaching.
“Today, it continues to not only keep me fit but has provided me friendships, community and confidence that I will treasure throughout my lifetime.”
Having coached volleyball since 2015, he knew the next step in becoming a better coach was to obtain his CrossFit level 1 to increase his knowledge and ability at helping others reach their potential in their favorite sport.
“I love learning about the dynamics of movement and finding the most efficient ways to perform. I love the methodology and how it is infinitely scalable to allow anyone and everyone to participate.”
Coach
sumaia jackson
“I love helping people move better and gain strength and mobility for everyday life! Especially if you haven’t been comfortable in a gym setting before, or it’s been a while, or maybe you just want to develop healthy habits for your body, but don’t know where to begin.”
As a professional violinist and fiddle player, Sumaia came to fitness from a different path than many: “I struggled to find consistency in my own fitness practice, and was constantly dealing with overuse injuries and joint pain from ages 13-25.” She spent years seeing every body-worker she could find, discovering what helped, what didn’t, and growing a curiosity to learn more about body mechanics, strength training, mobility, injury prevention and recovery.
“I was tired of feeling fragile in my body, so my experiences inspired me to get into fitness and take care of myself. I’m really excited about functional strength training, healing the body, and building strength to support the things I like to do outside the gym.” After moving back to Santa Cruz in 2018, she discovered rock climbing, boxing, and started strength training. She has since found a love for aerial silks and partner acrobatics, both of which are now a big part of her life.
Her goals now are to help others discover their love for movement and fitness through consistency and the support at Swift Fitness! She wants to help you achieve the things you think you can’t, navigate the pesky injury that is stopping you from doing what you love and help you be proud of where you are at right now.
Coach & Personal Trainer
Growing up in a family of athletes, Erica’s dedication to health and fitness developed at a very young age. She began her journey running track and riding horses competitively all through her teenage years. She then moved to Santa Cruz and turned this competitive drive into endurance racing. After several years of competing in endurance athletics, she discovered CrossFit and weight training.
From then on she was hooked, competing in CrossFit, powerlifting, Strongman, and bodybuilding. She has embraced every aspect of competitive fitness.
“I know first-hand the discipline that it takes to adopt healthy habits and to make exercise an essential part of your daily life. In addition to being a trainer, I am also a nurse. My understanding of the human body and the effects of aging and injury have only deepened my passion for sharing my love of health and fitness with others.”
Coach & Personal TrainerErica barnum
Jack Powell
CoachJack has been a life long athlete, but early on struggled to find a program that worked for him. “I was first introduced to functional fitness when I was dragged into my first CrossFit class by my mom. Since then, I’ve been hooked!”
Over the last 5 years he has taken functional fitness very seriously and found it to translate well to one of his other athletic endeavors, ice hockey.
In August 2024, Jack and his Mom took their CrossFit L-1 course together and got certified as coaches. He was seeking a welcoming place where he could learn and get started coaching. He found Swift Fitness and has grown very fond of the community as they have been extremely welcoming and supportive while he has begun his position as a coach.
When he’s not at the gym, he is often on UCSC campus as he is currently a pre-vet student pursuing a career in wildlife medicine.
andrea preble
Andrea has a passion for fitness and believes in meeting people wherever they are on their fitness journey. She especially loves working with beginners or those with physical challenges and prioritizes helping people gain strength and confidence in a supportive, encouraging environment. Outside the gym, Andrea works as a scientist, and she brings a science-based approach to health and fitness. She specializes in mobility, recovery and injury prevention, making sure anyone who walks into the gym feels safe and supported during their workout.
Andrea grew up doing gymnastics and running, and she explored yoga and dance as an adult. She began heavy strength training with Cara Hipskind in 2019 and was one of the first members at our sister gym, Swift Street Fitness. She quickly found a love for functional movement and strength training, got certified with her CrossFit Level 1 and Level 2, and began coaching classes and working with many groups, ranging from preteens to seniors.
She brings a fun, welcoming energy into every class and is a staple at Swift Fitness, coaching our Saturday Partner Workouts.
Coach & Personal Trainer