CARL PAOLI

Carl was born in the U.S. to Swedish parents and grew

up in Spain, where even as a kid his passion for physical
activity and desire for sport lead him to delve into action
sports such as snow boarding, skiing, wake boarding,
water skiing, and karate. It was his love for gymnastics,
however, that shape his discipline for hard work,
determination, and now his professional career.
Carl soon became an elite gymnast in Spain during his
years as a young adult where he trained and competed
in the national circuit for over fifteen years. Throughout
his gymnastics career he received numerous accolades
including a National Gold Medal for Vault. Aside from
training, Carl also studied Environmental Science at
Universidad Miguel Hernandez and specialized in
Genetic Engineering and Coral Reef Ecology. After
university, Carl returned to the U.S. to pursue his career
in marine biology.
Even though Carl found work that was relevant to his
studies, his mind was never far from his love for sport
and fitness. He reentered the world of gymnastics in
2004 in San Francisco, where he now lives and works as
a Strength and Conditioning Coach and runs his own
practice, Naka Athletics, in collaboration with San
Francisco CrossFit and AcroSports. Naka specializes in
the physical preparation and representation of action
sports athletes of all levels, and Carl has been fortunate
enough to work with some of the best and brightest
athletes from all over the world.
In late 2010, Carl and his team at Naka Athletics
launched GymnasticsWOD.com, currently the largest
online resource for gymnastics-movement training and
conditioning for CrossFit coaches and athletes. Since the
launch of GmynasticsWOD, Carl has virtually and
physically coached thousands of athletes around the
world through the website and by way of his Freestyle
Connections seminars. In 2011, Carl was also fortunate
enough to be part of the coaching team for Annie
Thorisdottir. With Carl's coaching, support, and
supervision, Annie went on to win the 2011 CrossFit
Games and was crowned the Fittest Woman in the World.
School is never out for Carl as he has many certifications
surrounding health and fitness and is in constant
collaboration with several international athletic programs.
It is his consistency in his professional, personal and
family life that allows him to continue the pursuit for
success.

Maintaining Your Body with Kelly Starrett