Our Coaches
Our coaching staff is loaded with knowledge and experience in all areas encompassing health, fitness and sports. Whether you're looking to become a collegiate athlete, train to compete in strength competitions, prep for a bodybuilding show or simply live a healthier lifestyle. We are confident that our team can help almost anybody achieve any goals.
Kisha Wilson
Owner, Head Coach
Functional Fitness Trainer, USA Weightlifting Certified
Level II Certified
Kisha’s desire towards fitness began in High School as an All American Cheerleader and Regional Track Athlete. Taking weight training as an elective her sophomore year, Kisha knew she had a strong passion for health & fitness. After graduating High School as a Certified Nursing Assistant, she managed to keep up with fitness goals inside the gym. While attending Caldwell Community College, she entered her first local figure and bodybuilding show in 2007. Kisha went on to compete as a national level figure competitor for 5 years, taking 1st place and overall in several local competitions and gracing top 10 on the national stage. During that time she was a sponsored as a professional athlete by Optimum & ABB Nutrition. In these 5 years, she spent her time learning about nutrition & supplementation while traveling to various trade shows and working events with the top athletes of the sport.
After competing in figure, Kisha found functional fitness through the gym where she was training personal clients. Shortly after, Kisha tried her first WOD’s, she was hooked. Kisha went on to get her level II certification in 2011 and USA Weightlifting Certification. Coaching at multiple gyms from North Carolina to California she knew It was her dream to own a gym and thankfully in November, 2015 the dream became reality.
Kisha knows first hand how Functional Fitness can change someone’s life. After spending so much of her early career of fitness “doing it all wrong” Kisha understood the importance of “constantly varied, high intensity, functional fitness". Kisha has helped hundreds with customized diets and training plans to fit their specific goals. At Palm Valley Athletics, she focuses on “evidence- based fitness”, proper technique, mobility, nutrition and supplementation. Kisha says “we are more than a gym, we are genuinely concerned with the health and well being of our members. We want to improve our members longevity and quality of life.” “ We are more than just a gym. We are here to offer people the whole package when it comes to health and fitness.” “This is my passion and I just want to help as many people as possible.”
Kisha Wilson | (904) 436-3336 | kisha@palmvalleycf.com
Aaron Castillo
Running & Endurance Coach
Coach Aaron’s CrossFit journey began in 2011 in Oakland, CA. A multi-sport athlete for most of his adult life, Aaron competed in tennis, indoor volleyball & most recently as a member of USA track & field master’s level circuit traveling to meets around the world. He partnered with Palm Valley Athletics last year after relocating to the desert & brings a bevy of knowledge & experience. Despite earning a degree in Physical Ed./Kinesiology & Sports Medicine (Long Beach State, ’96), Aaron only recently discovered his love of coaching later in life in 2011. And quite by accident when the owner of CrossFit Oakland (first 30 affiliates in 2005) asked if he would offer a running clinic to their members. The rest is history, as they say, and immediately began running & endurance training with multiple CrossFit Games-level teams & individual athletes covering 9 seasons–with 2 individuals taking home the title of Fittest on Earth in the Master’s division in ‘15 & ‘23. Aaron served as the endurance coach for 3 separate CrossFit gyms in Oakland while also coaching Oakland Triathlon Club for 9 seasons. He’s worked with many sport-specific clients over the years & also created a unique strength & conditioning class combining CrossFit methodology with endurance-based programming – EnduranceFit. If you haven’t taken his class on Wednesdays at 4:30pm, you should! He’s a stickler for technique & form and can help you become a better, faster, stronger, more efficient CrossFit’er. In addition to EnduranceFIT, Aaron also offers his weekly community-based interval training track class available for drop-in. If looking for a fun & supportive outdoor group class to supplement your current functional fitness regimen, consider joining his Sunday Morning Run Club class. All running levels & experience are always welcomed. Aaron currently serves as our new social media manager and can be seen taking videos of classes throughout the week helping to grow our community outreach in the Coachella Valley. You may have noticed a change in our Instagram page and that’s all because of his creative approach to building content. Finally, Aaron appreciates various opinions about your relationship to running, even if you hate it. 90% of people do. But, he offers up some valuable, albeit, controversial thoughts about run training: “CrossFit won’t make you better at running, but running WILL help make you better at CrossFit.” Talk amongst yourselves… You can follow him on Instagram & TikTok @coach_evil. He can also be reached by email at aaron5408@att.net. We’re thrilled that Coach Aaron has joined the PVA family & we’re lucky to have him.
