Chelsea Moore | Founder, Instructor, Head Coach at Rō Downtown
Chelsea has been rowing since 2005 and coaching since 2009. She rowed at the University of Oklahoma on the inaugural varsity rowing team. She was a two-time Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) National Scholar-Athlete, selected as CRCA All-Region, second team and Conference USA Rowing All-Conference Team.
Her coaching experience ranges from coaching a collegiate Division 1 team at the University of Oklahoma to coaching high school and masters rowers at the Austin Rowing Club. The varied levels of on-the-water coaching, in addition to indoor rowing specific coaching inspired her to take the leap and start Rō in early 2014 to bring the indoor rowing workout to rowers and non-rowers alike!
Founded Rō in Feb. 2014
Chelsea has been rowing since 2005 and coaching since 2009. She rowed at the University of Oklahoma on the inaugural varsity rowing team. She was a two-time Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) National Scholar-Athlete, selected as CRCA All-Region, second team and Conference USA Rowing All-Conference Team.
Her coaching experience ranges from coaching a collegiate Division 1 team at the University of Oklahoma to coaching high school and masters rowers at the Austin Rowing Club. The varied levels of on-the-water coaching, in addition to indoor rowing specific coaching inspired her to take the leap and start Rō in early 2014 to bring the indoor rowing workout to rowers and non-rowers alike!
Founded Rō in Feb. 2014
Alexa Ball | Instructor
Alexa first joined Rō Fitness as a retired (semi) pro Scottish soccer player re-defining her relationship with fitness. She fell in love with rowing as a low-impact activity that scratched the itch for both challenge and community.
In addition to Ro, Alexa also teaches as a therapeutic riding instructor at Healing with Horses Ranch. From her own experience as an athlete to her current role teaching at-risk youth and people with disabilities how to ride horses, she approaches coaching with the goal of helping all individuals find success. She is adept at both coaching body mechanics and cheerleading people through the toughest moments.
Outside of her teaching and coaching roles, you can find Alexa playing with her happily retired racehorse (turned therapy horse), working out in her home gym, and learning to sew.
Coach @ Ro since November 2024
Alexa first joined Rō Fitness as a retired (semi) pro Scottish soccer player re-defining her relationship with fitness. She fell in love with rowing as a low-impact activity that scratched the itch for both challenge and community.
In addition to Ro, Alexa also teaches as a therapeutic riding instructor at Healing with Horses Ranch. From her own experience as an athlete to her current role teaching at-risk youth and people with disabilities how to ride horses, she approaches coaching with the goal of helping all individuals find success. She is adept at both coaching body mechanics and cheerleading people through the toughest moments.
Outside of her teaching and coaching roles, you can find Alexa playing with her happily retired racehorse (turned therapy horse), working out in her home gym, and learning to sew.
Coach @ Ro since November 2024
Richard Butler aka 'Coach RTB' | Instructor
With 35 years in the fitness industry, CoachRTB is a certified instructor in indoor rowing, personal training, boxing, and martial arts. A former Master's rower, his crews have achieved regional and national podium finishes, American records, and national championships. As the race director for the Three Rivers Rowing Association, he helped facilitate the 5th largest indoor rowing event in the World.
As founder of PerFit Personal Training, CoachRTB has coached Olympians, future Olympians, professional athletes, and high school and collegiate athletes.
And it doesn't stop there! Along with being the executive director at Three Rivers Rowing Association, 2003-2007, he was the Inclusion Manager at USRowing (2009-2015), the Co-Chair for the USRowing Diversity Committee (2020-2023), a member of USRowing's Adaptive/Para-Rowing Committee (2018-2020) and a member of the US Olympic Committee's Champions of Diversity Team (2013-2015).
Coach @ Ro since August 2024
With 35 years in the fitness industry, CoachRTB is a certified instructor in indoor rowing, personal training, boxing, and martial arts. A former Master's rower, his crews have achieved regional and national podium finishes, American records, and national championships. As the race director for the Three Rivers Rowing Association, he helped facilitate the 5th largest indoor rowing event in the World.
As founder of PerFit Personal Training, CoachRTB has coached Olympians, future Olympians, professional athletes, and high school and collegiate athletes.
And it doesn't stop there! Along with being the executive director at Three Rivers Rowing Association, 2003-2007, he was the Inclusion Manager at USRowing (2009-2015), the Co-Chair for the USRowing Diversity Committee (2020-2023), a member of USRowing's Adaptive/Para-Rowing Committee (2018-2020) and a member of the US Olympic Committee's Champions of Diversity Team (2013-2015).
Coach @ Ro since August 2024
Connor Dent | Instructor
Primarily trained as a licensed massage therapist and Breathwork Expert, Connor comes to the Rō family bringing an adeptness to kinesiology & anatomy. Connor has a broad understanding of the human body and it’s functionality, and he applies this to both his hands on massage work and his teaching at the studio.
Connor’s journey into fitness began with the rowing machine back in 2007. He spent most of his Virginia high school days training on the Potomac River as a competitive rower for McLean High School. He was a gold medalist at the Mid-Atlantic Erg Sprints and referred to as “the Hammer” by his coach, Bobby. Since his school days, the erg has been a staple in his fitness regiment next to his pursuit of biking, yoga, weightlifting, running and jiu-jitsu. To this day, he considers the rowing machine to be the best possible metric to test your aerobic capabilities.
Coach @ Rō since May 2021
Primarily trained as a licensed massage therapist and Breathwork Expert, Connor comes to the Rō family bringing an adeptness to kinesiology & anatomy. Connor has a broad understanding of the human body and it’s functionality, and he applies this to both his hands on massage work and his teaching at the studio.
Connor’s journey into fitness began with the rowing machine back in 2007. He spent most of his Virginia high school days training on the Potomac River as a competitive rower for McLean High School. He was a gold medalist at the Mid-Atlantic Erg Sprints and referred to as “the Hammer” by his coach, Bobby. Since his school days, the erg has been a staple in his fitness regiment next to his pursuit of biking, yoga, weightlifting, running and jiu-jitsu. To this day, he considers the rowing machine to be the best possible metric to test your aerobic capabilities.
Coach @ Rō since May 2021
Napoleon Griffin, | Instructor
Napoleon is a bilingual Math and Science educator, athlete, coach, and cancer survivor. An extremely decorated former track and field athlete retiring at the master’s level winning 16 individual national titles over various distances ranging from 800 meters to 10,000 meters and 2 World Masters’s Games titles held once every 4 years.
Since transitioning to the world of rowing in 2017 after relocating to Austin, Texas from Carolina, Puerto Rico. He has become a highly competitive and accomplished master’s rowing athlete winning multiple national titles competing for Texas Rowing Center, and Chinook Performance Racing in various boat classes.
Napoleon also has made his mark on indoor rowing setting multiple erg meters records including logging 5 million meters in 12 weeks. He is also an ambassador for Concept 2 and has a lifetime meters log of 30 million meters.
Beyond rowing and erging insane amounts of meters Napoleon is a coach with Texas Row for all specializing in coaching and instruction for special needs athletes and Veterans. He is the founder /CEO of (Look Of Change Rowing team and non-profit). Napoleon is a member of the high-performance board with US Rowing, an active member with the Cancer Survivors Rowing Network, and Co-Executive producer/Host for the national live stream podcast “Ready Set Row USA” that features various guests to tell their rowing story.
Most recently Napoleon has starting competing and assistant coaching with the collegiate Texas Crew Rowing team proving that one is never too old to start rowing.
Coach @ Rō since September 2024
Napoleon is a bilingual Math and Science educator, athlete, coach, and cancer survivor. An extremely decorated former track and field athlete retiring at the master’s level winning 16 individual national titles over various distances ranging from 800 meters to 10,000 meters and 2 World Masters’s Games titles held once every 4 years.
Since transitioning to the world of rowing in 2017 after relocating to Austin, Texas from Carolina, Puerto Rico. He has become a highly competitive and accomplished master’s rowing athlete winning multiple national titles competing for Texas Rowing Center, and Chinook Performance Racing in various boat classes.
Napoleon also has made his mark on indoor rowing setting multiple erg meters records including logging 5 million meters in 12 weeks. He is also an ambassador for Concept 2 and has a lifetime meters log of 30 million meters.
Beyond rowing and erging insane amounts of meters Napoleon is a coach with Texas Row for all specializing in coaching and instruction for special needs athletes and Veterans. He is the founder /CEO of (Look Of Change Rowing team and non-profit). Napoleon is a member of the high-performance board with US Rowing, an active member with the Cancer Survivors Rowing Network, and Co-Executive producer/Host for the national live stream podcast “Ready Set Row USA” that features various guests to tell their rowing story.
Most recently Napoleon has starting competing and assistant coaching with the collegiate Texas Crew Rowing team proving that one is never too old to start rowing.
Coach @ Rō since September 2024
Laura Griffith | Instructor, Head Coach at Ro @ Castle Hill Fitness
Originally from Michigan, Laura started rowing as a freshman in high school back in 2001. She rowed all throughout high school and continued to row on the varsity team with Eastern Michigan University. Throughout college she was coaching the men's high school rowing program for the Wyandotte Boat Club, as well as helping her old high school team.
After college, Laura continued her health and fitness journey with Kickboxing, and CrossFit. Her favorite thing about rowing is being a member of an amazing crew of people who come together, and work hard to accomplish the same goal.
Coach @ Rō since Feb 2019
Originally from Michigan, Laura started rowing as a freshman in high school back in 2001. She rowed all throughout high school and continued to row on the varsity team with Eastern Michigan University. Throughout college she was coaching the men's high school rowing program for the Wyandotte Boat Club, as well as helping her old high school team.
After college, Laura continued her health and fitness journey with Kickboxing, and CrossFit. Her favorite thing about rowing is being a member of an amazing crew of people who come together, and work hard to accomplish the same goal.
Coach @ Rō since Feb 2019
Cara Rizzo | Product & Technology
Cara has been a part of the Rō Fitness community since early 2016, drawn to the challenge and excitement of rowing. She loves the balance of strength, cardio, and technical skill rowing requires to set personal records and compete amongst teammates. Athletically inclined, she played a wide variety of sports growing up across the US, notably as a state-qualified swimmer and competitive equestrian.
After over 400 classes and more than 2 million meters rowed, she joined the Rō Fitness coaching staff in 2019. Cara now lives in Denver, CO but contributes from afar in marketing and research efforts to continue bringing the fun to Ro!
Coach @ Rō since Oct 2019
Cara has been a part of the Rō Fitness community since early 2016, drawn to the challenge and excitement of rowing. She loves the balance of strength, cardio, and technical skill rowing requires to set personal records and compete amongst teammates. Athletically inclined, she played a wide variety of sports growing up across the US, notably as a state-qualified swimmer and competitive equestrian.
After over 400 classes and more than 2 million meters rowed, she joined the Rō Fitness coaching staff in 2019. Cara now lives in Denver, CO but contributes from afar in marketing and research efforts to continue bringing the fun to Ro!
Coach @ Rō since Oct 2019
Celia Tise | Instructor
After attending a performing arts high school with no athletics programs, Celia began her rowing career by walking onto the University of Kansas team at the start of her freshman year. While her initial interest in trying out rowing came from the community and support that sports teams offer, she grew to love the technique and power involved in all aspects of rowing. Beyond rowing on her collegiate team, Celia spent her summers off training with Minneapolis and St. Paul rowing clubs where she developed a further love for being out on the water.
Celia moved to Austin in 2019 to pursue a career in media production. While attempting to establish a fitness routine outside of college athletics, Celia was thrilled to find Rō Fitness and began taking classes in 2021 in order to rekindle her love of rowing once more. Her love of rowing comes from the exercise's ability to help you push your limits while giving you a full-body low-impact workout and the community of cool, like-minded people that usually come along with it.
When she's not rowing, Celia can be found working in Influencer Marketing, giving ghost tours, and doting on her cat, Hattie.
Coach @ Rō since Feb. 2022
After attending a performing arts high school with no athletics programs, Celia began her rowing career by walking onto the University of Kansas team at the start of her freshman year. While her initial interest in trying out rowing came from the community and support that sports teams offer, she grew to love the technique and power involved in all aspects of rowing. Beyond rowing on her collegiate team, Celia spent her summers off training with Minneapolis and St. Paul rowing clubs where she developed a further love for being out on the water.
Celia moved to Austin in 2019 to pursue a career in media production. While attempting to establish a fitness routine outside of college athletics, Celia was thrilled to find Rō Fitness and began taking classes in 2021 in order to rekindle her love of rowing once more. Her love of rowing comes from the exercise's ability to help you push your limits while giving you a full-body low-impact workout and the community of cool, like-minded people that usually come along with it.
When she's not rowing, Celia can be found working in Influencer Marketing, giving ghost tours, and doting on her cat, Hattie.
Coach @ Rō since Feb. 2022