Lane (Brandon) Spangler

Growing up, I was an all-around athlete, playing football, basketball, and wrestling. Being part of a team was important to me, and after high school, I joined the Marine Corps, where I played for their football team as well. During my service, I served on four different ships stationed in Pakistan and East Timur. Especially in hard times, camaraderie is what kept me going.

After the Marines, I was lacking that camaraderie; it wasn’t until post-service treatment at the VA that my life changed. For months, I had passed this one CrossFit gym, never willing to walk inside, until one day when I found the courage to do just that: when I walked through those doors, I instantly knew these were my people. There is beauty in balancing the hard, oftentimes mentally challenging “tests” of CrossFit with the joy and fun of the community. Since then, my love of CrossFit has only grown, and I found myself wanting to “give back” to the community that has given me so much. I received my Level 1 Certification, and eventually my L2, and love the time spent helping athletes improve, whether that be on their form while holding a PVC pipe, hitting a lifetime PR, or even improving their mental game. To me, that all adds up to a better, happier, more productive life.

Outside of the gym, I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, specializing in trauma work with Veterans and First Responders, at my private practice in Kalispell. I also am the founder of Montana Veterans Community Response, a local nonprofit organization that serves and supports our local Veterans. I spend my free time with my amazing wife, Amy, who is also a CrossFit coach, and my two step-daughters, outdoors – on our boat, fishing, hunting, hiking, and snowboarding.

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Why I Love Coaching: Coaching allows me to share my love and knowledge of CrossFit, but more importantly it's a way for me to pay back all of the love and information that was given to me when I first started my journey.

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My “Why”: Helping others, growing our local community, being a positive influence on those around me and serving those in need.