ABOUT CROSS TRAINING
Cross training is a lifestyle opportunity for Christian athletes to be challenged physically and spiritually to become the Miracles that God created them to be. Cross Training fuses the Catholic Faith and performance training to help athletes discover the dignity of their human person, to grow in holiness and virtue, and become powerful witnesses of Jesus Christ to the World.
MISSION OF CROSS TRAINING
Rediscover the miracle every person was created by God to be, and become a POWERFUL witness of Jesus Christ to the World.
FOCUS
Rediscover our identity as Christ’s Athletes, created with a limitless potential for an Eternal Championship.
Identify our weaknesses & habits that do not allow us to live as Christ’s Athletes.
Challenge ourselves to become the Eternal Champion God created us to be.
OPPORTUNITIES
- CAMPS: Dynamic Faith and Training- filled day camps, weekend camps, and week camps. Camps are either held at Cross Training facilities or hosted by teams, groups, or churches. Visit Host a Camp Page for more info.
- ATHLETE TRAINING GROUPS: Weekly Faith- Training groups that fuse Virtue, Faith, and Physical Exercise in order that individuals profoundly experience growing into the champions God created each one to be. Visit the Cross Training page for more info.
- SPEAKING: Dynamic Speaking Opportunities: Contact us for availability and speaker fees.
Alexandra Kleinhuizen
After playing four years of D1 ice hockey for the University of Minnesota and playing at the National level, she has pursued a career in working with aspiring athletes from very young to Olympic and Professional Level in elite athletic performance training, injury rehabilitation, and character & leadership development. She has had the opportunity to work with multiple Olympic gold & silver medalists, professional athletes, DI & DIII athletes, all the way to aspiring young athletes. Her Catholic Faith and love for growing champions and saints has been a passion her whole life. Currently, she and her husband run the Cross Training Athlete Ministry to help individuals discover the champion & saint each was created by God to be and, from there, develop into powerful witnesses of Jesus Christ to the world.
“After our events, so many come to us and say, ‘wow, I had no idea what I was really capable of, I had no idea how much Jesus really loves me.’ This is why we started this ministry, to make God REAL in the hearts of everyone who work with us. To be blunt, the world wants to take the Cross away. But this is not God’s Way. He says ‘If anyone is to come after me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.’ To become the champion, the saint, God created us to be and to discover the Lord, we must embrace the cross. It is in living out this sacrificial love that we can deeply discover Jesus. In our retreats, we learn then we LIVE IT OUT. It is an unforgettable experience.”
Tyler Kleinhuizen
As a thrower on the track team at the University of Minnesota, he was part of 5 Big Ten Championship teams during his college career. Currently competing in Strongman, he won Twin Cities Strongest Man two years in a row in the heavy weight division. He had a great conversion experience his junior year of college and entered the Catholic Church Easter of his senior year. Now, he works with his wife in the Cross Training Athlete Ministry. He is also the owner of Evo Ultra Performance, utilizing neurological soft-tissue therapy to help athletes recover optimally from injury in order to promote elite performance and injury resistance. He has had the opportunity to train numerous professional, Olympic, and college athletes, as well as tons of young aspiring athletes.
Tyler and Alexandra met in the weight room at the University of Minnesota, . And, they are parishioners at the great Church of the Epiphany! Utilizing their extensive experience as coaches and as athletes, they have a passion for helping others discover the miracle they were created by God to be, helping them identify what it takes, and creating a game-plan for achieving it.
Made for more
We are created in the ‘Image and Likeness of God,’ with a limitless potential destined to spend eternity with God in Heaven. No other creature on earth was created in such a way for such a purpose. From an athletic standpoint, human potential has never been reached, world records keep getting broken and re-broken soon after. People keep getting stronger and faster. People keep living longer. There are always new discoveries in science, and new inventions being made. The potential of a human being is nearly endless. EVERY SINGLE PERSON is capable of greatness. WHY? Because we are CREATED in the image and likeness of the Creator of the Universe. This greatness is stamped on our very nature. However, we sell ourselves short. We settle for good instead of great, for fleeting world-championships instead of the everlasting championship. God is waiting for us to join His team. He is waiting for you to be the Eternal Champion He created you to be. We are not created for anything less, we are created for HEAVEN. Many times we fall into the temptation that the road to sainthood is painful, drudging, and potentially boring. But this is a lie. God wants us to experience ultimate joy, ultimate peace, ultimate love, and ultimate greatness. He is calling us to be on His team, to be His athletes, and to be an Eternal Champion. Because of this, we have a reason to be confident to live our lives for Christ as His Athletes. Christ has already conquered the Enemy, we have nothing to fear. As Christ’s athletes, we will always have the victory.
Virtue in Training
Sports and athletics are one of the highest priorities of people in our time. Speaking this language and using athletics as a catalyst to grow in faith provides the opportunity to leave a lasting impact on the hearts of athletes. Training and athletics are amazing avenues to grow in relationship with God. We are not simply spiritual beings, we are body and soul. Our bodies image God and are a temple of the Holy Spirit. It is in our bodies and in relationship with others that we come to know God and ourselves. We are called to love sacrificially. This is displayed through our bodies. Some of the greatest examples of love and faith are the martyrs. They sacrificed their bodies for the sake of the Kingdom of God. In training, we put ourselves to the test. We prepare to lay down our life and our bodies for our neighbor. We sacrifice. We come to know our weaknesses and our failings, and our need for God. We become very self-aware of our personal weaknesses and areas that must be transformed. In training, we can always do better.
Training for Heaven is a constant journey of self-transformation, of becoming the Miracle God created us to be- body and soul. If we push ourselves to failure, striving to be the best we can be, we will learn how to be better and better.
Training with others is nearly the best opportunity to practice being selfless. There is always someone who struggles or needs encouragement, and our example of effort, focus, discipline, sacrifice, and hard work is the best encouragement someone can give. We are scared to give completely of ourselves until we see someone else do it: ex. the Martyrs. The greatest athletes are humble, selfless, disciplined, focused, sacrificial, have integrity, and are courageous. These things are formed in the preparation to become Christ’s athlete. Training will reinforce these aspects of human dignity and prepare individuals to live it out in any area of life. It is an amazing avenue to grow in faith and virtue.
Being Christ’s Athlete
Our mission as Christ’s Athletes is to become a POWERFUL WITNESS of Jesus Christ to the World. We are created for MORE than this world. The Culture says money, glory and privilege are the desired outcome of being an athlete. But Paul says “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” 1 Timothy: 4:8. There is no earthly goal or trophy that will bring lasting happiness, only the Eternal Championship that awaits us in Heaven. Therefore, we have a REASON TO BE CONFIDENT TO BE DIFFERENT—JESUS CHRIST. We will use the God-given gift of our athletic ability to become an ETERNAL CHAMPION, a powerful witness of Jesus Christ. The enemy may attack, but there is no competition too great nor trial too large because Christ has already conquered the enemy! We will become His eternal athletes and, by His power, we will be forever victorious. We are going into Battle, we must prepare. We need to build our strength, discipline, courage, fortitude, and focus. We need to make our armor impenetrable. We need to lay an indestructible foundation on Jesus Christ. We need to sharpen and fortify our weapons. We need to make our faith unshakeable. Only through Jesus Christ is this possible. He is our rock. We will become His athletes. We will compete for Christ and bring souls onto His team. We will withstand temptation, ridicule, and mockery. We will die to ourselves so as to live for others. No worldly goal will suffice, only Christ. We will not fear pain, sweat, or hard work. We will hand our weaknesses over to Christ; He will transform us. We will work our hardest for the Lord and others. We will give ourselves up for the sake of Jesus Christ, and by His Power, we will become His Athletes.
Cross Training is a lifestyle opportunity for all Christian athletes to be challenged physically and spiritually to become the Miracles that God created them to be.
Training System Utilized in Cross Training
Evo Ultra Performance System utilized in Cross Training trains the individual as God created human beings to function. Every human being is created with the same design. The truth, then, is that there is an optimal/ most-efficient way to operate and move. Deviating from that biomechanically efficient movement pattern creates compensation. This compensation is what leads to an inability to display our potential and frequently leads to pain and injury. Retraining our body and mind to function as it was designed allows for the elimination of these compensation patterns and the ability to display elite performance. The focus of the training system encompasses how the body was created to optimally move and operate. Breathing, joint angles, position, appropriate muscle action, movement patterns, recovery mechanisms, and mental focus are key ingredients in training for optimal human efficiency in order to drastically improve performance whether the athlete is in-season or off-season. Individuals of any athletic ability may participate. Each will personally focus on eliminating their compensation patterns in order to work towards optimal human performance.
Challenge ourselves to become the Eternal Champion God created us to be.