Chris Richelderfer

Coach Chris is a Pennsylvania native and grew up outside of Harrisburg. After college at Mount Saint Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, MD, he joined the US Army and has spent time living in various places in the US and abroad. During a deployment to Afghanistan in 2007, he was introduced to CrossFit but didn’t actively start following the CrossFit methodology until 2009 when his wife Ashley and he were stationed in Bamberg, Germany. After moving back to the States, he eventually joined CrossFit Fort Bragg in North Carolina and later CrossFit Syracuse in New York. 

While at CrossFit Fort Bragg, Chris competed as a member of the gym’s team at the Reebok CrossFit Games Mid-Atlantic Regional in 2013. During an assignment in Washington State and for about a year after Chris moved to Maryland, he spent about two years working out in his garage and focusing on Olympic Weightlifting. He was pleased with the strength he gained and earned podium positions in a few small, regional meets. But he realized he needed the community, variety, and intensity you can only find at a CrossFit Gym. So he joined Ashley at Blackbird in 2017. He began coaching at Blackbird CrossFit in 2018. 

Chris specializes in Strength and Olympic Weightlifting coaching and customized program design. He has led five of Blackbird Barbell Club’s members to qualify and compete at the national level.