I Can. I Will. I Must.

Siera Nelson turned perseverance into purpose as the owner of TXK Elite Crossfit
By Phoebe Warren

photo by shane darby.

Careers are rarely built in a straight line. For Siera Nelson, every unexpected curve in her path played a role in leading her exactly where she was meant to be. Now the owner and operator of TXK Elite Crossfit, Siera’s journey was shaped not only by resilience but also a willingness to listen when her purpose called her in a different direction. 

From childhood to emerging adulthood, Siera’s primary passion was basketball. “I enjoyed the sport because it was fun, and I was able to build lifelong friendships,” she said. “One thing I gained from the sport was discipline, and how important it is to have in order to overcome the ups and downs of growth and goals.” By the time Siera was a senior in high school, she had decided on becoming a basketball coach. “I wanted to be able to improve kids’ weaknesses in order to help them become a better player,” she said. 

When Siera enrolled as an undergraduate at the University of Central Arkansas, her passions and interests shifted slightly. Instead of coaching basketball, she wondered if she might be a better fit as a “coach” of general physical wellness. She decided to pursue physical therapy. 

“My interest for physical therapy was to be able to help individuals overcome a weakness and understand that having a limitation shouldn’t slow them down,” she said. However, after interning at several physical therapy clinics, Siera felt that her passions and her career path weren’t truly aligning. “I realized that the field [of physical therapy] was too slow for me,” she said. “I wanted to work with athletes. There tends to be a different mentality and motivation.” 

Siera’s specific interests led her to obtain a bachelor’s in kinesiology. “My final goal was to become a strength and conditioning coach at a college or university,” she explained. She wanted to move forward in the life she was starting to envision—as a trainer for other athletes. 

“The challenges I faced when first opening my gym I would say were all in my head.” photo by shane darby.

While Siera was studying hard for her future, she took a job at the front desk of a gym. She moved up the ranks there until she was on staff as a personal trainer. “I wanted to put myself in the field of training individuals and consider it as practice,” she said. “I had never trained anyone, and so I learned what worked and what didn’t work.” She continued to improve her skills, from one-on-one training to leading entire groups.

When a friend introduced her to CrossFit, everything Siera had done so far suddenly made perfect sense. “I realized this is what I want to do,” she said.

CrossFit is a strength, conditioning, and overall fitness program consisting mainly of a mix of aerobic exercises, calisthenics, and weightlifting. By 2018, Siera had obtained her CrossFit Level 1 Certification and had accepted her first job as an official CrossFit coach. She was offered a management position as well, and while she continued to coach, she also learned how to keep a gym operating successfully. When that gym closed three years later, Siera found an opportunity to open a CrossFit affiliate inside another facility. Some of her athletes followed her there, and over two years, she built a strong community. Unexpectedly, in 2023, the gym was bought out by a different company, and she had to leave. 

Siera has some fun after a HYROX event in Las Vegas. submitted photo.

Siera found herself at a crossroads. She wrestled with the uncertainty of her new calling and wondered again if being a strength and conditioning coach for collegiate athletes was a better option for her. Still, her heart told her that she had found her place. “Something about CrossFit drew me to it, and I didn’t want to let it go,” she said. “And, at that point, I had not only built the confidence to pursue my own CrossFit gym, but I also felt obligated to do something for the athletes who had been with me for all these years and appeared to be looking to me to make a decision.”

Siera opened TXK Elite CrossFit in June of 2024. “The challenges I faced when first opening my gym I would say were all in my head,” she said. “Mentally, I was overwhelmed, due to thinking I wasn’t capable of owning a gym. My mentality started to shift once I found a building and told my existing athletes that we would have somewhere to call our own. Through their excitement and following, my confidence grew, and I began to tell myself daily, ‘I can, I will, I must.’” 

Siera and the rest of the members of TXK Elite CrossFit celebrated one year of business in July 2025. submitted photo.

Now, TXK Elite Crossfit offers both CrossFit and HYROX (a popular indoor fitness competition combining running and functional workouts), the only gym within 100 miles to offer both. Siera is proud of the culture of inclusivity and individuality she has fostered within her gym, and she has five coaches on staff who are encouraged to grow alongside her. “I empower them by letting them know my vision and how I would want them to grow in the business and be a part of that vision,” she said. “Also, I let them know that they are allowed to be themselves with no apologies. Everyone has their own coaching style.”

Siera represented her gym at a HYROX event in Dallas. submitted photo.

Fueled by her purpose, Siera is determined to move forward, expanding both her business and her community. To those who aspire to chase their own ambitions, she offers this wisdom: “Be kind to everyone, build relationships, ask questions, be disciplined and consistent, push through hard times, and, no matter what, go after that thing that drives you and keeps you up at night.”