Christen Strags

“The most rewarding part of my work is taking what I learned training the best women’s basketball players in the world and sharing it with people who’ve never seen it before,” Christen Strags tells GO. “Most people don’t realize what it actually takes to be great at that level. I spent years watching it up close, and now I teach it.” Strags spent seven seasons with the WNBA as a strength and conditioning coach. During this time, she trained 15 All-Stars as well as eight Olympians representing five countries, and two Women’s Basketball Hall of Famers. Today, Strags is a keynote speaker and founder of Strags Performance Training, a resource hub for girls’ basketball coaches and athletes, and Sports Bra Strength, a lifting community for women’s sports fans. Strags’ queer identity has been a pivotal factor in her career, both in building specific fitness spaces and setting an example of physical and mental strength. “Being a woman on the LGBTQ+ spectrum has always made me feel a little outside the box, and I’ve leaned into that,” says Strags. “The women’s sports fandom is one of the most LGBTQ+-rich communities out there, yet for a long time, there wasn’t a fitness space built with us in mind. I wanted to change that. We can be tough, strong, playful, and adventurous, and we don’t have to shrink ourselves to do it. Plus, it’s a lot more fun when we do it together.” –LE