Chad Clever
Chad was born in Suffolk, VA but grew up in the Washington D.C. suburb of Woodbridge, VA. In high school he was not the most athletic, but stayed active snowboarding, playing hockey and even rowing on the Men’s Crew team. After high school he attended Old Dominion University on a Naval ROTC scholarship. Upon graduation in May 2004, Chad received a commission in the United States Marine Corps, and became an Infantry Officer. Chad was stationed in Twentynine Palms, CA with 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division. There he would go on and deploy to Iraq twice (Ramadi in 2005 and Diyala in 2007). It was in the military where he was first introduced to the concept of “functional fitness”. Being, and staying fit was not only expected of you, but had an impact on your job performance. Training was tough, and the rigors of combat certainly took a toll if you were not physically and even mentally prepared.
Chad got off active duty and eventually moved back to DC to being his career as a civilian in the fall of 2008. Thirsty for the camaraderie he felt in the Marines as well as a physical challenge, he took his friend’s invitation to join their rugby team, and he immediately fell in love with the sport. However, time after time during the rugby off season, it didn’t take long for him to hit a rut and get bored again. The “Globo Gym” grew tiresome, and Chad knew he needed to find something better. It was then he remembered when he was in the Marines about this crazy program called “CrossFit”. He went on Crossfit.com and began to watch the videos and started doing the workouts on his own. He loved it so much that in 2011 he decided to check out a gym down the street from his work called CrossFit Lorton. After a week, he was more sore than he’s ever been, and Chad’s been hooked ever since. Chad and his wife moved to Tampa in the fall of 2012. After buying a house in Clearwater, Chad decided to check out EFC and the rest his history. Chad received his CF L1 Trainers Certification in Apr. 2016. He is grateful for the opportunity to coach at Manta Ray, and is excited to help the athletes achieve their fitness goals.
Favorite Color: Blue
Favorite Sport: Rugby
Favorite Movie: The Departed
Favorite Athlete: Alex Ovechkin
Favorite Exercise: Deadlifts
Least Favorite Exercise: Thrusters
Favorite Quote: “No better friend, no worse enemy”
-Gen. James Mattis., USMC