About

Our training philosophy was born of the mountains, of high standards and hard work. No matter the athlete, our craft applies: wield the “tools” of a unique training environment to create a better, faster, stronger, more conscious human being.

Our goals are to train the mind of the individual along side the body, for the mind compels the body to endure and to achieve. To injury proof the body all the while encouraging the athlete to excel. We have created an environment of support, where honesty, character and integrity are paramount; and where motivation, instruction, and guidance are given to those with the desire to change.

These practices do not apply to just the “elite” of the athletic world. They apply to each and every one of us. We are all athletes! We all desire health, strength, happiness, and the capacity to excel in whatever we choose to do, at any level.

Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.

Ripple Effect Training Center is a private facility. To effect positive change in a single individual or a small group; focused work must be done. All training is individualized to meet the needs of the athlete. Whether or not it is a general recreational athlete who just wants to enjoy his days off, a high end athlete who’s performance during a season or for a specific event is imperative to her, or the individual who just desires change and is seeking an environment of knowledgeable instructors and support.

Knowledge can only be gained only from experience, at Ripple Effect our instructors bring a life time of experience not only from the mountain environment but that of this unique gym environment. Our ethos is to enhance performance and to grow a community. Our Athletes are a reflection of our dedication.


Carolyn Parker

Instructor/Trainer/Founder

The focus of my work and my life is to engage others in activities that create positive self change, to inspire, mentor, motivate, encourage, educate, and if that means changing the world one person at a time, so be it. I derive the deepest satisfaction from seeing others succeed, however I will be the first to tell you it is not just about being faster or stronger – it is about being a more conscious human being.

Carolyn is a life-long climber and mountain guide who has made the successful transition into full time coaching work. Carolyn is founder and lead instructor at the Ripple Effect Gym in Carbondale, Colorado.
Carolyn’s personal pursuit of progress with her climbing led her to training. Training led her to Mark Twight and Gym Jones. In 2010 she earned her Gym Jones Certified Instructor credential. Carolyn can lead 5.12 rock, M8 mixed, and ski 50 degree couloirs. She has ski guided Mont Blanc, the famous Chamonix-Zermatt Haute Route and the Italian Ortler Traverse multiple times. In 2001 she attempted to climb Makalu by a new route on the South Face with a small 4-person team. Most recently she has been competitive in mountain runs such as the Imogene Pass run, R2R2R Grand Canyon, Sandia Crossing, Four Pass Loop Elk Mountains, Power of Four Skimo Race.

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Betsy Dain-Owens

Instructor/Trainer/Guide

Betsy grew up in the Pacific Northwest, with the mountains, rivers and rocky coastlines as her playground. Remote landscapes, harsh conditions, and the company of those who “get it” energize and inspire her.

Betsy has been working with Carolyn since 2012. She is dedicated to the continuous learning of new tools and techniques – both inside and outside of the gym – that effect self-growth, injury prevention, and blasting through obstacles. In addition to her work at Ripple Effect Training, Betsy teaches AIARE avalanche rescue and safety classes for Paragon Guides and Colorado Mountain College, runs trips domestically and internationally for International Mountain Guides, and teaches climbing and rock rescue for Colorado Mountain College. She also most recently helped Tanice Kitchener, DPT (Rocky Mountain Therapros) develop and launch her Blood Flow Restriction Training Program.

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Caitlin Kinney

Instructor/Trainer

Caitlin grew up in Carbondale, where her passion for the mountains and the outdoors began. She is a graduate of California Polytechnic University in San Luis Obispo, CA. Through also living in Baja Mexico, Bend, Hood River OR, Australia and traveling to places such as Europe, Bali, New Zealand and Australia, she found that her heart truly belongs back in Carbondale.

In terms of the mountains, Caitlin enjoys skiing, skinning, hiking, running, and mountain biking. To her, the mountains are her meditation, her grounding force and where she feels she belongs. Outside of mountain sports, Caitlin enjoys surfing, kite surfing, yoga and riding her horse in the local Carbondale rodeos.

To her, Ripple is more than just a gym. It is a safe and positive place to encourage people to become the best version of themselves both mentally and physically. The uplifting characters and unique backgrounds of those who walk through the door constantly inspire her. She loves the sense of community that Ripple brings, as well as the opportunities that allow her to consistently learn tools aiding in self growth, correct alignment, injury prevention, and how strength conditioning can transform a person’s ability to move through life in the best possible way outside the gym.

Caitlin feels incredibly grateful to be apart of such a unique, quality team at the Ripple Effect. Her passion for the outdoors, love for movement, desire for learning, teaching and wellness all interplay into her role at the gym.

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Jim Harris

Instructor/Trainer

Jim first came to the Ripple Effect to work on his recovery from a spinal cord injury that had originally left him paralyzed from the sternum down. Fast forward six years and hundreds of hours of gym work, physical therapy, research, willingness to try and try hard Jim has regained the ability to ride a mountain bike, skin and ski, walk with no external assistance, pack raft, and live a life full of mobility and adventure once again.

The balance point between psychological acceptance of his disability and the continued will to lean against his limitations are always in flux. Jim’s role as a RE trainer and athlete helps him achieve that balance while continuing to improve his physical proprioception. Jim is delighted to be part of the RE team.

He is additionally a talented photographer and artist, so when not here or out with his friends in the mtns or on the river he can be found at his studio at SAW.

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Kristine Glauber

Instructor/Trainer

Kristine began training at Ripple Effect soon after moving to Carbondale in 2020. Drawn by the RE training philosophy, the community, as well as the opportunity to pursue her lifelong passion in coaching (previously fulfilled in youth swimming and rock climbing), she joined the RE coaching staff in early 2022.

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