From athletes to registered nurses to coaches and founders of ASCEND
We’re full-time coaches and everyday athletes with a passion for strength, endurance, and everything in between.
We run marathons, race HYROX, lift heavy, build mobility, and love exploring new disciplines — next up, we’re excited to tackle triathlons and ultras.
We're here to make pro-level training feel sustainable
So we started working on something for people like us, who don’t really box themselves into labels like runner, lifter, or anything that can be overly simplified.But before we built ASCEND… we both went through a lot.
We've been athletes our whole lives
Mitch in the WHL working towards an NHL career, and Justine on a full-ride soccer scholarship. But when sports came to an end, so did the identities we’d built around them.
Mitch’s career-ending injury led to depression, substance use, and a ton of setbacks. Justine’s transition out of sports spiraled into years of disordered eating and obsessive training. We both lost our way trying to achieve aesthetics and “perfection.”
We became registered nurses hoping to help people but quickly realized most of what we saw in hospitals could have been prevented with better nutrition, training, and lifestyle habits. Around this time, we went vegan (12+ years ago), sold everything, moved to Mexico, and started a plant-based food blog to try to make a bigger impact on health.
We realized something was still missing: movement
We started taking our training seriously again — running, HYROX, heavy lifting — and everything started to click. But we didn’t want to be “just runners” or “just lifters.” We wanted to train like multi-modal athletes again… and help others do the same.
So we built ASCEND — a space for everyday athletes who want more intention in their training and nutrition (without the obsession, restriction, or burnout that defines most of the fitness industry).
Do we know it all? Of course not. We’re still learning, experimenting, testing, and evolving.
But we’ve lived at the extremes — and created ASCEND to give people the balanced, performance-focused path we wish we had years ago.
The fitness industry has failed most people
That’s why we’ll help you learn how to feel good in your body — not just for a season, but for decades. The ASCEND method is designed around principles that actually last:
• Performance over aesthetics
• Structure over randomness
• Fueling over restricting
• Plants for powerLongevity over quick fixes
• Multi-modal over one-dimensional training
• Athleticism for life
We lead by example
Everything we teach comes from lived experience — not just theory (though we’re definitely bookworms and obsessed with learning new training methodologies).
From rebuilding after injuries to preparing for HYROX and marathons, we test everything we program.
What we don't do:
One-dimensional training
Restriction-based nutrition
Workouts that ignore mobility & recovery
Programs with zero progression or structure
What we do instead:
Structured strength + running programs
Plant-based meals that fuel performance
Mobility, prehab, and recovery built-in
Tools to help you train for life, not just look fit
Our ASCEND method is how we live, eat, and train every day — which is why we never sell anything we wouldn’t follow ourselves.
Trusted by 240,000+ everyday athletes
ASCEND App — run + lift programs, built for real life
Start your 7-day free trial →PLNT Club — Weekly recipes that fuel performance and taste amazing
Grab a free recipe →PLNT Athlete: Mains Cookbook — 30 high-protein mains, ready in 30 min
Get the cookbook →1:1 Coaching — Personalized support & accountability when you need it most
Inquire now →
