Charlie Martel became a personal trainer after experiencing firsthand the positive impact great trainers can have both in and out of the gym. His training style is empowering and encouraging, focused on building strength, confidence, and long-term healthy habits. Specializing in strength training, Charlie helps clients safely increase muscle and performance while keeping workouts approachable and sustainable. Outside the gym, you’ll often find him biking with friends around the monuments or walking his dog through Rock Creek Park.
Dallas McClendon
Dallas started personal training as a college student working with clients, teaching group fitness, and strength training university women and co-ed cheer and dance groups. After moving to DC, he worked in both government and the private sectors, and understands balancing a 9-to-5 with fitness and staying active. He can help clients find ways to incorporate health and movement into everyday life and build systems to help stick to goals. He trains clients for weight loss, muscle growth, everyday movement and mobility, sports performance, and rehabilitation support.
Dallas is a runner and has competed in races from 5K to marathon distances. He understands the demands of training for a race and can help clients with run-specific strength exercises as well as program design. When working with Dallas, expect variety and challenges that are both exciting and push you closer to your fitness goals.
Dallas graduated from Mississippi State University with a degree in economics and is a NASM-certified personal trainer. He lives in Adams Morgan with his husband and two dogs.
Celae Lynn
As a former athlete living with a neurological condition, Celae learned early on the importance of having a support system — someone by your side who truly understands your body’s unique needs. That experience shaped the way she viewed health and movement, and that personal connection evolved into professional purpose. With a background in physical therapy and published research on rare neuromuscular and neurological disorders, Celae brings a unique depth of knowledge to her training.
She believes in meeting clients exactly where they are — physically, emotionally, and mentally — and creating sustainable, enjoyable programs that support overall well-being, not just short-term results. She believes fitness isn’t just physical progress; it’s about feeling strong, safe, and empowered in your own body.
Mary Dorsch
Mary has been training at MINT since 2014, and she trains virtual only. She is certified through the National Academy of Sports Medicine and focuses on creating individualized programs for clients based on their unique needs and fitness goals. She enjoys helping people push past their self-imposed limits and inspiring them to be the best version of themselves. She motivates clients to challenge themselves, concurrently remaining attentive to any limitations or muscular imbalances that need to be considered. As a personal trainer with a passion for motivating people to stay active, Mary strives to change people’s perspective on fitness. When she’s not working, she enjoys cooking, weightlifting, or furthering her education.
Chris Barnes
Chris is a native Washingtonian who began an athletic journey at a very young age, participating in a variety of sports i.e.; baseball, basketball, football, and track. He joined the United States Marine Corps right after High School. While serving he was introduced to powerlifting where he began competing as a powerlifter under the USPLF. Chris retired from the District Government after serving (29) years, approximately fifteen of those twenty-nine years he moonlighted as a Personal Trainer in various facilities in the DMV. He’s always had a strong ambition with human anatomy and its function. He was able to embrace that passion and apply it to help others achieve their fitness goals.
Chris’s philosophy is functional training. He believes that the muscular system is an independent system that works best when trained together.
Wellness is a lifestyle that shouldn’t seem like a chore but, fun, exhilarating & enjoyable!
Training & Certifications
National Personal Training Institute (NPTI) Basic Nutrition
National Academy of Sports Medicine & GPTS (NASM)
Rotational Motion Training (RMT Club)
CPR First Aid AED
James Parker-Ashley
My love for fitness began at a young age. More likely than not I was one of the only kids in the state of North Carolina that asked for a weight lifting set for his 10th birthday. Throughout my life I’ve always been an active person and having a strong interest in playing several different sports such as soccer, football and basketball. Over the years I’ve even began to pick up tennis both competitively and leisurely. I will always be an athlete at heart.I’ve been in the fitness industry for the past 3 years and have loved every minute of it. I enjoy using the the kinesiology degree I earned from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro to improve every life that I come across. I have had experience working with clients from ages 7-93. My goal is to live a life where I am able to show people what they are truly capable of and to encourage them to be the person they didn’t even know they could become.
Certifications: Bachelor Degree in Kinesiology, ACSM-CPT
Specializations: Strength and conditioning, weight loss, core strength development, balance and coordination, flexibility, athletic training