Derek Batman

Derek has a diverse athletic background, including football, basketball, grappling, and Muay Thai. He attended West Chester University for Exercise Science and Nutrition, and he is currently completing these dual majors at the University of Delaware. His studies have given him an in-depth understanding of the bio-mechanics and exercise physiology elements of CrossFit, and their application to the functional movements across broad domains of fitness.

Derek’s interest in and knowledge of nutrition – particularly as it relates to athletics – is invaluable to his training at Hardbat CrossFit. Derek understands that health and fitness extend beyond the workout and into everyday life. Diet is an important part of the equation, and Derek is always available to discuss the best ways to incorporate healthy eating with a CrossFit lifestyle.

During his freshman year in college, Derek worked as a personal trainer and strength and conditioning coach at JT Fitness in Indiana, PA. He later became the strength and conditioning coach and grappling instructor at Cowboy’s International Fitness, a mixed martial arts studio in Pottstown, PA, where he gained experience working with clients ranging from children to amateur and professional athletes. In 2009, Derek turned to CrossFit as his primary approach to strength and conditioning. He used CrossFit-style methods to guide programming for his own in-home training company, Batman Fitness and Athletics. Derek also received his CrossFit Level 1 certification in early 2011.

Ian Hardin

Ian is a full-time CrossFit coach and athletic trainer, but his background is slightly atypical. Ian entered college as a physics major and spent three years studying collegiate-level physics and advanced mathematics. However, he found this unsatisfying and began pursuing a career in athletics, which had always been a part of his life. Most recently, Ian attended West Chester University to obtain a B.S. in Exercise Science. Because of his background he is able to create much more than the “typical workout” in his training and programming.

Ian has a unique way of breaking down the fundamental movements of CrossFit, from gymnastics to weightlifting, and in the programming he designs. Each warmup, workout, and auxiliary program is part of a larger integrated system for total fitness. Understanding the importance of measurable results, Ian works with Derek Batman to fine-tune each workout and skill-building exercise as part of an entire fitness program. Ian also has a unique ability to understand – and explain – the science and mechanics behind the movements and his training.

Before training CrossFit full-time, Ian was the strength coach for the women’s rugby and gymnastics teams at West Chester University. A veteran Sea Isle lifeguard, Ian is also a former wrestler, swimmer, and collegiate rugby player. His certifications include National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), Certified Personal Trainer (CPT), Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (C.S.C.S.), and CrossFit Level 1.

Katie Majewski trainer at Hardbat CrossFit

Katie Majewski Feeley

Katie began her sports career at age 5 with hardcore, competitive tee-ball. She played softball through college during which time she also coached 10&under recreational softball and the Club Softball team at The George Washington University. Other athletic pursuits included volleyball, climbing trees, and one-upping the neighborhood boys. Katie has a great love of the outdoors and took up hiking, backpacking, kayaking, and rock climbing when she was in college. She turned to CrossFit as a way to gain strength for climbing, but since picking up “the sport of fitness” in 2010, she hasn’t looked back.

CrossFit led Katie to her discovery of powerlifting… and her inner strongwoman. She now competes in powerlifting meets and is currently training to compete in strong(wo)man competitions as well. Deadlifting and crushing weight are her favorite activities (after eating). Katie’s background (and college degree) are in Political Communication and marketing; however, she has never been able to stay away from fitness and working in gyms. She has worked in a variety of fitness fields, including a college gym, intramural sports management, and a “globo” gym. But nothing has held on like CrossFit and powerlifting. Having had a life-changing experience with CrossFit and weightlifting, she has decided to re-devote her life to introducing people to fitness, lifting, and healthy living and helping her clients (and friends and family) achieve their goals and potential both inside the gym and out.

Katie currently serves as Business Manager and coach at Hardbat, and she is working on starting a CrossFit Kids program. She specializes in strength training for teens and adults and CrossFit for kids, and is a member, competitor, and record-holder in the American Powerlifting Association. Katie has earned her CrossFit Level 1 and CrossFit Kids Trainer certificates.

Christina Ruggiero

Though she has played a variety of sports, Christina’s main athletic pursuit has been swimming. For many years she swam every event, but eventually she focused on individual medley (IM) and distance swimming. Before college, Christina swam at a national level with USS Swimming club team and locally for Delaware Swim Team. She later earned a full athletic scholarship to swim at NCAA Division 1 Boston University where she swam mostly IM and distance events.

At BU her accomplishments included four-time American East All-Conference and All-Academic, 2006 BU Rookie of the Year, 2007 BU Coaches Award, and 2009 Most Inspirational Award, as voted by her teammates. During college, Christina was also on the Dewey Beach Patrol, during which time she won the U.S. Lifeguard Association National Championship for Women’s Open Water Rescue, and was named Delaware Lifeguard of the Year in 2007. Amid all the swimming, Christina also graduated cum laude with a B.A. in Economics. She is currently attending law school at Villanova.

Christina began CrossFitting in 2009 and has since earned her CrossFit Level 1 and CrossFit Olympic Lifting certifications. She has competed in multiple sectional, regional, and local competitions. Christina values the opportunites she has had to train under nationally recognized coaches both in swimming and CrossFit, and hopes to pass that knowledge on to other athletes. She especially enjoys learning and teaching Olympic lifting, and as such she is a valuable asset to the Hardbat team.