Coach Elder (Nikki) dedicated just over 13 years to military service across two branches before her medical retirement. She began her career in the U.S. Navy, working in Intelligence as a Cryptologist stationed at the National Security Agency. Believing her time in uniform was complete, she returned to civilian life—until the events of September 11th changed everything. Realizing she still had more to give, Coach Nikki fought the paperwork battles to join the Army National Guard in 2003, volunteering for deployment and ultimately heading to Afghanistan.

In Afghanistan, her mission shifted drastically. Though holding a Military Intelligence background, she stepped into completely non-traditional roles: building helicopter pads in Kandahar, executing tactical operations and thriving as a .50 Caliber Gunner and Truck Commander for a security and Quick Reaction Force element. As the only female in her unit, she was frequently tasked with clearing local women in villages and checkpoints. Armed with an aid bag to treat local women who were forbidden from seeing male medics, this profound experience entirely altered her life’s trajectory, inspiring Coach Nikki to enter the medical field upon returning stateside.

After years of working in local emergency rooms and Emergency Management System agencies, Coach Nikki witnessed firsthand the destructive trend of polypharmacy (the simultaneous use of multiple medications) affecting both civilians and her fellow Veterans. Determined to find a better way to heal, she pursued a graduate degree in Applied Clinical Nutrition to teach sustainable, holistic wellness.

Coach Nikki discovered the Catch A Lift (CAL) Fund through a fellow Veteran at a time when she wouldn’t and couldn’t admit she needed help. CAL ultimately restored her sense of purpose, first as a CAL Athlete and now as a Coach. For her, fitness and nutrition are the ultimate tools for mental survival. Having lost far too many members of her unit to suicide since coming home, her coaching is driven by an unshakeable mission: to ensure no Veteran fights the silence alone, and to remind them that they are worth a life fully lived, not merely survived.

Outside of coaching, she is a self-proclaimed book nerd and a mother who spends every possible moment outdoors hiking, kayaking, paddleboarding, rucking, and gardening with her sons and dogs. In the gym, her favorite movement is the deadlift, though she has a passion for non-conventional training—like flipping heavy tires and moving heavy objects in ways they weren’t originally designed for.