Hi, I’m Vanessa Kerr.. or simply, Coach Ness.

I’m a strength and weightlifting coach, educator and mentor… but at the heart of it, I’m someone who helps people come home to themselves through movement.

My work sits at the intersection of strength, nervous system awareness, education, and embodied confidence. I’m passionate about helping people feel strong in every sense physically, mentally, emotionally, and energetically.

I believe strength is a language.
It tells the story of how you show up, how you lead yourself, and how you carry your power in the world.

I’m most in my element when I’m teaching and guiding others:

💫 Breaking strength training down so it’s simple, clear and empowering
💫 Helping women understand their bodies, hormones, cycles and capacity
💫 Supporting athletes to move with intention rather than ego
💫 Mentoring coaches to elevate their presence, their standards and their impact

For me, coaching is not just about performance it’s about connection, awareness, and creating space for people to grow. I see every athlete as a whole human, not just a body lifting weight. Your nervous system, mindset, stress, energy and environment all matter. They shape how you train, recover, adapt and thrive.

When people understand why they’re training in a certain way why their body feels how it feels, why certain phases matter.. something shifts. Training becomes more intuitive. Progress feels more grounded. And strength becomes a tool for life, not just the gym.

As the Head Coach of the NSWWA High Performance Program and the founder of Hills Barbell, I’m committed to raising the standard of coaching and championing men and women in strength sports. But just as importantly, I’m committed to holding space for humans to grow with confidence, clarity and intention.

I love what I do.
I love this community.
And I love guiding people athletes and coaches to rise through education, embodiment and strength that feels aligned from the inside out.