Carl was born in the United States and grew up in Spain where his passion for physical activity led him to delve into action sports such as snowboarding, skiing, wakeboarding, waterskiing, and karate. It was his love for gymnastics that shaped his discipline for hard work, determination, and his professional career. Carl became an elite gymnast in Spain where he trained and competed on the national circuit for more than fifteen years. Throughout his gymnastics career he received numerous accolades, including a National Gold Medal for Vault.

Carl also studied environmental science at Universidad Miguel Hernandez and specialized in genetic engineering and coral reef ecology.  After university, Carl returned to the U.S. to pursue a career in marine biology. Even though Carl found work that related to his studies, his mind never strayed far from his love of sport and fitness. He reentered the world of gymnastics in 2004 in San Francisco, where he lives and works as a strength and conditioning coach for his own practice in collaboration with San Francisco CrossFit and AcroSports.

In 2010 Carl launched GymnasticsWOD.com, currently the largest online resource for gymnastics­ movement training and conditioning for CrossFit coaches and athletes. He has coached thousands of athletes around the world through the GymnasticsWOD website and by way of his Freestyle Connection seminars. In 2011 Carl was part of the coaching team for Annie Thorisdottir, who went on to become the first two-­time winner of the CrossFit Games in 2011 and 2012. In July of 2014 Carl published his first book, FREESTYLE, which went on to become a New York Times Best Seller in the Sports Category.

Carl's Website: http://freestyleconnection.com/

Strike Movement website: https://strike-mvmnt.com/

Facebook: Carl Paoli

Instagram: @carlpaoli

Documentaries mentioned:

Hiro dreams of Sushi.

Bones Brigade