About Crystal

Founder, GripT Life/ Resilience Coach | Rodeo Roots | GripT With a Purpose

Hi There!! So excited that you're here.

If you're here, you might be wondering who is behind the scenes here...it's me!

My name is Crystal and I grew up on a small farm just west of St. Louis, MO. Not the kind of farm where corn grows (although that was all around me), but the kind where we raised horses...and just about every other animal you can imagine. I was a tomboy from the time I could walk...wild-hearted, horse-obsessed, and always outdoors. I spent my early years starting racehorses under saddle and barrel racing while other girls were worried about boys. Horses weren't just a hobby...they were my home. It’s where I first learned how to hold on tight, how to hit the dirt, and how to get back up when life threw me hard. 

Later, tough life lessons nearly broke me, but those early lessons and horses are what saved me.

Today, I’m a Resilience Coach and the founder of GripT Life, a movement built from heartbreak and anchored in purpose. I’ve walked through trauma, CPTSD, depression, grief chronic pain, addiction concerning a loved one, betrayal, and suicide. But I didn’t quit. I stumbled hard, but I did not quit. I believe there is always purpose in our pain. I want to help people find hope when they are in the depths of struggle, and to know that there is life beyond the hard times. I rebuilt...brick by brick, and now it's my turn to help others find hope to live another day. To step out of survival and into thriving. 

I never want another person to feel alone.

That’s why I created GripT Life.
Not as a brand or a front, but as a safe space built on truth, not trends.
In a world where "helping people" has become performative and sometimes predatory, this is different.
This is for all of us - honest, unpolished, and real.

I believe mental and physical health go hand-in-hand, and true healing comes from grit, grace, and getting real. Whether it’s in the arena, at the gym, or in a coaching session, I help people let go of what broke them and get a grip on the life they were meant to live with hope that doesn’t disappoint.

I live with my two wildly entertaining French bulldogs, Frankie and Roxy, and a cat who thinks he’s in charge of the house. Horses are a huge part of my life, and I have Aspen, who has been through 23 years of all the ups and downs with me, and Stone, who keeps me on my toes! I’m a proud aunt to my incredible niece and nephew and a sister to a brother and sister-in-law who make me proud every day. And I’m still happiest with dirt on my boots, wind in my face, and purpose in my soul.

GripT Life is my heart.
It was built in honor of my dad, Gary Tinsley...the strongest, most honest man I’ve ever known.
His initials  G.T. live in the name. His strength lives in the mission. And I carry him with me in everything I do.

If you’re ready to rise, I’ll walk with you. We will walk with you.

Let go of what was.
Get a grip.
And become who you were always meant to be.

Let's do this,

Crystal Tinsley