Age: 35
Occupation: Physical Therapist Assistant at Capstone Physical Therapy
Which class time do you usually attend? 6am Baby!!
How long have you been CrossFitting? 10 years
How did you find CrossFit i1uvit? I was going to Jogo when i1uvit was opened, moved to Oregon and when I moved home CrossFit was a must so i1uvit was the logical choice.
What is your athletic/fitness background (if applicable)? Played baseball up through high school
Favorite WOD: “DT”
Favorite lift or movement: any lift involving a barbell
Least favorite WOD: “Annie”
Least favorite lift or movement: Anything involving Handstands and burpees
Favorite quote: "Pain is weakness leaving the body" or "You can do anything for 60 seconds"
Favorite “guilty pleasure” food: Ice Cream (legit ones like Edaleen or Ben&Jerry's)
How has CrossFit changed your life, lifestyle, and/or level of fitness? The first thing it did was it got me healthier by changing my diet. Right away my diet (including all those sugary coffee drinks and 5-6 cans of pop a day) showed up in my performances in workouts and I knew it had to change. Rarely was my drink of choice water. I asked one of the coaches at the CrossFit gym I was at what I could do to improve my performance and they asked me if I knew what the Paleo Diet was and I said nope. He challenged me to try it for 1 month and within 2 weeks I saw huge improvements in my performance and from there I was hooked. I went from 300+ pounds down to 220 within the first year. I have now been mostly paleo for the last 8 years and to me it is a way of eating/life and less a diet.
The second thing CrossFit has done to change my life has been motivation. It has taught me I can do anything by never given up, pushing through the tough ones and being consistent. Not only is this in CrossFit but in all life.
And finally the third thing CrossFit has done is increase my level of fitness. I have more endurance and strength in my mid-thirties than I did in my late teens/early twenties.
Who or what motivates/inspires you to keep coming back? My family. I want to be around for my wife and kids for a long time. I want to be a good role model for my kids and show them that exercising can be fun.
What is your proudest CrossFit achievement? When I competed in the open workouts I completed 2 workouts at the prescribed weights after several years of being a “CrossFitter.”
Name one goal you are working for and would like to achieve through CrossFit? Get a ring Muscle up
Hobbies/Interests outside of CrossFit? I love watching/playing/ reading about anything sports. I'm a die-hard Seattle sports fan (yes, sometimes it's tough but that's the love of the game)
Any advice for new members? Stay humble, it's okay to modify.
Any additional thoughts/shout-outs/comments: Matt, Kaylee and the i1uvit community for being more than welcoming, even at 6am! Also, shout-out to Coach Brad Sim for pushing me to even start CrossFit way back when we were young lads.