A Community of Athletes
Each month one of our athletes is featured in our FCCF Newsletter. Get to know the friendly faces of Fort Collins CrossFit!
Phil K.Why did you start CrossFit? I was tired of the gym routine and knew I needed to incorporate some cardio. Had heard about it for a while so decided to try it. I was hooked from day one and it only got better when I joined FCCF.
Why did you pick FCCF? I started at a small box in Windsor and kind of outgrew it. Luckily a quick google search led me to FCCF. And now I get to enjoy stories about Brittany J's friends crack smoking landlord and Andrea's complete cluelessness on scissoring! FCCF has been a great find. Why do you enjoy it? Who said I enjoy it? What is your favorite and least favorite movement? Favorites are still my old staples, squat and deadlift. I don’t think least favorite really requires an answer! What has been your biggest accomplishment or proudest moment? Well I did make one of the boards! But recently I came in second in a pretty intense cardio team WOD with Brett Peterson, and he didn’t even have to do all the work! Do you have any current goals you are working toward? Get double unders!!!! What do you do for fun? I like to be outside. Recently bought a Sea Doo so plan on being on the lake a lot. What is your favorite training/running shoe? Reebok Nanos Who is your favorite sports team? The Bills, there’s 4 l’s in Bills. Tell me a joke. I went out dressed as a chicken last night, I met a girl dressed as an egg, one thing led to another and a life long question was answered......it was the chicken! |
Clayton K.Why did you start CrossFit? A few years ago I was looking into a new CrossFit gym that met a few criteria. First, it was closer to my house and work so I could go during lunch. Second, I really was unhappy with my previous gym because if you signed up for a class and did not show up you were fined, and it ended up degrading the culture of the gym. I looked up CrossFit gyms near my house and came into the Saturday community workout at FCCF. It was my first gym I tried out and I was sold immediately. I ended up meeting Ted that day and was very impressed with both his coaching knowledge and his friendliness. I also loved the family atmosphere which I thought was missing at my previous gym.
Why do you enjoy it? I especially love the comradery in each of the classes. I have made some good friends in the 12:15 class. I am also a fan of the challenges FCCF hosts (lift offs and such). What is your favorite and least favorite movement? Favorite: clean and jerk. Least: inch worm for warm-up. What has been your biggest accomplishment or proudest moment? Bar muscle ups, Clean and jerk 295, Snatch 225, and beating Dave in a workout Do you have any current goals you are working toward? On the leader board for all the benchmark workouts hanging up in FCCF. What do you do for fun? CrossFit, skiing, and kickball (City Champs 2018 Fall league!!!) Do you do any exercise outside of CrossFit? I ride road bikes with my family during the summer. I also ski on the weekends during the winter. |
Anne P.Why did I start CF? I was working out in a regular gym for awhile and it got super boring for me. I didn't enjoy my workouts as much at the time and I tried different classes, spinning, boot camps, Yoga and Pilates. My motivation decreased as my goals at the time were not being met. My sister had been doing Cross Fit in Missouri and she
recommended checking out CrossFit gyms. I straight out told her "Hell No!” I had my own negative opinions at the time, with my background, that there are lots of injuries and I didn't want to be hurt or break something (lol). Long story short, I saw her results and how she looked and so I changed my mind as she kept encouraging me, so here I am. What has been your biggest accomplishment or proudest moments? Power snatch 88#, OH Squats 63#, heavier deadlifts, and overall my strength and technique with squats. What are your least favorite movements? Running, wall ball squats, burpees and hand stands because I can't do them. I'll do wall walks but I still hate them. Lol! Do you have current goals you are working on? I would love to improve on my pull ups, hand stands/wall walks and bench press What do I do for exercise outside of CrossFit? I hike in the summer time with friends and family, golfing, kickboxing and long walks in the summer. Why did I pick FCCF? After being convinced by my sister, I began looking around for CrossFit gyms in Fort Collins. I tried different CF gyms in town and didn't feel the vibe, the community wasn't warm or welcoming in other gyms, then I tried a free Saturday class at FCCF. The community and the people were very friendly, Ted was super welcoming and he remembered my name. Yes, I was impressed so I signed up for the Intro. course and Ted was my Coach. I was impressed with how knowledgeable his coaching skills were, he took his time to make sure my technique was correct and offered options for scaling workouts. I was sold by the time the Intro Course ended and I signed up.. |
April C"Love working out at Fort Collins CrossFit! The people there have become like family to me. Over the last couple years, I've seen results and changes that I never thought were possible. I had worked out at other gyms for years and never saw anything like this. When you look in the mirror and see a muscle that you didn't see before it's an AWESOME feeling and makes you wanna continue working hard! I am thankful that I found Fort Collins CrossFit."
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Cynthia N.Why did you start CrossFit? I was always Intrigued by the sport even though I had the slightest clue about what it entailed. I remember following athletes online and being drawn to all the tire flippin’, rope climbing and the ever changing workouts. I decided to just go for it and try a class. I had no expectations going in but what I remember the most was being welcomed by the entire gym and how encouraging they were. I was sore AF for the next week but I signed up anyway and joined. I haven’t looked back since.
Why did you pick FCCF? I was super new to CrossFit, about 10 months, and attending another gym before I was invited by another member at the time. I went in for a community class one Saturday morning and the community and atmosphere was like no other gym I had ever been to. I remember getting some awesome feedback from the coaches on how I can improve and I could feel how they genuinely cared about each athletes progression. I knew that’s where I belonged so I decided to cancel my previous membership and join FCCF. Why do you enjoy it? I enjoy it because no two workouts are the same, every day is something new. There is always something to improve on and there is no ceiling on your own personal potential. I went from knowing absolutely nothing about fitness, having no sports background to learning some pretty cool stuff over the last few years. I owe it all to some pretty badass and knowledgeable coaching. I’ve also met some amazing people through this sport. It’s the suffering and getting through grueling workouts with your friends that keep me coming back. How long have you been a member? About 4 years. What has been your biggest accomplishment? I FINALLY decided to take the plunge and do MURPH with a vest this year and I’m so glad I did! It feels pretty good to have my name up on that board! I also decided to go back to school this year and I recently graduated from EMT school! Receiving my patch was a very proud moment for me. Do you have any current goals you are working toward? NUTRITION! Eating better and eating more. I have Fire Academy coming up here in the fall and I just want to be the best version of myself physically not only because my future job requires me to, but because I know the amount of responsibility that comes with the job. I want to be able to serve my community doing the best job that I possibly can both physically and mentally. Having a CrossFit background has helped me tremendously and will continue to help me in my career to come! What is your favorite and least favorite movement? Favorite: pull ups. Least Favorite: T2B What do you do for fun? Travel with my boyfriend Ian and hanging out with our two amazing dogs! What is your favorite training/running shoe? Reebok Nano |
Brittany S.Why did you start CrossFit? My old gym, “Reve”, closed down in December 2017. I dabbled in HIIT and Spinning classes at Miramont, but they just weren’t my thing. One of the worst parts of the HIIT classes was when you had to “pick your own
cardio” every other minute for an hour...and you were confined to a 5x5 space with an aerobics step. Why did you pick FCCF? I knew Stacey Gavin from Reve because she was a coach there as well. Heather, DD, BJ, and Becky were also members at Reve and when they closed their doors, they tried the free Saturday community workouts at FCCF. I was more than hesitant to join them because a) “CrossFit”, and b) cost, but I agreed a few days before the intro class and I never looked back. Why do you enjoy CF? I love benchmarking and keeping track of personal progress. Something I didn’t think I would like is lifting heavy weights, but that might be one of my favorite parts of CrossFit. That was never an option at my old gym. We didn’t have any barbells, and only a limited number of dumbbells and kettlebells. I need someone to tell me what the plan is, especially at 5:15 am. I appreciate that the classes are led by coaches that will analyze my movements and correct me where needed. Beyond the actual workout, I enjoy working out with a group and the social aspect of CrossFit. What is your favorite and least favorite movement? I’m currently enjoying cleans...from the hang position of course...where I’m starting to lift heavier weights and it is fun to see improvement. My least favorite movement is overhead squats; my body just doesn’t want to move that way! What has been your biggest accomplishment or proudest moment? Competing in my first CrossFit competition at Project Uplift 2018 in the Rx division was a lot of fun! Hang squat cleaning 150 lbs. recently felt pretty cool too. Do you have any current goals you are working toward? My most pressing short term goal is to get my shoulders healthy. Getting a muscle up is definitely a goal of mine down the road. Do you do any other exercise besides CrossFit? I enjoy running and road biking with my husband on the weekends when we can squeeze it in. Running 4-5 miles is my happy place. I ran a half marathon with my husband last year, and my body hated the training. My husband wants to do another half marathon this year, but I’m not sure that I am interested. I used to do yoga every Friday and would love to fit that back into my schedule somehow. It is important to me that my girls see me incorporating regular exercise into my life. |
Patrick L.What brought you to FCCF? I had been researching some gyms in town and had been to a workout at another location. I was next door buying beer-making ingredients (life’s about
balance, right?) and thought I’d walk over and see what the place looked like. Ted did a great job of taking a few minutes right before a class to chat with me and explain the 101 class that was coming up. I didn’t find that type of 101 class opportunity at some other gyms and I appreciated the idea of onboarding to see if I was interested before committing to a full registration. That’s why I showed up. I’ve stayed because of the people. I believe you are most like the people you surround yourself with and this is a great group of genuine folks to be around. Can you tell us a Joke? A pirate walks into a bar with a steering wheel on his pants, a peg leg, and a parrot on hit shoulder. The bartender says, “Hey, you’ve got a steering wheel on your pants.” The pirate says, “Arrr, I know. It’s driving me nuts.” What has been your biggest accomplishment or proudest moment? Each time I hit a PR or accomplish some movement for the first time it’s definitely a milestone. I think the realization of a commitment to be consistent for the first five months of being involved in CrossFit and feel good about participating in the Open (I think I did all the workouts Rx...got my first bar muscle-up) was a cool reminder for me about the potential to translate that intentionality to all aspects of life. Do you have any current goals you are working toward? I’m currently working toward beating Dave Brough in a workout. Just kidding. I’m working toward beating Kendree Brough in a workout. Actually, that’s not true either. I’m pretty sure they’re both from planet Krypton or somewhere thereabouts. I’ve been out of commission for a few weeks, but am looking forward to preparing as much as I can for Murph on Memorial Day right now. What is your favorite training/running shoe? I’d say Reebok CrossFit shoes if they weren’t so expensive. I used to run a lot more than I do now, and Nike has a wider toe box than some other shoes, which I like. Do you do any exercise outside of CrossFit? I run a little bit. Not as much as I did before CrossFit, but I feel like I’m always able to jump back into it (BolderBoulder, Fortitude, Wild West Relay) pretty easily because of the cross-training I get at FCCF. |
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Heather P. - H.Avid CrossFitter- 5:15amSometimes our limitations have nothing to do with how strong or fast we are. Heather is proud of how hard she's pushed herself throughout her life, it's one of her biggest strengths, but sometimes she feels limited in what her body is capable of doing. One of Heather's main goals is to continue overcoming those mental blocks. Heather has lost 125 pounds and sometimes forgets she can do more now than she ever could before. She was terrified to try a box jump for a long time. Once she tried it, she realized she was more than capable of rising to the top of that box, although she still fights that fear each time.
Heather is also working toward getting stronger overall, especially with lifting. Over the next six months, she's hoping to improve her skills and technique, so she can be more confident in her lifts. Snatches are particularly awkward for her. "I have slow elbows, or so I've been told," Heather says. On the other hand, her ideal workout would include deadlifts, back squats and double unders. Participating in the FCCF Refresh competition was probably the most fun experience Heather has had at Fort Collins CrossFit. The opportunity to compete and be amongst the other members of the community was invigorating. New challenges are inherently woven into the pillars of CrossFit, and Heather isn't one to back down from a challenge. Each day in CrossFit she's pushed to be better, and that is what thrills her about it. |