All of us who work out here at Mission CrossFit SA train hard.  We are all on our own journey in pursuit of a higher level of fitness, health and ultimately, life.  It is not an easy journey, but it’s worth it. It requires hard work, sweat, discipline, and perseverance.  The journey is filled with challenges, obstacles, and sometimes-even setbacks.  And although every person’s road is unique, it is not a solo endeavor. We are in the pursuit of fitness together. Like a team, when a person is knocked down, the group responds by picking them up. Equally as important, when someone succeeds, their accomplishments are enjoyed and celebrated by the whole.  To that end, every month, one person will be recognized for their outstanding achievements in fitness, whether they are in or out of the box.

This page is dedicated to that individual who portrays what CrossFit is at Mission CrossFit SA.  It is someone who pushes hard, never gives up and wants to accomplish something each day they step foot inside our gym.  They are chosen by their peers and lead by example.  The athlete doesn’t necessarily lift the most amount of weight, or win every WOD, but instead they have passion and desire for what their individual goal is.  Work hard, everyone is always paying attention, and you could be next!

Athlete of the Month – January 2012

Name: Greg White

Started CrossFit: July 2011

Favorite WOD: Anything bodyweight

Least Favorite WOD: Anything that involves running/rowing

Favorite Lift: Handstand push-ups

Least Favorite Lift: Overhead Squats (I lack the mobility in my wrist and shoulders)

Story:

I was first introduced to CrossFit by my friend, coworker, and now coach Ed Conway. Once he got involved with CrossFit he would come into work every night and tell me about what he did in class and how much he lifted. I was always interested in doing it but like most people I was nervous about it and I was just plain lazy. It wasn’t until he found Mission CrossFit that he really started on me about giving it a shot. He would tell me of the intelligence of the staff and how good they were at doing what they do. I became more and more interested in it as time went by.

About 12 years ago out of high school I worked out with a personal trainer at Bally’s for around 4 months. He was actually training me to go to a bodybuilding competition that year but unfortunately the army transferred him away and I couldn’t sustain the intensity that I had with him. I then got into the bar business at a young age and partying took over my life. The years had taken their toll and I ended up at 227 pounds. Looking at old versus new pictures of myself I was in shock at how out of shape I truly had become. I was in need of a change. I wanted to get back to where I was before and how I looked when I was younger.

So, on July 5^th of last year I finally decided to give this thing called CrossFit a try. Man was I in for a surprise! The first workout involved a run, tabata squats, and another run followed by kettlebell swings with burpees followed again by a run, tabata pushups, and finally another run. Brutal! After that class I didn’t want to go back but with a lot of encouragement from Ed, I stuck with it.

Starting out doing CrossFit was very challenging. CrossFit was obviously nothing like I had ever experienced. Being an ex-smoker and having asthma made the workouts really hard for me at first. I was so used to just doing the isolated movements, as opposed to the functional movements of CrossFit, and not really ever any cardio or endurance type work. After that first month, however, I saw such a change physically that I became addicted and wanted to keep coming back for more. The competitiveness of it also made me want to continue doing it. Every class there is always someone doing the WOD a little faster, or lifting a little more weight, or doing a few more reps than you and it’s that since of “I have to beat him/her today” that makes it fun and keeps that drive going.

CrossFit has completely changed my life and my outlook and approach to fitness. Since starting at Mission, I have tremendous gains in strength, endurance, and focus. I have also had tremendous losses in weight (about 24 lbs) and body fat (about 7%). I have also seen the strength in my lungs greatly improve and I haven’t had to use my inhaler nearly as often as I had before.

I can see now why Ed kept encouraging me to and to stick with it. It really is like a close nit family. Everyone that walks into that gym are friendly and everyone wants you to do your best and succeed. No matter what fitness level you are, CrossFit will work for you. I can’t get enough of it and I can’t stop talking about it to all my friends, co-workers, and family. I probably get a little annoying to people because I talk about it so much but I can’t help it, I truly believe in it because it truly works.

Finally I would just like to Thank all the coaches at Mission CrossFit. You guys are all exceptional and incredible at what you do and how you encourage, support, and motivate. Your knowledge and know-how of all the CrossFit functions and how you teach them are just what everyone needs to succeed in the world of CrossFit. To anyone out there reading this, I can’t stress enough how supportive I am of it and how much I believe if you just try it, you’ll love it. Thank you again to Mission CrossFit for everything.