First, we would like to apologize for the delay in posting last month’s Athlete of the Month. We were late to give him notice and therefore we were late to receive his bio. Regardless, we would like to recognize Trey Santa Maria as our October 2013 Athlete of the Month and Remi Ayala as our November 2013 Athlete of the Month! They will each get their own post today!
Trey’s story below pretty much tells it all. When he first walked in the door, much like everyone else, he questioned whether or not he’d be able to continue doing CrossFit because of the intensity that Crossfit workouts present. However, since that day Trey has been one of most dedicated members and has really worked to improve many, many skills at the gym (including multiple muscle-ups!). He’s even taken the Barbell Sport Prep class to work on his Olympic lifts to become as well rounded as possible in the gym. Unfortunately, lately we hadn’t seen as much of Trey as we’d like because he’s now juggling a full time job, full time student and full time daddy but these last few weeks he’s been Mr. Consistent despite having quite the full plate away from the gym. He’s a pleasure to have in the gym and you can always count on him to walk in with a big smile and ready to dominate whatever WOD steps in his way!
Athlete of The Month – October 2013
Name: Trey Santa Maria
Started CrossFit: March 2012
Favorite WOD: Fran or Annie
Least Favorite WOD: The Bear
Favorite Lift: anything shoulders….push press, shoulder press
Least Favorite Lift: wall ball shots
After witnessing the results of making up for several years of not living in Texas by indulging in everything fried and covered in queso deliciousness, I knew I needed to make an adjustment. I started by adjusting my diet and then was what I’ll call “encouraged” by a couple of my co-workers to come and try Mission CrossFit. My first day….overhead squats (pretty sure it was a ladies barbell), burpees and sit-ups which for me required a 25 lb plate placed on my feet! I distinctly remember asking Drew after the workout how often people came in to punish themselves and he of course casually responded, “most come 4 to 5 days a week”….I thought, yeah right pal, but was determined to see if I could get there. After a few days of difficulty walking up and down the three steps to the front door of my house, I went back for more. As I challenged myself to make CrossFit a routine, I quickly realized what motivated folks to come in as often as Drew indicated – it’s the people. You can get a solid workout at lots of places, but for me it’s the camaraderie and the opportunity to improve by chasing around a whole bunch of really hard working people. I am really thankful that the coaches considered me for athlete of the month and think this is really a reflection of how hard working and positive my friends in the 5:30 and 6:30 am classes have been and continue to be. The lifestyle improvement realized through my experience at Mission has helped make CrossFit part of my routine and is something that I feel has positively affected all things I do outside of the gym. Thanks Drew, Nick, Beth, Neil and of course all the folks I get a chance to chase around in the mornings….I’ll see you guys tomorrow!
