Athlete of the Month
Athlete of the Month
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!
SEPTEMBER 2015 ATHLETE OF THE MONTH – ALYSSA ALFARO
Congratulations to Alyssa Alfaro! She has been voted by the coaches as this month’s Athlete of the Month! After being an athlete most of her life, she got to a point where her workouts became monotonous and she couldn’t make it a part of her lifestyle. She was inspired to try CrossFit because of the dramatic change she saw it could make. Since the day she joined Mission, she has been a dedicated hard-worker and has even competed in a CrossFit event! For that reason and many more, she is certainly deserving of the title “Athlete of the Month.”
Name: Alyssa Alfaro
Started CrossFit: January 2015
Favorite WOD: Endurance Wednesdays!!!
Least Favorite WOD: Any WOD involving rowing and/or burpees
Favorite Lift: Power Clean
Least Favorite Lift: Power Snatch
Story:
I’m 26 years old and moved to San Antonio in 2007 from Eagle Pass. I attended college at St. Mary’s University where I played softball and ran cross-country for four years. Growing up playing sports made it easy to stay in shape, I belonged to a team and exercising was part of the game I played. It wasn’t until my collegiate career ended that I really had to put effort into my diet and exercise routine. I tried multiple gyms and every class it had to offer. I even tried Bikram yoga and Zumba. Although I did enjoy the initial experience of yoga and certain classes, I quickly grew tired of the monotony and couldn’t stick to it long enough for it to become a part of my everyday lifestyle. Four years flew by and I hadn’t consistently exercised for longer than a two-week period. Then my boyfriend joined a CrossFit box and his results were inspiring. I made a list of a couple of boxes nearby and decided to check them out before committing to one. Mission CrossFit was the fourth and final box I visited. The workout was intense and I was huffing and puffing after the warm-up! Of course by the time I started the WOD, I was dying, but that’s what drew me in. The workouts are fun, challenging, and change everyday. It was the type of physical activity I had been looking for. The type that brings me back everyday wanting to improve my skills and the type that makes me feel a part of a team again.
AUGUST 2015 ATHLETE OF THE MONTH – ALEX JOHANNSEN
Congratulations to Alex Johannsen! He has been voted by the coaches as this month’s Athlete of the Month! Alex started his CrossFit journey when the usual workout routines ended up not working they way he wanted them to. As you can read in his story below, Alex didn’t think CrossFit was right for him until he set foot inside his first CrossFit Box, Mission. At that point he became a changed fitness enthusiast and committed himself to CrossFit. In just over 6 months, he has pushed himself harder and becomes more focused on his health and fitness. For that reason and many more, Alex is certainly deserving of the title “Athlete of the Month.”
Name: Alex Johannsen
Started CrossFit: January 2015
Favorite WOD: Anything with olympic lifting
Least Favorite WOD: Fran (Thrusters make me die)
Favorite Lift: Power Clean
Least Favorite Lift: Thrusters
Story: I first heard about CrossFit back in 2013 when, new to San Antonio, a family member recommended that I try it out as a way to get some exercise and meet some new people. At that point in time I decided to go a different direction with fitness. Fast forward to 2015 and I found myself struggling to stay motivated doing the regular gym thing on my own. I was doing an awful job taking care of my body and was just looking for something completely new and different.
I did a little internet research on CrossFit, and I really liked the whole concept. The best part is that I wouldn’t have to plan out any workouts… just show up, read the board, and go. It looked like fun, so I figured I’d give it a try. When I came in for my first class I was really nervous and didn’t know what to expect, but everyone was super friendly and supportive as I struggled through the WOD. Before the class was over I knew I was committed. Since then I have found CrossFit to be super fun and intense. It has been challenging at times, but seeing the physical results and feeling much healthier has kept me motivated through it all. Im looking forward to more fun to come in the future!!
JULY 2015 ATHLETE OF THE MONTH – MARICELIZ ORTIZ
Congratulations to Mariceliz Ortiz! She has been voted by the coaches as this month’s Athlete of the Month! Mariceliz came into CrossFit with an extensive athletic background and set her expectations high. As you can read in her story below, she did her research before starting and searched for the gym with the right fit for her. You’ll never see her get down about something that may give her trouble, instead she will keep her head up and push harder. For that reason and many more, she is certainly deserving of the title “Athlete of the Month.”
Name: Mariceliz Ortiz
Favorite WOD: All Wednesday Endurance WOD’s
Least WOD: Anything with BURPEES
Favorite Lift: Dead Lift / Power Clean
Least Lift: Over Head Squat
Story:
My name is Mariceliz Ortiz, born and raised in Corozal, Puerto Rico. I began my journey with exercise at the age of 8 years when my father took me to the track and field. I began training with my dad, after a few years when I began to get stronger and faster in the field I was trained by Angel L. Perez who helped me improve my times and helped me achieve athletics records in track and field. In 1990 and at the age of 17 I was selected to attend Junior Olympics at Cuba. I practiced Cross Country for 17 years, being national champion for 14 years, established 13 records at Cross Country. Living surrounded by coached and seeing their sacrifices I said to myself that was what I wanted to do with my life. It was for that reason that at the age of 18 I was accepted at the Inter American University in Puerto Rico with a track and field scholarship. Graduated from college in 1996 with a Bachelor Degree in Physical Education.
Because sports are my passion I have served as: Cross Country Coach, Volleyball Coach where I was in charge of updating the games statics at a national level, Powerlifting Assistant Coach. I got married at age 23 with an ex-boxer Miguel Ortiz, which is continually backing me up in all my sporting adventures. I am the mother of 3 adolescents a 19 year old girl and two boys 15-16 years old. Looking to expand my horizons I moved to San Antonio, TX in 2007. I began to work with and got caught up with so many responsibilities that I put one of my loves to the side that was exercising. It was for that reason that I started to gain weight and it was difficult for me to find the right place to work out. I tried many places, but none of them was meeting my expectations, I began to read about CrossFit and all the information that I read was making me feel really interested about it. Finally on March 2015, I decided to give it a try and I went to Mission CrossFit and I felt that was the place that I was looking for. Since I have a strong background with sports and very demanding of what I do I expect to receive same back to me from a gym. Mission CrossFit and the Coaches has meet all my expectation and is for that reason that I will 100% recommend it.
JUNE 2015 ATHLETE OF THE MONTH – KATHERINE BINKLEY
Congratulations to Katherine Binkley! She has been voted by the coaches as this month’s Athlete of the Month! Katherine is one of those athletes whose dedication to her fitness has paid off in many ways. As you can read in her story below, she was nervous when she first came, but quickly fell into stride and has loved classes! She’s put in a ton of work to earn this honor and is certainly deserving of the title “Athlete of the Month.”
Name: Katherine Binkley
Started CrossFit: June 2014
Favorite WOD: Partner WODs… particularly on days I’m tired or drained. Having a partner helps push me that extra little bit I need! Oh and I love to hate endurance days 🙂
Least Favorite WOD: anything involving pull-ups and push-ups
Favorite Lift: Cleans or Deadlifts
Least Favorite Lift: OHS and Snatch… sorry Nick… I’m working on them!
Story: In June 2014, I finally decided to try Crossfit. I had heard about it for years, but could never find the courage to actually go to a class. My boyfriend has been going to a another CrossFit gym for years and he finally talked me into trying a class and finding my own gym where I would be comfortable (now I’m trying to convince him to join Mission!). To say that I was intimidated my first day would be the biggest understatement of the year! I definitely fell into that category of people who thought that I wasn’t in shape enough, not enough of an athlete, not competitive enough, etc. for CrossFit. To my complete surprise, I was wrong. Not only could I complete the workouts and even liked them, but it also turns out I’m slightly more competitive than I thought 🙂 Add that with the amazing community at Mission and now I look forward to that hour of my day and miss it on days I rest or have other things going on. Above all, I have to give a shout out to my 6:30pm classmates and coaches… they definitely motivate me and we help hold each other accountable! 6:30 = Best 30!
May 2015 Athlete of the Month – Butch Hulse
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This month, we have selected Butch Hulse as our May 2015 Athlete of the Month. In the past few months, Butch has put some serious work and effort into his training. Recently, he has joined Coach Junior’s 4:30 pm Strength Crew to gain strength and work on his powerlifting movements. He’s already starting to see some great gains! But even before joining the Strength Crew, Butch was often the first person in the gym in the afternoons ready to work on his skills such as double unders and other gymnastics movements.
It also worth mentioning that he’s always got a smile on his face and is always chipper and encouraging when he steps foot in the gym. He’s definitely deserving of this Athlete of the Month award and we look forward to seeing Butch continue to gain strength and reach his fitness goals! Congrats Butch!
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April 2015 Athlete of the Month – Tony Martinez
Congratulations to Tony Martinez for being selected as our April 2015 Athlete of the Month! Many of you have seen Tony dominating WODs here at the gym in the evenings and on weekends which is when you can frequently see him working out. Tony absolutely CRUSHED the Open this year and we wanted to recognize him as one of our most outstanding athletes. He only started CrossFitting about a year ago and has greatly improved on the many skills and lifts of our sport. His hard work and dedication paid off in a huge improvement from last year’s Open and also by earning him a spot on our Athlete of the Month wall! Congrats Tony and keep killing those WODs!!!
Name : Tony Martinez
Started Crossfit : 1 year ago
