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 Athlete of the Month – Katie Steinhoff
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This month we have selected Katie Steinhoff as our athlete of the month! Many of you have probably seen Katie around the gym at some point. She typically comes in the early morning with her husband, Paul, but also came to other classes throughout the summer because they are both teachers. Katie has made some CRAZY gains in the last few months, specifically on her olympic lifts. She recently had a 20-lb PR on her snatch! Her work ethic recently has not only led to many recent personal records but also this nomination as our September Athlete of the Month! Katie, keep lifting big, having fun, and being an awesome person and friend around the gym!
Name: Katie Steinhoff
Started at Mission CrossFit SA: February 2014
Favorite WOD: Karen or Grace. Tough choice.
Least Favorite WOD: Any. AMRAP. Ever. Created.
Favorite Lift: the snatch! Shout out to an awesome afternoon Barbell Class 😉
Least Favorite Lift: The jerk. Mainly because of it’s name. Makes me want to really not like it. And I keep switching my feet when I land. I don’t know. It’s weird.
Story: A little over 3 years ago, I bought a Groupon for a month of Crossfit for my husband’s birthday, thinking “oh this might be kind of cool for us to try!” Best. Purchase. Ever. Day one we decided we loved it and never looked back. Globo Gyms were not for us anymore! I found a confidence in myself, my body, and my life that I truly believe I could not have found in any other community. I feel so incredibly thrilled to have found this Mission community and can’t wait to see more of what I can continue to accomplish with the support of my husband, coaches and friends that I’ve made in my short time here! Thank you!
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Athlete of the Month – August 2014
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text disable_pattern=”true” align=”left” margin_bottom=”0″]Name: Michael Rodriguez
Started CrossFit: June 2011
Favorite WOD: Cindy
Least Favorite WOD: Anything with overhead squats
Favorite Lift: Shoulder press/push/jerk
Least Favorite Lift: Overhead Squat
Story: I have always done something to try to stay active, whether it be playing football as a kid, learning to ski (water/snow), racket ball, handball, scuba-diving to just plain old weight training. However as I grew older I gravitated to more cardio workouts mixed with some weight training. I bounced around from gym to gym; Racket ball handball club, Concord, Lifetime and even Gold’s gym. I had been at Gold’s gym for some time and it, the gym and the clientele, along with my routine all were getting old. I needed a change. I had been talking with my good friend and esteemed colleague Mr. Tom Wright. I had seen him completely transform his body, over a relatively short period of time, and I said to myself, “I need what he’s having.”
When I started Mission CrossFit, I felt I was in good shape, I just didn’t know better. Ignorance is bliss. What the hell is an AMRAP, WOD, LHPU or HSPU? Who the heck is Fran or Tabatha? Well, after two years I am may not know all the acronyms or work outs but I do now know I am in much better shape than when I started. The coaches Beth, Nick and Drew have all given me great direction with technics and give the encouragement to keep coming to class. I have meet some interesting people and reconnected with old friends and colleagues. I share my experiences each day with my family, mainly my wife who along with my orthopedic surgeon, think I’m crazy. That may be the case but as long as I’m active I will be a crossfitter at Mission.
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August 2014 Athlete of the Month – Michael Rodriguez
It can be argued that the 5 AM class is a group of some of the most motivated individuals at our gym. I mean… They wake up by at least 4:30 AM to get to gym on time. I’d say that’s pretty motivated! Of those members in the 5 AM class, Michael Rodriguez has been one of the most committed and also amongst the most improved members in the gym. He’s been working relentlessly since the day he joined at improving his lifts, skills and endurance. Because of this, we’ve selected Michael as our August 2014 Athlete of the Month. Congrats Mike! Keep up the good work buddy!
Name: Michael Rodriguez
Started CrossFit: June 2011
Favorite WOD: Cindy
Least Favorite WOD: Anything with overhead squats
Favorite Lift: Shoulder press/push/jerk
Least Favorite Lift: Overhead Squat
Story: I have always done something to try to stay active, whether it be playing football as a kid, learning to ski (water/snow), racket ball, handball, scuba-diving to just plain old weight training. However as I grew older I gravitated to more cardio workouts mixed with some weight training. I bounced around from gym to gym; Racket ball handball club, Concord, Lifetime and even Gold’s gym. I had been at Gold’s gym for some time and it, the gym and the clientele, along with my routine all were getting old. I needed a change. I had been talking with my good friend and esteemed colleague Mr. Tom Wright. I had seen him completely transform his body, over a relatively short period of time, and I said to myself, “I need what he’s having.”
When I started Mission CrossFit, I felt I was in good shape, I just didn’t know better. Ignorance is bliss. What the hell is an AMRAP, WOD, LHPU or HSPU? Who the heck is Fran or Tabatha? Well, after two years I am may not know all the acronyms or work outs but I do now know I am in much better shape than when I started. The coaches Beth, Nick and Drew have all given me great direction with technics and give the encouragement to keep coming to class. I have meet some interesting people and reconnected with old friends and colleagues. I share my experiences each day with my family, mainly my wife who along with my orthopedic surgeon, think I’m crazy. That may be the case but as long as I’m active I will be a crossfitter at Mission.
Athlete of The Month – July 2014
Name: Ashley August
Started CrossFit: June 2013
Favorite WOD: Death by Clean and Jerk
Least Favorite WOD: Anything with rowing
Favorite Lift: Clean and Jerk
Least Favorite Lift: Overhead Squat
Story: I grew up involved in many competitive sports such as tennis, gymnastics, volleyball, etc. When I attended Trinity, I searched for similar activities to stay active. I did club tennis and even tried cheerleading for a year (worst idea ever). I even exerted some of my competitive energy into beer pong. My roommate freshman year soon introduced me to a style of workout she called “CrossFit”. Her mom was/is a CF trainer in Saint Louis so she would email us daily workouts that we could perform in our dorm room. We got pretty creative; using desks and desk chairs for box jumps; bought a portable pull up bar that we hung above our bathroom; books were converted to weights for Russian twists and goblet squats. She soon found Mission CrossFit and told me how much she loved it. I really wanted to attend this gym she spoke so highly of, but there was one issue…CrossFit is pretty expensive for a college student, and unless I didn’t want to eat for an entire month, it did not fit into my budget. Thus, I continued my “at-home” wods and would drag as many people as I could into them because they say misery loves company. After my friends and I graduated from Trinity May 2013, many moved away and I found it harder and harder to find people to workout with and help push me. I was, again, suggested to try Mission CrossFit by Ashley Rice, and joining was now a possibility since I actually had an income upon graduation. The first workout I tried there was Fran. I am pretty sure I even used a green band for pull-ups, but was still so exhausted and fatigued that I sat in my car a few minutes after the workout in fear that my arms didn’t have enough energy to drive 2 miles home without crashing. Somehow, I still decided to come back after Fran. We also did CrossFit Total my first week starting at Mission and it is crazy to see the gains I have made in one year, and it couldn’t have been done without all the dedicated coaches and members that keep me pushing myself. I have tried other CF gyms when out of town, and no other gyms have coaches that really want you to succeed and continue developing as an athlete as much as the coaches at Mission.
Athlete of the Month – July 2014 – Ashley August
Congrats to Ashley August, our July 2014 Athlete of the Month! If you’ve peeked at the leader board in the last few months, you’ve more than likely seen Ashley atop that board many of those days. She’s worked tirelessly since she’s joined to improve her strength and technique. She came into the gym with an athletic background which certainly helps, but her work ethic has been what has kept her amongst to top scores at the gym on a daily basis.
This weekend she will be showing off her gains alongside several other Mission CrossFit SA athletes at the “No Baby, Leave the Socks On” competition at TBC CrossFit. Come cheer on Ashley and the rest of the ladies this Saturday! Congrats again Ashley and keep up the hard work!
Athlete of the Month – July 2014
Name: Ashley August
Started CrossFit: June 2013
Favorite WOD: Death by Clean and Jerk
Least Favorite WOD: Anything with rowing
Favorite Lift: Clean and Jerk
Least Favorite Lift: Overhead Squat
Story: I grew up involved in many competitive sports such as tennis, gymnastics, volleyball, etc. When I attended Trinity, I searched for similar activities to stay active. I did club tennis and even tried cheerleading for a year (worst idea ever). I even exerted some of my competitive energy into beer pong. My roommate freshman year soon introduced me to a style of workout she called “CrossFit”. Her mom was/is a CF trainer in Saint Louis so she would email us daily workouts that we could perform in our dorm room. We got pretty creative; using desks and desk chairs for box jumps; bought a portable pull up bar that we hung above our bathroom; books were converted to weights for Russian twists and goblet squats. She soon found Mission CrossFit and told me how much she loved it. I really wanted to attend this gym she spoke so highly of, but there was one issue…CrossFit is pretty expensive for a college student, and unless I didn’t want to eat for an entire month, it did not fit into my budget. Thus, I continued my “at-home” wods and would drag as many people as I could into them because they say misery loves company. After my friends and I graduated from Trinity May 2013, many moved away and I found it harder and harder to find people to workout with and help push me. I was, again, suggested to try Mission CrossFit by Ashley Rice, and joining was now a possibility since I actually had an income upon graduation. The first workout I tried there was Fran. I am pretty sure I even used a green band for pull-ups, but was still so exhausted and fatigued that I sat in my car a few minutes after the workout in fear that my arms didn’t have enough energy to drive 2 miles home without crashing. Somehow, I still decided to come back after Fran. We also did CrossFit Total my first week starting at Mission and it is crazy to see the gains I have made in one year, and it couldn’t have been done without all the dedicated coaches and members that keep me pushing myself. I have tried other CF gyms when out of town, and no other gyms have coaches that really want you to succeed and continue developing as an athlete as much as the coaches at Mission.
Athlete of The Month – June 2014
Name: Brian Fuentes
Started CrossFit: March 2013
Favorite WOD: Cindy
Least Favorite WOD: Karen
Favorite Lift: Power Clean/Squat Clean
Least Favorite Lift: Overhead Squat
Story:
I came to MCFSA with a fair amount of knowledge in terms of physical fitness (thanks to my time in the military), but I also came pretty out of shape since I had not maintained an active fitness regimen since my active duty days. I was definitely looking to start working out again, and I started getting interested after watching Crossfit Games reruns on ESPN. A few fitness enthusiast friends of mine urged me to try it out, so I emailed Coach Drew to set up my first class…on endurance day. It was absolutely devastating. I also knew it was exactly what I was looking for. I could barely move afterwards, but I couldn’t sign up fast enough. Through many months of hard work and determination, I arrived at the point where I was strong enough come to class everyday instead of just once or twice a week. My results absolutely skyrocketed during the Whole Life Challenge last fall. By combining my Crossfit classes with participation in the WLC at the prescribed level, I lost almost 14 pounds of body fat and set new (at the time) PRs for most of my lifts. I credit Mission Crossfit San Antonio for helping me achieve my fitness goals, helping to maintain a healthy lifestyle, and providing an awesome atmosphere to work out in and be a part of. I like the fact that coaches and athletes alike are friendly and supportive, and will go out of their way to motivate you or help you if you are having trouble. Aside from being in much better shape than when I started here over a year ago, I think the biggest change has been in my mindset. Instead of looking for a way to get out of working out, I’m now in the box at least 20-30 minutes early, getting in extra work before class. Instead of wondering if I can even survive a WOD, I’m wondering how much of it I can do unbroken or challenging myself to keep up with the person ahead of me. I’m thankful to be a part of this box, and I look forward to many more WODs and PRs!
