Athlete(s) of the Month(s): November 2013

Remi has been CrossFitting for quite a while.  He started his CrossFit journey almost 3 years ago and he’s been at Mission for just over a year now.   Needless to say much like any other long term endeavor in life, his journey has had its ups and downs.  However, as of late, Remi has seen his commitment and consistency pay off with many PR’s in all aspects of CrossFit.  He’s got a passion for the barbell sports, both powerlifting and weightlifting and has been working at both of them tirelessly over the past few months and his work is certainly showing.  We’re glad to have Remi at the gym as a representation of what it takes to be a hard working athlete and and amazing father as well.  You’ve probably seen him walk in with his beautiful daughter whom he shows great love for around the gym.  Congrats Remi!  Keep up the good work!

Athlete of The Month – November 2013

Name: Remigio Ayala

Started CrossFit: 2/6/2010

Favorite WOD: anything that involves lifting heavy weight

Least Favorite WOD: anything involving long distance running

Favorite Lift: Deadlift

Least Favorite Lift: LOL… i think you mean my most challenging lift which would be the snatch

Story: I don’t want to be too long winded here, so I figured I would give you the Cliff Note version of my story. I started my Crossfit journey in 2010 because I was the heaviest I had ever been in my life and I had to make a crucial decision: Change my life immediately or buy pants in a size I said I would never let myself get to. I opted for the life change, and within 3 months I dropped 30 pounds and never looked back. I started coming to Mission after a longer than expected break I took in order to finish up my master’s degree. The family here at Mission is great, and the coaches always have a positive attitude which is something that keeps me motivated and coming back for more. My current goal is to get my strength training to the next level and break a few PR’s in the process!

Athlete(s) of the Month(s): October 2013

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!

 

Athlete Open Heat Times

September Athlete of the Month – Wallace Schmuck

Well, better late than never they say…  We are proud to announce Wallace Schmuck as our September Athlete of the Month.  He’s a regular in our evening classes and has become one of our hardest working members day in and day out.  Congratulations Wallace and we look forward to seeing you reach and surpass all of your fitness goals!

Athlete of The Month – September 2013

Name: Wallace Schmuck

Started CrossFit: August 2012

Favorite WOD: Ones with kettle bells and wall balls

Least Favorite WOD: Anything with burpees or anything with meters in the description

Favorite Lift: Dead lift or Back squat

Least Favorite Lift: Overhead squat or Thruster

Story:

My crossfit journey started on a whim. I had a few friends that were doing it and suggested that I try it. I can still remember my first elements class with Ed, I could not do most of the movements and I thought I was going to die. My whole body was sore and I could barely walk for days after. It was clear to me then how much work was ahead of me.  The only exercise I had done for the past 8 years was pitching BP and hitting infield for my son’s and daughter’s baseball and softball teams. I am embarrassed to say that I could not even do 1 pull up when I started, even with a band.

Over the first few months I became more familiar with crossfit and started to see some progress but then I suffered my first injury while playing dodge ball during one of the workouts. This sidelined me through the holidays, and I found myself back at square one when I returned. I was even more determined to succeed at the goals I had set for myself. With the help and encouragement of all the great coaches and athletes at MCF I have stuck with it and have achieved some of my goals. I have a long, long way to go to get where I want to be, but I know with the support I get at MCF my goals are within my reach.

The people and support system at MCF are what make it so special. They make everyone feel welcome and you are not judged by what you can or can’t do. I am honored to be selected as the MCF athlete of the month. I am clearly not the strongest or the fittest at MCF, but I will make a promise to each of you that I will continue to put in the hard work that I know it will take to achieve my goals and to make my family and myself proud of my accomplishments.

Thanks again for all the support.