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!
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.
August 2013 Athlete of the Month – Jorge Montiel
This month we chose Jorge Montiel as our Athlete of the Month! Jorge has a great story as you’ll see below and he’s really seen huge improvements in both his strength and conditioning as a result of his dedication. He’s a regular at the noon class and has even taken Coach Ed’s Barbell Prep Course. He’s often the first person in class and the last to leave because he’s working on his lifting or other skills around the gym. We’re very proud of his gains so far and we look forward to helping Jorge establish and reach many, many more goals!
Athlete of The Month – August 2013
Name: Jorge Montiel
Started CrossFit: February 2012
Favorite WOD: Cindy. Wall-Ball Shots & Rowing are also fun.
Least Favorite WOD: Thrusters are always a drag…
Favorite Lift: The Snatch
Least Favorite Lift: The Snatch
Story:
My middle school PE teacher would get a kick out of hearing that I’m doing CrossFit. Back then I couldn’t do a single push up or run halfway around a soccer field without panting and wheezing. The poor guy didn’t know what to do with me.
Five years ago my wife, Suzanne, decided to run a half-marathon for the first time. She did it six months later. I was very impressed and proud of her, but also little embarrassed that I still couldn’t run. I willed myself into running and two years later I was training for my own half-marathon. A couple of weeks before the race I hurt my ankle on a long run and I was out.
Later on Suzanne started CrossFit, which sounded way too weird. I chose swimming laps and spinning classes instead. She would come home raving about her workouts, though. She was doing pull-ups, box jumps, Olympic lifts, double-unders! I was crawling across the pool…
I don’t remember my first WOD back in February 2012, but I do remember thinking that I was done with my old gym. I came to Mission CrossFit in part because my competitiveness was sparked, but I’ve stayed because of the coaches and the class environment they foster. From the Basic Elements to the Barbell Sport Prep class and during every WOD in between, Coaches Amy, Ed and Nick have taken the time to teach, correct and encourage me. And I’m actually getting better at this while having fun!
I just hope Suzanne doesn’t take up skydiving next.
*** PICS COMING SOON. JORGE, GET READY FOR A PHOTO SHOOT! ***
Athlete of The Month – July 2013
Name: Jennifer Smith
Started CrossFit: April 2012
Favorite WOD: Ones with Handstand push-ups, rope climbs, or “Cindy”
Least Favorite WOD: Anything with wall balls or sleds
Favorite Lift: Hang Clean or Hang Snatch
Least Favorite Lift: Overhead Squats
I was a very asthmatic and NON-athletic child. I even signed up to be a sports medicine trainer in high school just to get out of P.E. But as an adult, with my asthma under better control, I’ve done yoga, pilates, weight training with a personal trainer, P90X, boot camp, and I’ve trained and run several 5K’s, 10K’s, and a Half Marathon. In early 2012 I worked with a personal trainer for a couple of months and got into pretty good shape. I couldn’t afford to keep working out with her, but wanted to stay in shape for my Anniversary trip with my husband that summer.
I work for Fleet Feet Sports, and we often send our runners to Mission for strength training. In fact, one of my former Fleet Feet co-workers, Ady, was also a coach at Mission. Ady kept telling me I HAD to try Crossfit – over and over and over. It sounded too intense for me, but finally I caved and said I’d try it for a month. It wasn’t long before I was hooked. The competitive aspect still made me very nervous, but I was starting to see little gains here and there, and mostly started noticing that I had better muscle tone.
In February Coach Amy encouraged me to do the Paleo Challenge, even though I thought I could never do something like that. I did, and finished the challenge with very few “cheats”. What’s more, I started coming 3 days a week because I really wanted to improve on my benchmark workout. I started seeing more gains, and faster. Then the Barbell Prep class. I thought “I have no business doing this” but it was intriguing. My husband encouraged me to do it, and for the month of May I was at Mission 4-5 days a week, sometimes coming an hour early for drillwork and staying for the WOD. It was so much fun! In that month I got my first unassisted pull-up, my first handstand push-up, and my first pistols. I also PR’ed in several lifts.
Why Mission? Well, I initially chose Mission because Ady made me, but I stayed because of the coaches and the members. The coaches are deliberate in their work, always making me better. They watch closely, they encourage, they give specific advice on lifting form or how to perform better, and they PUSH you. I have had 3 kids, but I am in the best shape of my life right now. I am looking forward to getting double-unders, ring dips, and butterfly pullups. I think I may even sign up for the Crossfit Open in 2014.
July Athlete of the Month – Jennifer Smith
Jennifer Smith has been named our July 2013 Athlete of the Month! She is a regular at the noon class so be sure and introduce yourself if you attend a class that she is in. She tells a great story below, but the coaching staff here at the gym chose her for her relentless work ethic. Jennifer is often early to class and the last to leave because she is working on either her olympic lifting and/or gymnastics skills. She’s made HUGE strides in the past few months and we look forward to seeing her continued improvement!
Athlete of The Month – July 2013
Name: Jennifer Smith
Started CrossFit: April 2012
Favorite WOD: Ones with Handstand push-ups, rope climbs, or “Cindy”
Least Favorite WOD: Anything with wall balls or sleds
Favorite Lift: Hang Clean or Hang Snatch
Least Favorite Lift: Overhead Squats
I was a very asthmatic and NON-athletic child. I even signed up to be a sports medicine trainer in high school just to get out of P.E. But as an adult, with my asthma under better control, I’ve done yoga, pilates, weight training with a personal trainer, P90X, boot camp, and I’ve trained and run several 5K’s, 10K’s, and a Half Marathon. In early 2012 I worked with a personal trainer for a couple of months and got into pretty good shape. I couldn’t afford to keep working out with her, but wanted to stay in shape for my Anniversary trip with my husband that summer.
I work for Fleet Feet Sports, and we often send our runners to Mission for strength training. In fact, one of my former Fleet Feet co-workers, Ady, was also a coach at Mission. Ady kept telling me I HAD to try Crossfit – over and over and over. It sounded too intense for me, but finally I caved and said I’d try it for a month. It wasn’t long before I was hooked. The competitive aspect still made me very nervous, but I was starting to see little gains here and there, and mostly started noticing that I had better muscle tone.
In February Coach Amy encouraged me to do the Paleo Challenge, even though I thought I could never do something like that. I did, and finished the challenge with very few “cheats”. What’s more, I started coming 3 days a week because I really wanted to improve on my benchmark workout. I started seeing more gains, and faster. Then the Barbell Prep class. I thought “I have no business doing this” but it was intriguing. My husband encouraged me to do it, and for the month of May I was at Mission 4-5 days a week, sometimes coming an hour early for drillwork and staying for the WOD. It was so much fun! In that month I got my first unassisted pull-up, my first handstand push-up, and my first pistols. I also PR’ed in several lifts.
Why Mission? Well, I initially chose Mission because Ady made me, but I stayed because of the coaches and the members. The coaches are deliberate in their work, always making me better. They watch closely, they encourage, they give specific advice on lifting form or how to perform better, and they PUSH you. I have had 3 kids, but I am in the best shape of my life right now. I am looking forward to getting double-unders, ring dips, and butterfly pullups. I think I may even sign up for the Crossfit Open in 2014.
June Athlete of the Month – Jonna Kennie
Athlete of The Month – June 2013
Name: Jonna Kennie
Started Crossfit: March 2012
Favorite WOD: Anything with kettlebells or wall balls
Least favorite WOD: Anything involving sleds or burpees
Favorite lift: Back Squats
Least favorite lift: Overhead Squats or Snatch
Story:
I distinctly remember my first CrossFit class because I did not want to go. Between ESPN and my Facebook newsfeed, I thought CrossFit was too hard, too intense, and too extreme for me. But, after a LOT of coaxing from a friend, I gave in. She had done her research on both CrossFit and Mission CrossFit SA and knew that this was the place for us. So, I showed up on a Friday morning and took my first class. Now, here I am, over a year later, still showing up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. (Or as bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as you can be at 5:30 in the morning.)
That first CrossFit class was exactly what I thought it would be – hard, intense, and extreme. There were people all around me doing things that I never thought I could do. I remember having to walk during a 400m run. After a while, I stopped looking around and started to focus on myself, my abilities, and my personal goals.
I’ve been CrossFitting for a little over a year and my time at the gym is still a challenge, but it’s a good challenge. It is a force that teaches me to never give up, and always keep pushing myself to do better. I continue to see consistent improvement in my physical performance. My times are better, I can string more reps together and, on a really good day, I can do a WOD prescribed.
I’ve been “skinny fat” since college. Thin, but with no muscle tone. I’ve put on about 10 lbs. since joining CrossFit, but I’ve never felt better about my body. My muscle tone is evident, I have more energy, and CrossFit has made me a more conscious, more thoughtful eater.
Every day at CrossFit is filled with mini-victories. Some days that victory is simply making it to the end, but some days the victory is putting that extra 20 lbs. on the bar and surprising yourself at your strength and ability to fight through the pain. I owe a lot of my success to the coaches and the other athletes at the gym. Their patience, willingness to help, and unwavering encouragement has made me a stronger, more confident athlete.
May 2013 Athlete of the Month – Gerald Barnes
This month we selected Gerald Barnes as our “Athlete of the Month”. Gerald is one of our athletes who has seen huge gains, both strength related and physical changes, since the day he stepped in our doors. Gerald won our most recent paleo challenge, the “Spring Break Survival Challenge”, losing over 23 lbs. in the challenge!!! He’s been one of the hardest working athletes for several months now and surprised even himself with how well he did in this year’s Open WOD’s. We look forward to seeing Gerald’s continued success and progress and be sure to congratulate him if you see him around the gym!
Athlete of The Month – May 2013
Name: Gerald Barnes
Started Crossfit: May 2012
Favorite WOD: Anything Hard
Least favorite WOD: Anything with lots of running.
Favorite lift: Front/Back Squats
Least favorite lift: Overhead Squats
Story:
I started my Crossfit adventure on a whim almost one year ago not sure if it was going to be right for me. I still remember my first elements class with Neal I had trouble doing 5 burpees in a row and thought, what am I doing here, but I stuck with it. I think I only went to two classes a week for the first month and it took me three days after each workout just to walk normally again.
When I started at MCFSA I don’t think I had done anything physical for about six years, and I was at my largest at 220 pounds. I thought I would be able to lose the weight fast in a month or two but for months after starting I didn’t see any weight change. As time went by I did start to notice the workouts started to get easier, and I started needing fewer modifications for the workouts, and that’s when I started noticing I wasn’t losing weight but I was losing inches. It wasn’t until the Paleo challenge in December that I started to address my diet and I lost about 12 pounds during that challenge. At that point I was able to do all workouts without modification and at the prescribed weight and losing that weight gave me a huge confidence boost and I started setting small goals and pushed myself to achieve them.
I think my biggest change has come in the last few months with my second Paleo Challenge, where I lost an additional 23 pounds, and deciding to enter the Crossfit Open Challenge. I surprised myself in the open; I was able to do things I thought were impossible just a year ago. I am so grateful to everyone in the gym for their help and support in my journey to get in shape and I look forward to continuing to improve and becoming an even stronger athlete, Crossfit Open 2014!!!
