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!
April Athlete of the Month 2018
Congratulations to Lina Leal for being selected for April’s Athlete of the Month. Lina has shown tremendous work ethic since she started at Mission 18 months ago. Although a veteran of the CrossFit lifestyle, she is still seeking ways to improve, even if it means going to the local high school track to knock out some laps and burpees. She recently improved her “Grace” PR by 2:17 !! For those reasons and many more is why Lina is deserving of Athlete of the Month.
Thanks!
Lina Leal
March 2018 Athlete of the Month
Congratulations to Lane Naugher for being selected as the March 2018 Athlete of the Month. Since Lane arrived back in August of 2016, he has been the silent assassin. Coming in and crushing every WOD we put in front of him, except when we throw handstand push-ups. Lane works as an orthopedic surgeon so he knows the human body and the great benefits it gets from CrossFit. For those reasons and many more is why Lane is deserving of Athlete of the month.
February 2018 Athlete of the Month
Congratulations to Kayla Reisner for being selected as the February 2018 Athlete of the Month. Kayla’s first taste of CrossFit happened when she did a 6 week summer teen class with Coach Junior. Since then she has been a regular at the 5:30am class. She has over come her exercise induced asthma and has grown out of her shell she first had when she started. She is also lucky enough to have her CrossFit classes count as her P. E. credit. For those reasons and many more is why Kayla is deserving of Athlete of the month.
Started CrossFit: My first ever class was back in the summer of 2016 when I signed up for the
teen class with Junior. Then I restarted in June of 2017 in the regular class.
Favorite WOD: Diane. Although I can’t do HSPU yet, I love deadlifts. Workouts with
built in rest are awesome.
Least Favorite WOD: Helen. Running. No.
Favorite Lift: Either deadlift, back squat, or squat clean.
Least Favorite Lift: Anything overhead
Story: I was surprised to hear that I got athlete of the month. I, of course, felt noticed and loved which
is great for someone’s ego but I also felt like there are others that definitely deserve it more.
Besides that, I’m going to be grateful that I was even in the coaches thoughts.
I started CrossFit in the teen class with Junior at the age of thirteen. I went in thinking I would
hate CrossFit and had major anxiety about working out with all of these strangers that already
seemed in shape. Man, was I wrong. Although the first day was a bust for me (asthma attack), I
came back the next day with a new attitude, wanting to work again. I always had issues with my
physical appearance but once I started CrossFit, I started feeling amazing about myself. My
anxiety and stress levels lessened due to being apart of something that I ended up enjoying.
Once the teen class ended, I joined regular class for a few weeks before school started and I
had to stop CrossFit.
The beginning of summer of 2017 is when I started CrossFit again in the regular class. Since I
had first stopped doing CrossFit, I wanted to come back. I restarted at Mission in the 05:30
class and have been working out in that class since. The dedication and friendship shared
between all of us in our small class is why I wake up at 04:30, not to mention our love of working
out. CrossFit has not only helped me with my body image, but has also helped me with my eating
habits. I started seeing my body as it should be seen: natural and beautiful. I learned so much
about what I was eating and how to control things better. My dad, Troy, and my step-mom,
Crystal, also had a huge part in me changing myself. They encourage me everyday and
motivate me to continue with my good eating habits so thank you. I also want to thank Junior for
being my first coach and Lacey for being my coach almost every morning among the other
coaches that have…coached…me.
Before Mission, the extent of my working out went as far as P.E. at school. Working out in the
beginning was difficult for me but I feel like I’ve seen a lot improvement in myself. I read some of
the other stories of previous Athletes of the Month and I thought about how they sounded so
adult. I then realised that I’m only going to be fifteen in February and that I have so much time to
go. I still have so much time to improve and I’m ready to make more improvements on myself
not only physically, but mentally. Thank you, one more time, for choosing me to be February’s
Athlete of the Month
December 2017 Athlete of the Month
Congratulations to Miguel Ortiz for being selected as December 2017 Athlete of the Month. Miguel grew up being active his entire life and focused a lot of his time on boxing. After a long successful boxing career, he began looking for something new. Not long after he began his search he found a new home at Mission and since then has been one of the most dedicated members. He never misses class, always pushes as hard as he can and never takes no for an answer. For those reasons and many more he is deserving of Athlete of the Month.
Started CrossFit: March 2016
Favorite WOD: Mary
Least favorite WOD: The Bear
Favorite Lift: Deadlift
Least Lift: Overhead squat
Story: I started doing CrossFit in March 2016 because my wife had urged me to come try it with her. She told me that CrossFit was something completely different than anything else that I had ever done. After attending two classes with her, I decided to sign up.
I grew up in Corozal, Puerto Rico and all my youth I was involved with sports. I trained as a professional boxer earning a record of 53-40-13 and after I retired I was always on the lookout for new exercises. I continued to do my own traning since I moved to San Antonio 11 years ago but I always felt I was lacking something, that is until I found Mission. The Coaches are very always very professional . One of the best things about the Mission Coaches is that they celebrate my PR’s ( personal records ) more than me. That is great motivation for me to work harder so I can continue to see improvements. One of the most important things I take away from my CrossFit journey, pay attention to your wife, they are always right!
Thank you Mission CrossFit!! I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
November 2017 Athlete of the Month
Congratulations to Paige Naugher for being selected as November 2017 Athlete of the Month. Paige worked out through her entire third pregnancy and jumped right back into it, making all suggested modifications along the way and NEVER making excuses. Paige always strives to get better and isn’t ashamed to ask for help or advice. She is setting such an amazing example for her children and for all of us, simply by showing up (usually with two to three kids). She always makes time in her busy schedule to come in and work hard! Her presence and positive attitude are such an inspiration to all. For those reasons and many more she is deserving of Athlete of the Month.
Started CrossFit: I showed up for my first “on ramp” class in November of 2015 at our YMCA in North Carolina.
Favorite WOD: Of the named ones, probably Barbara, but I love WODs that have running (200-800) before and after some other movements.
Least Favorite WOD: Diane
Favorite Lift: Back squat
Least Favorite Lift: Snatch. That’s just dumb.
October 2017 Athlete of the Month
I started CrossFit for the first time just 11 months ago. The year leading up to that decision my wife and I had traveled quite a bit. As I looked back at our pictures (and there were a lot) I was not happy with myself for the shape that I had fallen into. I recall during those trips I couldn’t keep up during hikes, had to forgo activities I wasn’t physically able to safely complete, was uncomfortable shirtless at the pool or beach, and most embarrassingly my gut was so big it would compress my diaphragm so that I had to hold my breath to bend over and put on my shoes. It was a far cry from what I always considered “my normal self” because I was always very active, even as as a child: dabbled in gymnastics at 5, then soccer in elementary thru middle school, football=life in high school, and all the while was also doing 15yrs of martial arts. In college I stayed active playing every intramural sport and joined the UTSA Cheerleading Team (GO ROADRUNNERS!!!). So nearly all my life I was agile, flexible, quick, and athletic. But as I transitioned out of college and got more career focused, the activity level slowly dropped until I was literally paying for a Gold’s Membership for 3yrs, yet I never stepped into their facility once after enrollment. Enough was enough and I went hunting for a CrossFit gym because I knew I needed that level of intensity and the constantly-varied programming. Lucky for me MCFSA is literally one parking lot away from my work. From Day 1 I told the coaches I am committing to a new routine, but truthfully I had no idea what I was in for! My very first workout was Fran- which I scaled with just the 35lbs bar + jumping pull ups and I hit the 10min time cap. I was sore for days after that. But now, here we are 11mo later: I’ve lost 40lbs and 2 pants sizes, nothing fits anymore (in a good way), my PR’s are way up from where I started, and I feel stronger and more nimble than I’ve ever been at any point in my life.
Again I want to thank all the veteran members of the noon class who immediately adopted me into the community, have shared their training tips and been so supportive every day. I also want to thank my WOD partner Tyler for making classes as fun as they can be and for always keeping me on my game. Lastly, I want to thank the staff of MCFSA for literally everything you do in class and behind the scenes to provide a clean, safe, supportive, and rigorous physical challenge in class every day.
