It's all about the people!
We are proud to announce that Mikey is our June 2020 Athlete of the Month!
Where were you in your fitness journey before BCF and where are you now? What were your goals when you started and have you achieved any of them?
I was coming back from a 2+ year hiatus from CrossFit when I joined BCF. It was a self-imposed hiatus out of a need to find balance - I was pushing myself much harder than my body, recovery and circumstances allowed for and I could not figure out how to dial it down to a healthy level. With my return to CF, I wanted to get back into this thing I loved so much, but stay in a healthy zone. I wanted to be able to do this on a sustainable level - I never wanted to "have to" break away from CrossFit again. Sure, I wanted to lift as heavy as I did before... but that came secondary to maintaining balance. I'm thrilled to say that, almost 3 years after I first walked into BCF's doors, I can confidently say that I've found that balance. Over that time, I've ramped up the frequency and intensity of my workouts all while staying within a sustainable pace (for me). I now say that I only workout as much as my recovery allows for - and sometimes that means I skip the WOD or I cut back on the weight on the bar. It's been such a great bonus too that I've beat almost all my pre-hiatus PRs!
What about BCF makes you keep coming back?
100% the community of owners, coaches and fellow members! I'll start with the table stakes... the heavy focus and priority on proper technique over the quantity of reps or weight on the bar. This is non-negotiable for me and I have visited a lot of other boxes to know that this is not always a priority. However, if that's all that was present, BCF would simply be a place to workout... it's not, it's so much more! The people who come are the special sauce - I love how we all support each other (whether in the form of cheers and positive words or in the way we jest with each other), build friendships, and share life outside the gym!
When/what was your “ah ha!” moment?
My biggest aha moment is in realizing that, while we can be in awe of other's progress and amazing feats, we must not measure our progress in comparison to theirs. We are all built differently, have different priorities, have different circumstances. This can be difficult when you are surrounded by so many strong and capable people. It's easy to be envious, frustrated by your "lower score"... but we are not competing against each other. We have our own personal journeys and are so blessed to have such a wonderful community to support us along the way!
Does anyone the gym (member or trainer) inspire you and why?
Honestly, everyone that walks in the BCF doors inspires me. The truth is that we are all putting in blood, sweat and tears (sometimes literally), regardless of where we are in our individual journeys. Everyone has their own story and their own set of challenges to work through... be it the newbie trying to figure out what all those acronyms mean, the person coming back from an injury, the one fighting through a plateau, the parent with young kids, the person with a stressful job, the athlete aspiring for a seat at the games, etc. The fact that we are all in there taking the steps to be better, healthier, stronger... that is inspiring!