Athlete of the MonthMay

Aaron: I had been working out at home consistently for about 4 years doing P90X and other BeachBody workouts online. // // Sasha: Before my husband Aaron invited me to “Bring a Friend” day at BCF, I was a member of a Women’s MMA gym in South East Portland. Although I enjoyed the classes, it was too far away to attend more than once or twice a week. // // Ricardo: Before joining BCF I was really confused with what I wanted to do for exercise. In middle school, I did cross country and boxing, but neither of them really stuck with me. Now, after joining BCF, I’m really confident and happy with my choice in exercise. Crossfit is more of a fun activity for me than a “chore” or a “necessary activity”. // // Aaron Jr.: I wasn’t passionate about doing exercise and I never looked forward to it. But now, even during the zoom classes, I am “jacked up” for CrossFit.

Aaron: My main goal was to improve my functional fitness and lose weight; I have definitely achieve those and many other positive changes like having a CrossFit community and improving my overall health. // // Sasha: My goal when starting at BCF was consistency and I have been achieving it since January! I have been attending 4-5 classes per week, which has helped me gain in both strength and endurance. // // Ricardo: When I started BCF, I was hoping to improve my overall health and learn new movements within CrossFit. I’ve certainly achieved both of them, as I feel a lot healthier and I’m getting a lot better at movements that before I was struggling with, like push jerks and overhead squats. Something really nice about doing CrossFit is that I can continue improving on both of my goals, and I'm excited to do that. // // Aaron Jr.: My goal was to get more fit, and I think I’m getting there.

Aaron: The great workouts that Mike and Dawna put together for the community. I love how much I sweat and the overall state of my mental health after each workout that lasts throughout the day. Also, the great BCF community, especially the 6:30 AM class! // // Sasha: BCF has become an amazing experience for our whole family. All four of us have grown so much as individuals and as a fit family. I see our sons gaining confidence in their strength and abilities, and I’m so happy that for the first time in their lives they have found an exercise that they actually enjoy! I also so appreciate BCF’s rapid transformation to remote training. Lending out equipment and the daily Zoom classes have meant that our whole family is working as hard as ever in BCF workouts at home! // // Ricardo: 100% the community. Everyone I’ve met along the way in Beaverton Crossfit has been very kind to me, and has also been part of my improvement as an athlete. I can’t wait for quarantine to be over, so I can see the community face-to-face again. // // Aaron Jr.: I keep coming back because of the environment that Beaverton Crossfit has, and being able to have coaching.??

Aaron: Feeling happier in my life in general, more relaxed and better able to overcome the challenges that life presents. // // Sasha: My “ah ha” moment was seeing how happy and sweaty the boys came home from their classes, and how doing such a hard workout each day improves the positivity and mental health of our whole family. // // Ricardo: I got injured right when my mom and brother began on-boarding, and I missed out on months of CrossFit. Every day after class, my family would be talking about the work out, and I would be really confused why they enjoyed it so much. It's working out! However, when I did on-boarding with Matt, I realized how much fun CrossFit was and I completely changed my attitude about the sport. // // Aaron Jr.: Learning to Split Jerk and Rope climb.

Aaron: Mike Ford and Sasha DeSilva have inspired me to be better and happier. Mike is a great coach in and out of the gym, as well as he gave me a great diet that I will do for the rest of my life. Sasha is very supportive and always helps me improve my performance. In addition, Colleen and Jesse are some of the nicest people you will ever meet, very supportive and kind. // // Sasha: I am inspired by all of the coaches at BCF and how each one has created a connection and bond with a different member of our family ! I love how the coaches balance encouragement with a push to improve, both supporting where we’re at and challenging us to move forward. I am especially grateful to Dawna for her kindness and encouragement from the very start of Bull Dog Burn and to Colleen for her infectious positivity! I am also inspired by my husband Aaron for his dedication and leading the whole family into the CrossFit endeavor! // // Ricardo: Everyone in BCF inspires me. Seeing everyone try their hardest and keep a positive attitude in the CrossFit classes is very inspiring. Matt, who gave me a one-on-one on boarding, is someone who inspires me a lot. He has taught me so much about CrossFit, from difficult weight lifting movements to pacing. Jesse has also been an amazing mentor in this process, he is the first person I met in BCF. He has helped me improve in every aspect of my athletic ability. // // Aaron Jr.: My inspirations are Matt and Jesse. Matt inspires me because I can always go up to him with any questions, and he helps me a lot. Jesse inspires me because he is the first coach I ever met and he’s taught me a lot of what I know.