I’ve been involved in athletics and fitness for most of my life – from growing up playing almost every sport as a child, to learning what the gym was and being introduced to weightlifting as I entered high school. Once I started lifting weights, there was no looking back. After high school, I enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and spent 8 years in the Marine Corps Infantry as a Heavy Machine Gunner. Due to the high level of fitness necessary to perform my job, I used weightlifting and running as a means to stay in shape. Machine gunners are the guys doing the heavy lifting, and therefore need to be bigger and stronger than the average rifleman. Carrying your pack, weapon and ammunition during training could add up to 50-100lbs of extra weight, and you don’t want to be the one falling behind! Even though I left the Marine Corps for civilian life, I never left the values, training, and fitness it provided. It has carried me throughout my life in everything I have encountered.
I’m a CT native, however, I did spend 5 years in Las Vegas, Nevada, and that is where I was introduced to CrossFit. I was going to the typical “globo gym” Chest/Back M-W-F, Bi/Tri T-TH. Yes, I’m guilty; I did bicep curls in the squat rack! It was when a friend of mine convinced me to try out a Crossfit class with him that I skeptically decided to give it a try. Wow, first workout was Hero WOD Glen (C&J’s, 2 Mile run, Rope Climbs, and oh yeah, 100 Burpees!). Not only did I never sweat more in my life, I almost gave up a few times! I quickly learned during this WOD that #1 this was a new and exciting challenge, and #2 I was getting to do this workout with so many other people pushing through it with me.
I’ve never been cheered on before, and I never had the community of people standing there pushing me through the tough times. I was hooked, and since that day, you can kind of say I am addicted, not only to the workouts, but also to the CrossFit community. Everyone, regardless of his or her level, is completing the same thing and is sweating at the same time. There is no better satisfaction than being with a group of people trying to better their fitness.
I believe that hard work, dedication, commitment and teamwork will help Schedule II athletes realize their potential and create an enjoyable and rewarding experience in the CF gym.
“It’s so easy to be great nowadays, because everyone else is weak. If you have ANY mental toughness, if you have any fraction of self-discipline; The ability to not want to do it, but still do it; If you can get through to doing things that you hate to do: on the other side is GREATNESS ” – David Goggins.
Academic Achievements- Southern Connecticut State University – BS Accounting – Minor of Criminal Justice & Sociology
Trainer Certifications– CrossFit Level 1 Trainer
