All of us who work out here at CFV 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 be in or out of the box.
July Athlete of the Month
Peggy Rollens
This month mark’s Peggy’s one year anniversary at CrossFit Fort Vancouver. In her unending quest to be good at everything, Peggy literally could have been recognized as Athlete of the Month 12 times since she’s been here. The honor is long overdue, and as usual, Peggy owned the month of July. Some of her PRs include:
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26 Double Unders in 1:00
3 reps OH squats at 53 (previous 1RM), then 3 reps OH squats at 70 (new max)
23 consecutive pullups
1:53.9 500m row, 8:36.5 2K row
HSPU w/2 ab-mats
1:14.0 400m run (not a PR but the fastest I’ve run since about 1996!)
Filthy 50 PR 32:02
3 reps back squat at 165 (new max, previous max=163)
135 total GHD sit-ups during a 30 min WOD (that was hard!)
90 lb. push press
21 pistols in 1:00
3 rep deadlift at 203 (max=210)
Had broccoli for breakfast for the first time ever!
Think there are no machines in CrossFit? Think again. All you have to do is show up at a 10 AM class and watch Peggy in action. July was not unique for Peggy. She logs ridiculous numbers of PRs each and every month. What’s special about her accomplishments is the variety of applications in which she continues to improve.
Having been a talented runner in college, it’s no surprise that Peggy dominates in the endurance domain. She runs like a deer and has lungs like a whale! When it comes to coordination though, well… let’s just say Peggy would much rather be running. It doesn’t stop her from working on the tough stuff though, and lately it’s been working. She finally discovered the power of her hips and went from a pull-up or two here and there to over 20 in a row. Nope, that’s not a typo. Twenty-three actually. She also managed to get a handle on another arch-nemesis: the double-under. A year ago, if someone had challenged Peggy to complete 26 double-unders, I don’t think even she’d have been surprised if today she were still in the gym chipping away. A year later, she probably wouldn’t be winded and definitely would have never given up, but she might have around 25 yet to go. Instead, this month she decided it was time to conquer them and hammered out 26 in a minute.
Perhaps even more impressive than Peggy’s strides toward becoming coordinated are her recent feats of strength. Who’d expect a runner to have one of the strongest squats in the box? Once again, it didn’t happen overnight. Peggy has put in her time under the barbell to achieve very respectable squat, deadlift and overhead PRs recently.
Peggy exemplifies the CrossFit model of fitness that is broad, general, and inclusive. She always outlifts the runner, outruns the lifter, and somehow manages to do it with that one-of-a-kind smile. There’s no doubt that even Napoleon himself would be proud of all your skills Peggy. Gosh!
June Athlete of the Month:
Brad Tierney
If you’ve been in the gym lately, you’ve probably witnessed Brad do something special. After returning from Afghanistan about a month ago, he’s been on a CrossFit collision course. He started things off by completing his Level I Certification at Rainier CrossFit the last weekend of May. He immediately returned to the box with a rejuvenated sense of energy and an even stronger commitment to the mechanics. Brad also attended the Whole9 Workshop and has taken great strides in nutrition. It’s no wonder he set PRs across broad time and modal domains, including Murph and Fran, improved his weightlifting, strength numbers, L-sit, handstand pushups, and conquered his first muscle ups. His excitement for fitness has had a profound impact on others as well. While Brad is a sponge for learning from every situation, he’s also very good at passing on his own expertise. Since returning from his certification, Brad has been a wonderful resource for helping some of our newest members transition into classes. Way to go Brad Congratulations!
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May Athlete of the Month:
It’s an honor to recognize Jessica Core as CFV’s May Athlete of the Month. She really does exemplify what our gym is all about: nonstop effort, a relentless will to improve, positive results, and making everyone else better all at the same time. Thanks Jess!
If you’ve ever seen Jessica work out, then you’ve probably experienced some degree of shock and awe by how effortless she makes things look. Handstand Push-ups: check. Wall balls: check. Burpees: definitely check. Muscle-ups: yep, those too. The list goes on… even those that don’t know Jessica couldn’t help but be inspired by her efforts this year at Sectionals and Regionals. Watching Jess in action makes anything seem possible!
Have you ever heard Jessica make an excuse? Me neither. Not mid-terms, not finals, not a weekly drive to La Grande to attend classes as a full-time nursing student. Things that would hold most of us back just seem to light a fire in Jessica.
A few of Jessica’s PRs in May include:
-back squat
-front squat
-push jerk
-snatch
-muscle ups
-mile run
-5K run
-Filthy 50
-Grace
-two person clean and jerks!
In her spare time, Jessica carried the Affiliate Team through the Northwest Regionals and on to LA. As the only athlete to compete in all three events, she was the Core of the team. I’m just glad you’re on our side Jess!
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April Athlete of the Month:
Reese Rodriguez
Reese left little doubt as to who earned Athlete of the Month honors in April. After starting the month with a rejuvenated commitment to nutrition, she has since taken her training to another level. Recent personal records include just about everything she’s done lately, including her deadlift, overhead squat, and snatch. She also completed Grace, Nancy and Jackie faster than ever before, and made a list of weaknesses and has consistently been arriving early and staying late to give them extra attention. She nailed her ring dips and swings a 53 lb. kettle bell like a wrecking ball.
On top of her own accomplishments, Reese has been a great influence on the larger community at the gym. After completing a challenging team double early Saturday morning, she volunteered to help coordinate Girl’s Day. When it turned out that someone needed a partner, Reese stepped up to the plate without hesitation. Way to take one for the team!
Reese, you’re one strong woman. Congratulations, we’re proud to recognize you as the April Athlete of the Month.
March Athlete of the Month:
Nathan Loren
The numbers speak for themselves for the March Athlete of the Month. He recently competed in two CrossFit Games Sectional Qualifiers and did pretty well:
-Oregon/Idaho Sectional First Place Finish
-Washington Sectional Sixth Place Finish
In the two weeks since Nate competed at Sectionals, he’s set PRs in the
-clean
-clean & jerk
-snatch
-overhead squat
-deadlift
-500m row
-max pullups
On one hand, CrossFit is all about the numbers. Fitness is quantifiable, measurable, and repeatable. Nate’s recent accomplishments are incredible any way you slice them. On the other hand, it’s really not about the numbers at all. This guy could write a book on humility. I have never seen a person that genuinely receives more joy from the success of others than from himself the way that Nate does.
So what’s his secret success?
Nate epitomizes the CrossFit mantra: his specialty is not specializing. He may not be elite at any one particular thing, but he’s pretty darn good at everything. When something comes along that’s challenging for him, Nate doesn’t avoid it, he attacks it with a vengeance. He visits it often enough that what started as a weakness is transformed into a strength. When given the option, most of us warm up with things that we’re already good at, things that are comfortable, and things we enjoy. Nate thrives on doing just the opposite: the stuff that is difficult, uncomfortable and often frustrating. What makes Nathan really unique is that he’s never satisfied. Whether it be success or failure, it’s fuel for Nate’s fire. The flame gets stronger every day.
Congratulations Nate, stay strong, and thanks for giving the rest of us something to strive for inside the box and out.
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February 2010 Athlete of the Month:
Mary Allen
Mary could be the Athlete of the Month twelve times a year. This month, she did a whole lot more than celebrate her 62nd birthday. She jogged up to the sidewalk and back. She walked up the stairs in her house without getting winded. She jumped on top of a box. Thirty times. She completed the final chipper of the 2009 CrossFit Games on her birthday. Yep, the one with the overhead lunges at the end. She squatted 113 pounds. It wasn’t long ago that her goal was to shoulder press an empty 33 pound bar. On her last total, she pressed 55. Then she deadlifted 115 pounds with picture-perfect technique. She even stormed through “Baseline” three times in a row!
Mary has become a pace-setter in the 10:00 AM class. Next time you think you’re tired, try keeping up with someone two or three times your age! She starts out steady and never seems to slow down. I can’t even imagine trying to keep up with her in quilting or scrap-booking! When Mary started participating in workouts with us, she was as skeptical about it as anyone. Since then, she has proven that true strength comes from within, excuses are lame, and exercise is worth the sacrifice.
Mary, you epitomize what CrossFit is all about, and it goes well beyond the numbers on the whiteboard. You’re way more inspiring to those around you than you realize, and it’s an honor to recognize you as the February Athlete of the Month.
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January 2010 Athlete of the Month:
Margaret Martin
Margaret PR’d everything in January. She improved across the board in all of the physical skills that we strive to develop through CrossFit. Notable numbers included her back squat (145) and deadlift (250). She went from simply completing workouts to completing them quickly and correctly. She dedicated herself to learning and improving the Olymipic lifts, and consistently performed at the highest level across broad time and modal domains.
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December 2009 Athlete of the Month:
Ryan Martin
Ryan’s December to Remember:
PRs on:
“Murph”
“Jackie”
“Fran”
“Christine”
“Lauren”
-Clean
-Overhead Squat
Ryan also participated in the “Fallen Officer’s WOD” and “Lumberjack 20″ Memorial Workouts to honor fellow servants of our country and their families.
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November 2009 Athlete of the Month: Pete O’Connor
Pete’s November Highlights:
-Back Squat: 355 (50 lb. PR)
-Shoulder Press: 155 (30 lb. PR)
-Deadlift: 415 (40 lb. PR)
-Overhead Squat: 225 (25 lb. PR)
-First Pull-up
-Completed “Baseline” as rx’d three times
-Completed first half marathon (in a torrential downpour by himself)
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October 2009 Athlete of the Month: Shondra Ritter
Shondra’s October Highlights
-first kipping pull-up
-”Angie” as rx’d (100 pull-ups)
-first handstand
-first handstand pushup
-first rope climb
-first double -under
-PR squat, deadlift, press, clean, clean & jerk
-PR mile run
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September 2009 Athlete of the Month: George Corbo
George’s September Highlights:
-Squat PR: 305
-Press PR: 145 x 2
-Deadlift PR: 415
-Power Snatch PR: 165
-5 Second Free Handstand
-35 pullups
-306 Fight Gone Bad
-$525 FGB4 Funds Raised
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August 2009 Athlete of the Month: Steve Rodriguez
Steve’s August Accomplishments:
-added an RX to Fran, Christine, and Kelly.
-Completed the full Murph
-Earned maximum score on Washington Law Enforcement Fitness Test
-Set a PR on the “Death by Burpee” WOD while on vacation
-Carried his wife over half a mile on the Hawthorne Hustle
-PR’d his squat, press, and deadlift on the last total
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July 2009 Athlete of the Month: Maeghan Corbo
Maeghan’s July Highlights:
-first pullup
-first handstand
-improvement during every WOD
-multiple lifting PRs-squat, press, deadlift
-eliminated the need to use inhaler during workouts
-got married!
