Name: Jeff “Patrick” Jager
Age: 49
How Long Have you been a Member at CFSC: After rupturing my left ACL (‘exploded’ was the term the doctor used) in 2009, working out at Globo gym began to wane to the point it mainly became running on the treadmill while my kids played on the inflatables. From about 2010 on I started having back issues, where getting out of bed was difficult. While I was still playing soccer year round, the minimal gym activity wasn’t helping. In 2012 I decided to make some changes, losing about 30 pounds in two months, and looking for other/better options in fitness. Around September/October of 2012 my wife used one of those free visit coupons for CFSC. She came back and told me “That place is f***ing nuts…you’d like it” (she was right). About a month later, I saw the CrossFit games on ESPN and thought “I can do some of that stuff “ (I was wrong) but still signed up in November 2012. In January 2013, I started seeing a chiropractor, who works pretty close by the gym, who told me that due to my jacked up left knee I was all lopsided and it was causing the back issues. He recommended a few chiropractic sessions and CrossFit, as he knew of a place close by. My perpetual back issue cleared up in about three months, and haven’t had that issue since. However, as weightlifting and body building is all about symmetry, I decided to tear my right ACL in Spring of 2014. After my doctor told me “Um, you know you don’t have any more of these” and I kept falling down, I decided to get surgery, getting both knees done in the span of three months. My chiropractor recommended that I not stay away from the gym too long and I was able to come to the gym in my medical knee braces and do something within weeks of each surgery. It’s been all downhill since.
Favorite CrossFit movement/activity: Anything I can’t do well, as it forces me to work on it. Then after all the extra work, it’s that much more rewarding once a movement clicks. Renaming stretches and movements (Superstar; Scuba Steve; Dirty Truck Stop).
Least Favorite Movement: Anything I can’t do well, as it is frustrating, and then it forces me to work on it. Also, anything that has burpee added to it (burpee box jumps, burpee pullups, burpee ring muscle ups, burpee wipe down your bar, whatever. Just stop already)
Favorite healthy food/meal: Other than sushi, I try to make good choices in general and “put up with” healthy food, as it’s a means to an ends. For nutrition, Buffy’s system works great for me. Like most people I’ll have an off day/weekend, but the program allows me to quickly get back on track. Always depriving yourself of some foods/drinks, is tough. Enjoy a cheat day once in a while, then get back on track. I just try to remember the three important food groups, coffee, beer and salt.
Favorite part about CFSC: The gym allows for varying levels of involvement and engagement from competition level classes, fitness, social etc. which is great for people of all walks of life, whether you’re looking to compete, meet people, get exercise, etc.
Something(s) We Don’t Know About You: I went to high school with Mariah Carey and, with some friends, appeared in her early video for Emotions; I went to elementary school with the bass player for Madball and spent part of a summer as a roadie for the band; I have a nerd side, and have a combination Star Wars/Lord of the Rings tattoo, and have read the Lord of the Rings books seven times; I have a USA Weightlifting Level 1 Coach certification; I was approached by Rogue Fitness to never wear their clothes in public; other than a two day long conference 8 years ago, I’ve never had a game installed on my phone(s); as an undergad I failed out twice…from the same school; as a grad student it took only three of the allotted nine months to finish my master’s thesis, while driving a truck an average 60 hours a week; my mother went to school with the daughter of the guy who invented the metal part on a wood pencil that holds the eraser; I painted the former propane tank at my house to look like Thomas the Tank Engine; my brother is in charge of the entire Playtex tampon product line; I help run the third largest adult recreational soccer league in North Carolina, and in that league I help run the largest adult soccer club in Charlotte with six teams; my soccer team(s) is sponsored by Carolina Beer Temple, so you may have seen their presence at the gym once or twice; my kids (17 and 15) are already better at their respective sports than I am; I hate three pronged forks; I avoid roller coasters like I avoid burpees; any leg machine at a gym, I have to get into/onto it from the left; in February 1994, while living on Long Island, I helped rescue a beached whale by removing a golf ball from its blowhole; I’ve met Joey Buttafuoco; I have an entire room at my house for Lego.
Some this stuff is made up…but which?
Words of Wisdom for people who are new to CrossFit or interested in trying it: If you’ve lifted in the past, forget thinking “back when I was younger, I used to lift…” you were probably doing it wrong. Learn the movements from the beginning to get a good foundation and to prevent injury/strain. Listen to the coaches, they know what they are talking about, and have the added benefit of seeing things from an outside perspective. Try not to get sucked into whatever serial killer animal taming Netflix series everyone else is binge-watching. To prevent injury, don’t grow old.
Name: Maureen (Reenie) Nichols
Age: 54
How long you have been a member at CFSC: 3 years
How you got started at CFSC: did the Spartan race twice & could not get up the rope. Burt got me up the rope my very first time!
Favorite CrossFit movement: rope climbs
Least favorite CrossFit movement: Double Unders. I hate this movement & it seems like we do it every other day!
Favorite healthy food/meal: grilled chicken & a fresh salad
Favorite part about CFSC: the peeps & the coaches
Something we don’t know about you: my birthdate is 6/6/66, born 6am, 6th member of the family and my birthday is 6 days before my mothers’.
Words of wisdom for people who are new to CrossFit or interested in trying it:
Check your ego at the door and stay humble.
I was a fitness instructor for over 12 years, thought CF was going to be a piece of cake, boy was I wrong! It was like I took 20 steps backward when I first started. I so wish I would have started CF back in my early 40’s but here I am. I enjoy that the class plans are different every day, I never get bored.
Some people think I am obsessed with CF but the way I see it is when I’m in my 70’s I will still be whitewater rafting, ziplining, hiking and enjoying life! I wonder what they will be doing in their 70’s?