Name: Kelsie Lynch
Age: 26
How long you have been a member at CFSC: About 3 years
How you got started at CFSC: I had just moved in with my parents in Steele Creek after living in Atlanta by myself for a year. I was working and going to school but not doing much for myself health wise. I was “skinny-fat” and did not have the muscle tone I used to have in high school.
My Dad had done a couple on ramp sessions already and suggested I go with him as he knew I liked to lift weights and liked working out. Although I was familiar with pushing myself with being a track runner in high school, I was not prepared for that first workout and nearly passed out on Coach Kyra! Soon after, I saw a special on ramp program for that summer and I instantly signed up. Whit and Deuce were awesome coaches that got me hooked immediately into everything that was CrossFit!
Ever since then I have been a member and have been a somewhat regular evening goer. There have been health issues, surgeries, and family matters that have prevented me from coming in sometimes, but I always come back to be healthy and be a part of this great gym community!
Favorite CrossFit movement: Power cleans and yoke carries
Least favorite CrossFit movement: Burpees, the bane of my existence
Favorite healthy food/meal: Steamed green beans with garlic! I could finish those 10 serving steam packages in one sitting if I let myself
Favorite part about CFSC: The community! Everyone here is very encouraging and has your back. This place would not be what it is without the Coaches and the other gym members. I am generally shy and very quiet but there have been people here that have gotten me to open up more and feel comfortable being myself. I have never felt more welcome and cared for within a diverse group of people.
Something we don’t know about you: I can pick my way out of handcuffs, sometimes behind my back. I’ve SCUBA dived off the coast of Madeira, Portugal. I can sometimes get tigers to chuff at me at zoos!
Words of wisdom for people who are new to CrossFit or interested in trying it: Do not be afraid! This can be something for all ages, body types, and physical ability. No matter the workout, there are always various ways to scale movements and weights. Find a place that will cater to you, like CFSC, and help you grow in your fitness journey. You will be surprised at how strong both your body and mind are!
Name: Daniel Dixon
Age: 39 ¾’s
How you got started at CFSC: I had gotten to a point in my life where my personal wellness had become obsolete in my daily operation. I was buried very deep into a trance where things in my life started destroying my mental and physical health heavy, and I just couldn’t cover it up anymore. Years of suppressing a dark past, being mentally abused and judged from so called loved ones for traumas I never got help to work through both as child and adult and the sudden passing of my Brother in April 2019, all brought me here. I lost just over 20lbs from stress and depression. I was down to 137lbs. I went to my hometown in Maryland for the memorial service and my family and friends I hadn’t seen in over a year greeted me with “damn, you’ve gotten really skinny, are you dying? You are losing all of your hair! You look horrible! Your face is sunk in, you are not healthy…” I had no idea that this was my picture, but it resonated heavy after realizing that I was dead inside and no one but myself and the spirit-memories I had of my Brother were the only things that could save me. I went to another Crossfit gym in early August 2019 for a trial class. No one spoke to me during the session, the owner (who was also the trainer that day) told me after it was over to “let him know if I wanted to sign up”… I walked out of that place feeling very defeated, unwelcomed and receiving no support towards the new goals I had set about regaining my life. Recently I had made a move to the Steele Creek area and figured I’d try another gym and maybe it would be different. I called CFSC and left a vm. Brian called me back a couple of hours later and we talked for 30 minutes, and he told me to come in and talk to Buffy about what Live Active could offer me. August 30, 2019 at 8am I walked in, listened to what I thought was just a sales lecture by Buffy. I was so broken mentally by this point, I did not trust what she was saying to me and told her no thanks as I tried to exit. Brian came out and talked to me and I basically told him I was leaving too, and was uninterested. As I hit the bay door to walk down the ramp, a few members said “hi and Hello” to me….Coach T said “so we will see you on Tuesday right?” as I replied with “ I’m not sure we will see”. I started my truck to leave and I got an email that one of my clients had just paid an invoice that would get me started with Nutrition, on-boarding and my overall crossfit journey! I took it as a sign and walked right back up that ramp and told Brian – Let’s do this. A year and a half later, it has become the main source of my healing and the fuel for my daily wellness lifestyle.
Favorite Crossfit Movement: Power Clean, Toes to Bar
Least Favorite Crossfit Movement: Overhead Squats and Thrusters
Favorite Healthy Food/ Meal: Eggplant Parmesan, Sautéed Brussels, Roasted Chickpeas
Favorite part about CFSC: The Energy!! Which is fueled by the people!! An Owner who is engaged in the daily operation which in turn radiates through the AWESOME staff, who collectively and individually has brought me back to life. And I cannot go without saying, the 5am crew…they took me in, they held my hand, they cried with me, they encouraged me and most importantly gave me an effortless sense of love, to my love myself back to being physically and mentally healthy again.
Something we don’t know about you: I enjoy eating mostly PLANTS! And also I have a very heavy introverted side. I have to have solitude just as much as socialization to recharge my mental stability and well-being. I do not take sudden change and emotional discomfort well, my untamed reactions hasn’t landed me in the best of places through my life and sometimes takes me a lot longer to process certain situations that may seem “easy to deal with” to others. Two years ago, I vowed to be more in touch with myself, not to react off of emotion and be more in tuned with my emotional well-being and being more openly considerate to the emotional state of others as well before engaging with them.
Words of Wisdom for people who are new to Crossfit or interested in trying it: Do yourself a huge favor, and give it a shot. Forget about what you think you are not capable of and currently how strong you are or are not. Your age doesn’t matter. Program your mind to believe that you can comeback from anything. Take whatever story you are in and change it to you as being nothing else but a winner. Be your own biggest fan and don’t be ashamed of it. Be humble of your growth and not ashamed of your previous failures. Never give in. Share your pleasures just as much as your pains. And know, that easily after starting you will love yourself so much more.