Name: Mary Wood
Age: 31
How long you have been a member at CFSC: 2 years.
How you got started at CFSC: I ran a lot in my 20s, but my joints were hurting with the repetitiveness and I was getting bored. My brother was training for the military and convinced me to tag along to a CrossFit gym, so I gave it a shot. I joined a few gyms off and on for a while, but working night shift and moving a lot made it difficult to be consistent. When I moved to Charlotte a few years ago, I drove by CFSC to get to work every day. After a few months of seeing the CFSC sign on the side of the road, I decided to call Brian and give it a try.
Favorite CrossFit movement: Squats, deadlifts, and wallballs.
Least favorite CrossFit movement: Snatches (and pretty much anything overhead).
Favorite healthy food/meal: Sushi. That counts, right?
Favorite part about CFSC: Lots of favorites! Constantly learning new things and getting to know the people are big ones. I’m an introvert and used to love working out alone, so when I first started CrossFit the social aspect was new for me. Now, getting to talk to people and workout in a group is one of my favorite parts of CrossFit. The encouragement from the class during WODs where I’m struggling is awesome. Also, the great coaches. Although I had tried CrossFit off and on prior to CFSC, I learned more in a few weeks from CFSC coaches than I had learned in all my time before.
Something we don’t know about you: I grew up in Florida, and when I was 15 a hurricane destroyed our home. My family then moved to South Carolina and I went to Clemson (Go Tigers!), so it all worked out.
Words of wisdom for people who are new to CrossFit or interested in trying it: CrossFit will meet you where you are, so don’t be afraid to start! Everything can be scaled, so don’t feel like you need to have an athletic background or already be “fit” to begin. I have an autoimmune disease that some days causes me to feel pretty exhausted, but I’ve learned I can scale WODs on those days and the mental health boost from sweating through a workout does wonders. No matter your age, background, or fitness, just show up, work hard, and CrossFit will make your life better.
Name: James Morris
Age: 41
How long you have been a member at CFSC: 2+ years
How you got started at CFSC: I wanted somewhere to exercise close to work and was tired of traditional gyms.
Favorite CrossFit movement: I like the longer chipper workouts and anything with burpees, bike, and kettlebells.
Least favorite CrossFit movement: Overhead squats.
Favorite healthy food/meal: Any lean protein. I am definitely a carnivore.
Favorite part about CFSC: The diversity. I have had conversations with so many different personalities and listened to a lot of fascinating stories.
Something we don’t know about you: I have been approved by Guinness to attempt to break the world record for chest to ground burpees in 12 hours. I trained hard for a while then the record was broken by a pretty good margin and honestly, I got a little discouraged and pulled back.
I have started again and want to make an official attempt in Spring 2021. I could use a lot of help. I need people to witness, to count, to video tape, and to notarize. Also, any tips on breathing, gear, supplements, social media, and fund raising (I hope to use the attempt to raise money for a non-profit “To Write Love on Hear Arms,”). If you are willing to help or offer advice, please feel free to reach out to me. Most importantly I need people to hold me accountable.
Words of wisdom for people who are new to CrossFit or interested in trying it: Give it a try. There is something for everyone. You can easily adjust/modify anything to meet your goals. If you don’t like it, at least you are proactively trying ways to improve or maintain your health.