Customer of the MonthFebruary

Michael Layton

It doesn’t matter where you are with your fitness level, you can always count on having fun if you show up.

February 2022 AOTM: Meet Michael Layton
We have so much appreciation for our community, and love to highlight one athlete each month that exemplifies hard work and perseverance. Michael is a fantastic steward of our community. Always there to greet somebody new, or be your personal hype machine. 
Make sure to give him a fist bump the next time you’re at the gym.Q: How long have you been going to Terminus? What changes have you seen in yourself (physically or mentally) since joining?
I joined Terminus in October 2016 but, admittedly, those first few years were on-again, off-again. After a few years of heavy travel for work and moving around I settled into making Terminus a part of my weekly routine around 2018. Since then, Terminus as both a fitness outlet and community have been extremely positive influences on me. I don’t get too caught up in tracking my progress over time, but I know finishing work and heading to the gym has become the highlight of my day and a great way to keep a healthy balance in my life.Q: How has your journey at Terminus helped you outside the gym?
Many members of the Terminus community have become lifelong friends. After sharing countless meals, drinks, workouts, travel and other memories with this community it has become so much more than just a gym!

Q: Who inspires you at the gym, and how do they inspire you?
I’ve got to give a shoutout to some of the early members of the community on this one. Dan, Jake, Sara, Hannah, Britney Kidd, Graham, Robin, Sonya, Chase, Cam, Kayla, Patrick Donahue. The list goes on! Anyone who has been able to stay committed to CrossFit as a fitness routine as seasons in their life change has my respect.

Q: How would you describe what it’s like to be a part of Terminus?
Community. It doesn’t matter where you are with your fitness level, you can always count on having fun if you show up. Regardless of what class you attend there will always be someone there to challenge you, encourage you and more than likely grab an Old fashioned afterwards!

Q:  Tell us about your first day of class at Terminus.
I remember it all too well. I was nervous entering a new gym and had no way of knowing how brutal one of Ben’s run interval cycles could be. I caught the full force of a 4×800 meter interval workout on day 1…DAY 1. After years of unhealthy habits, I learned the hard way that it would take more than cutting corners, walking and even skipping a few laps to keep me from needing a “walk in the garden” to “collect” myself. I will never look at the bushes in front of Ammazza the same way.

Q: What is something that we may not know about you?
After attending Auburn (War Eagle!), I went to work as a Consultant at EY traveling Monday-Thursday to cities all over the US. I’ve spent time in 35 of the 50 states and even moved to New York for a year in 2017.

Q: What are your top 3 memories or proudest moments in CrossFit?
Doing CrossFit for ~4 years has come with so many proud memories and a lot of personal fitness growth. Hitting new PRs, retesting hero WODs, doing comps, doing Murph straight through and running a 5K have all been highlights. Overall, I think I’m most proud of the consistency CrossFit has brought to my physical health and nutritional habits over the years.

Q: Moving forward, do you have any short term or long term goals in the gym?
Show up, work hard and keep having fun. There is always room for improvement in this sport and I look forward to continuing to grow and get better across the board!