We have so much appreciation for our community, and love to highlight one athlete each month that exemplifies hard work and commitment. Meet John Alexis! John is a fixture in our 7PM night owls class. Unwilling to let his injuries control his life; John came to us at the behest of his wife after multiple knee surgeries. It has been beautiful to watch John break through his limitations, and build back his confidence & physical abilities. Let’s celebrate John’s growth, and perseverance by giving 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 November 2020 and when I started my goal was just to be more healthy and active. I have had knee surgery on both knees a total of 5 times and have multiple other leg and shoulder injuries from years of competitive athletics so exercise beyond weight training has always been a challenge. In the past two years I have lost over 60lbs and feel better physically than I have in years. Although my knees and other injuries will always be a limitation I am moving much better and am doing things, athletically, that I have not been able to do in more than 25 years. Just walking and climbing stairs used to be a challenge but now I feel stronger, am in less pain and more confident in my own skin.
Q: How has your journey at Terminus helped you outside the gym?
For those who know me well, I am heavily introverted and tend to be very quiet and not really social. Since joining, one of my favorite things about Terminus is the community, over the past two years I have met so many people and established friendships that I probably never would have if I was working out at some place like Planet Fitness. All of this has helped me to be more confident socially both at the gym and in my personal & professional life which has been awesome.
Q: Who inspires you at the gym, and how do they inspire you?
Of course the coaches, all of you have inspired and pushed me to try things I never would have imagined I could do and encouraged me along the way. With that said, I cannot forget my 7pm (formerly 7:30pm) crew, you know who you are. I have and will stay committed to this class and it has been awesome to see everyone on their own journeys and achieving their goals. They motivate me everyday to be better, work harder and have fun and I am thankful for each of them. So thanks to my 7pm peeps for being you!
Q: How would you describe what it’s like to be a part of Terminus?
I really enjoy the community at Terminus, it feels like family and a place where you can be unapologetically yourself. The support and encouragement from everyone at Terminus is amazing no matter who it is. Whether it’s cheering each other on, encouraging you to go farther than you ever have, providing a tip or trick, doing something for the community or just having fun that’s what Terminus is about.
Q: Tell us about your first day of class at Terminus.
Haha, I remember that day clearly. It was a cold November night, when I arrived we had to wait outside and checkin with the coach due to COVID. I was unsure and nervous but when I walked in I was greeted by Trent with a Hi you must be John, welcome to Terminus. This caught me by surprise but help me to relax a little. We started class and Trent repeatedly made sure I was good throughout the first class and was understanding the movements which I appreciated. I remember thinking to myself man I never thought I would need to be this coordinated to work out and what’s with the gymnastics. I left exhausted, sore and a bit frustrated that I couldn’t do some of the movements but that is what kept me coming back.
Q: What is something that we may not know about you?
I am a proud Canadian, born and raised. I absolutely love cars and have been working on or rebuilding them since I was 12.
Q: What are your top 3 memories or proudest moments in CrossFit?
1) Getting healthy and losing 60lbs 2) Doing my first full squat with weight 3) Placing 3rd at the Turducken games with my teammate Brent Smith.
Q: Moving forward, do you have any short term or long term goals in the gym?
In short, just being consistent. My life is extremely busy but as long as a get my 7pm time I am good to go and ready for anything.