We have so much love for our community, and want to take the chance to highlight one athlete each month that exemplifies hard work – if you haven’t met Tall Chris yet (or even if you have), make sure to give him a hello and high five next time you see him at the gym!
Here is a little about Chris’ journey through CrossFit so far:
I guess what first got the wheels set in motion to consider CrossFit was running a 5K with my brother here in Atlanta. He has been doing CrossFit for a few years now, and he laid down a 22 min time without even batting an eye. I really struggled to drag myself across the finish line in under 30 min, and I had been ‘training’ for weeks. And if I’m being honest, my idea of fitness up until then was doing what most people do – screwing around at the gym doing some cardio, and maybe doing weights on a machine. I made very little progress over the years, but didn’t really know how to get better.
Fast forward to February, and there was a fitness challenge at my work gym had that had nutrition counseling and a Dexa body scan weigh in and out. It started to get me out of my rut, and I started making some small, but noticeable improvements. And my brother had asked me to go workout with him at his gym a few times when I had been back home, but I was always reluctant. I needed to check this out on my own, and this fitness challenge was the perfect catalyst to make me think I was ready.
I remember my first day I walked in that side door at Terminus in the beginning of May, and I sheepishly stood around looking lost. Patrick saw me, welcomed me and I introduced me to the rest of the 101 class. The 101 WOD turned out to be a bunch of rowing (and something else that I don’t remember), which on that day I actually wasn’t excited about, because I had stupidly rowed 7,000m at my work gym earlier in the day because I vastly underestimated the intensity of the 101 WODs. I ended up tearing my palms up as blisters formed and burst, but I was hooked right away. I had never worked so hard in a very long time, and it felt so good.
Q: Where are you originally from?
Oh, a small cowtown no one’s ever heard of – Denver
Q: What class do you attend?
Usually 6:30pm, although I’ve been known to make the occasional guest appearances at 7:00am and 5:30pm
Q: Do you have a favorite workout or movement? Least favorite?
(Oh, man) I like anything involving assault bike or rowing. They’re great tall person things. I’m definitely not down with burpees though — it’s my idea of hell
Q: What’s your favorite hobby, pastime or interest outside of work (other than CrossFit)?
I travel for work and leisure fairly frequently, I’ve gotten to go to some really cool places. I also like to bother my cat Spock, and have witty banter with friends over drinks.
Q: Favorite music to work out to or just listen to in general?
It’s not the best to workout to usually, but I really dig Odesza.
Q: What is something that we may not know about you?
I’ve been to all six inhabited continents. I’m hoping to get to Antarctica before I’m 40.
Q: Favorite Atlanta Restaurant?
Don Sige – they have really great tacos.
Q: Favorite moment at CF Terminus?
Anytime I’m not the last finisher for a WOD. But seriously, probably when I PR’d my mile run a few weeks ago. I’ve literally never run so fast for distance in my life.
Q: How has CrossFit affected your life (inside/outside of the gym)?
Anyone that’s seen me ever do one of Dayne’s warmups know’s I’m a big clumsy goofball. But because of them, and CrossFit in general, I’m definitely more spatially aware of my surroundings, have improved fine motor control and balance, and just more confidence overall. There are a lot of things I’ve been introduced to over the last few months, stuff that I previously would have scoffed at ever being able to do because they’d be *too hard*. It turns out the only person keeping me from doing them was me, and going through that process has been an incredibly useful confidence-building exercise for me.
Q: Any advice for someone considering trying CrossFit for the first time?
Those first weeks are painful and can maybe be a bit demoralizing because all the movements are new to you. But as long as you don’t take yourself too seriously and come pretty regularly, it eventually starts to click. I wouldn’t ever be afraid of talking to the coaching staff about adjusting scale and weights. I think that all of them would much rather see you do a movement correctly at a low weight slowly than have bad form because it’s being rushed through at high weights. Just be patient and know that if you just keep showing up and trying, you will make progress. Maybe it’s not as fast as you’d hope, but eventually you’ll be great at so many things you might not have thought possible before!
Also, you should definitely be eating as many fruits and veggies as possible, and staying hydrated is key 🙂
Thank you, Chris, for trusting the process and our coaches. It has been a true joy to watch your confidence, interactions, and movement transform over just a few months. We love to see you connecting with the community and how you’re always willing to grow and challenge yourself alongside your fellow athletes. Congratulations on your progress so far and we are so excited to continue to see where your fitness journey takes you!
