November 2022 Athlete of the Month: Meet Jake Bossi
We have so much appreciation for our community, and love to highlight one athlete each month that exemplifies hard work and commitment. Meet Jake Bossi! Jake has been the model of consistency and intensity ever since he moved to Atlanta 7 years ago. Jake is a loyal, and welcoming community builder that lifts up other athletes through his warm personality and dedication to fitness. Let’s celebrate Jake’s contribution to our community 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 have been a faithfully Terminus member for nearly seven years.  Since joining, I have gained a six pack every spring and lost it every winter.  Admittedly, this is due more to holiday cookie consumption than my gym routine.

Q: How has your journey at Terminus helped you outside the gym?

I moved to Atlanta January 2016 and knew one person (shoutout Dejon) who said I should check out this gym called Terminus.  Seven years later, I have a wonderful network of friends; 90% of whom have a direct connection to Terminus.

Q: Who inspires you at the gym, and how do they inspire you?

Mark Emery!  That silver fox is fifteen years my elder and still looking sexy as hell.  He still hasn’t told me if his secret is Crossfit or HGH, but I’m inspired either way.

Q: How would you describe what it’s like to be a part of Terminus?

The simple answer is PEEEF:  Physically Exhausting Endeavors Enjoyed with Friends.  Digging deeper, I would describe an inexorable feeling of accountability to your own fitness through shared experiences with members of the gym.  I’m always amazed at how potent the social aspect of Crossfit has been to my fitness journey.  The more you go, the more you want to go.

Q:  Tell us about your first day of class at Terminus.

Granted, this was seven years ago, but I remember a few things clearly.  Emily coached a great class, Graham yelled at me for dropping my bar (what a dick), and I wanted to buy a Terminus shirt but none were available.  Also, people kept grabbing food from a fridge that made me very jealous; these turned out to be Everbest Paleo Meals, which I still eat today!

Q: What is something that we may not know about you?

I’m a fan of professional sumo wrestling and watch every match during the six annual Honbashos.

Q: What are your top 3 memories or proudest moments in CrossFit?

I’ve been doing CrossFit for over a decade so choosing three is tough.  In no particular order:

– Second place in the Caffeine and Kilos team competition with Kayla, John, and Britney.  Never has a team been so sad to qualify for the finals (we were dead tired), but it was worth it in the end!

– Steve Nichols and I beat 2015 Crossfit champion Ben Smith and his partner in a WOD.  Emily Bridgers witnessed this feat.  Sure, Ben Smith and unnamed partner may or may not have known they were competing against us (they didn’t), but the whiteboard doesn’t lie.

– Any one of the many post-gym hangouts, festivals, or parties.

Q: Moving forward, do you have any short term or long-term goals in the gym?

My short-term goals are just to stay healthy with more focus on warmup and stretching.  Long-term, I’m a new dad so I need to stay fit enough to keep up with my son!  I’m also trying to hold off a lurking dadbod.

August  2022 Athlete of the Month: Meet Jon Wilson
We have so much appreciation for our community, and love to highlight one athlete each month that exemplifies hard work and perseverance. Meet Jon! Jon is a long time member who knows the value of consistency above intensity. Jon always brings good vibes to class and is never afraid to embrace a challenge. Let’s celebrate Jon’s contribution to our community 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 think I started in 2015 about a year after I moved to Atlanta. It’s made my fitness base broader when I was more limited to soccer focused workouts before

Q: How has your journey at Terminus helped you outside the gym?
Coming to Terminus sets the tone for me—anything worthwhile in life takes effort and struggle, and Terminus workouts are frequent reminders of this.

 Q: Who inspires you at the gym, and how do they inspire you?
Tons of folks, but most recently it’s been impressive to see the morning squad of pregnant ladies working out consistently.

 Q: How would you describe what it’s like to be a part of Terminus?
Being part of Terminus means you will face challenging workouts with accountability and no BS. That said, it’s coupled with a great group of members and coaches who guide you in the right direction.

 Q:  Tell us about your first day of class at Terminus.
I can’t remember my first day of class. However, I remember the first time I visited Terminus to check it out. Ben cautioned a member who loaded way too much on his bar for deadlifts and told him that if he kept rounding his back, he would have to stop. Not long after, the guy did it again, and Ben told him he was done for the day with that movement.  After observing some other gyms that took a Wild West approach, I knew I found one with proper leadership.

 Q: What is something that we may not know about you?
I play drums

 Q: What are your top 3 memories or proudest moments in CrossFit?
PR’ing Murph with a vest, actually figuring out double-unders (not sure how), and that one workout with 400 m lunges that came up about a week after I did 400 m every day for a month!

 Q: Moving forward, do you have any short term or long term goals in the gym?
Ultimately, my goal is to be consistent. That will lead to plenty of achievements along the way…and maybe to do another 180+ consecutive days of 400 m lunges, because why not?

July 2022 Athlete of the Month: Meet Shannon Donohue
We have so much appreciation for our community, and love to highlight one athlete each month that exemplifies hard work and perseverance. Meet Shannon! She brings a great attitude, takes instruction, and actively works to improve.  It’s been delightful to watch her grow into a strong athlete. Let’s celebrate Shannon’s growth by giving her 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 started in January of 2021, so about a year and a half. Physically and mentally I have seen a lot of growth. Since joining, I have been more consistent with exercise than I had been in many years, probably almost a decade. And Terminus provided the first time where heavy strength training is a part of my workouts, so I have started to see muscles that never existed before!

Q: How has your journey at Terminus helped you outside the gym?
When I joined Terminus, I was at the beginning of a really tough masters degree program, I had just moved to a new city, oh and Covid was still raging and stressful; mentally, I was pretty beat up.  The Terminus workouts gave me daily reminders that I can do difficult things when I put my mind to it and show up, and the Terminus community provided some much-needed encouragement and support. I take the lessons from Terminus to so much I do outside of the gym; show up, have a good attitude and don’t be afraid to push yourself to failure, it’s good to know where that line is. Sometimes it is much further away than I think it is.

Q: Who inspires you at the gym, and how do they inspire you?
Everyone! People like Sara Hardy, who show up to 8am class like clockwork. Watching so many women workout throughout their pregnancies, many who still kicked my butt while pregnant, and working out next to someone who is injured and still showing up is incredibly inspiring. Perhaps also oddly inspiring, has been watching some of our fittest athletes struggle with a workout, it’s just a nice reminder that we all have strengths and weaknesses and we are all working to get better.

Q: How would you describe what it’s like to be a part of Terminus?
It is a true community! We support and encourage each other, provide recommendations for things in and out of the gym, loan out things. I feel very fortunate to know I have a whole group of people I can go to when I’m in need and in good times.

Q:  Tell us about your first day of class at Terminus.
I was super nervous, and knew next to nothing about what to expect, but I showed up for a 9:15 class. I walked through the front door, not knowing I should have gone through the garage door. Coach Patrick was the coach and graciously placed me in the back of the room, he then went over the workout, which was going to be deadlifts and burpees. I had tried to do burpees once before, it did not go well, and deadlifts were my least favorite movement, so I was not super excited… But it turns out I had been doing them wrong! And with good instruction, I had a really good workout. I think I was pretty much hooked from that first class.

Q: What is something that we may not know about you?
I have worked in several jobs and industries, but probably the weirdest was working at a glue stick factory.

Q: What are your top 3 memories or proudest moments in CrossFit?
I have had some really fun strength PRs, Adrianna and Graham were there when I got 90lbs on my clean and jerk, which was huge for me, and I think they were more excited than I was. At Coach Patrick’s 33 WODs in 33 hours event, it was the first time I attempted a rope climb, and I was super proud of myself for being able to get all the way up the rope. Finally, I was pretty proud of myself for competing in the Terminus competition, it was something that is definitely outside of my comfort zone, but was so much fun!

Q: Moving forward, do you have any short term or long term goals in the gym?
Time will tell if these will be short term or long term, but I really want to be able to do consistent double unders, and full RX pullups and pushups. Otherwise, long term to just continue to show up for classes 5-6 days a week.

May 2022 Athlete of the Month: Meet Lanier Loftin
We have so much appreciation for our community, and love to highlight one athlete each month that exemplifies hard work and perseverance. Meet Lanier! Talk about perseverance… During last years 10k she had a falling incident in the first 400 meters. Bloodied and bruised, she picked herself up and went on to complete the entire race. That will always stand out out as a moment of true grit and determination. Let’s celebrate Lanier’s “never quit” attitude by giving her 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 started Terminus in August of 2019. I am in the best shape of my life now and continue to surprise myself all the time with how I can push myself.

Q: How has your journey at Terminus helped you outside the gym?
Terminus has really helped with my mental toughness. The hardest part of any workout is showing up, but I find a way to do it every day. That has translated into getting things done in real life.  In 2021 I challenged myself to run a 5k, 10k, 15k, and half marathon. Running is one of my least favorite things but had the mental toughness to do it and do it on my own.

Q: Who inspires you at the gym, and how do they inspire you?
Wow what a hard question! So many of the women are inspiring. Sonya, Amy, Jen Emery, Brittany Kidd, Emily, Katie Taylor, I could go on and on. This gym is filled with so many inspiring women and I am so happy to be able to be surrounded by them. If only osmosis worked with strength!!

Q: How would you describe what it’s like to be a part of Terminus?
This is such a welcoming community! I always feel so encouraged by members in class and the coaches. It doesn’t matter if you are the fastest, or lift the most weight, everyone just wants you to do your best!

Q:  Tell us about your first day of class at Terminus.
The workout was 10 rounds for time and included box jumps. I was clearly struggling and was not going to make it. I remember Patrick coming over to me and checking in. He ended up saying let’s let this one be the last round. I got the mercy cut off.

Q: What is something that we may not know about you?
I am crafty and enjoy making things. Recently I have gotten into make greeting cards. But you can find me doing my tie-dye, rhinestoning shoes, or just creating in my free time.

Q: What are your top 3 memories or proudest moments in CrossFit?
It is so hard to pick just 3!!
During my first month after a 6am class, Ben made everyone hold hand in the middle of the gym. He then had everyone sing Happy Birthday to me. That little moment made me feel so welcomed and that was when I knew I made the right choice with Terminus.
Getting my first kipping pull up! I made it over the bar during the warmup and squealed I was so excited.
Finishing the Terminus 10k last year after a nasty fall right in front of homegrown. I had a scraped-up knee, hand, and leg. I thought about quitting and walking back to the gym. Then thought about doing just the 5k.  But I knew I committed to the full race and shouldn’t quit. So I slowly finished the 10k!! Even won the spirit of the race award.

Q: Moving forward, do you have any short term or long term goals in the gym?
A bar muscle up is on this list!  I am also really excited about our new Terminus benchmark workouts, so I am looking forward to seeing where I fall this year improving over the next year.

March 2022 Athlete of the Month: Meet Ro Carrillo
We have so much appreciation for our community, and love to highlight one athlete each month that exemplifies hard work and perseverance. Ro is a self described extrovert who exudes positive energy. Ro’s infectious enthusiasm has been a bright spot in our afternoon classes since he joined Terminus last September. 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 September of last year, so a little under 6 full months. Physically I feel amazing. I truly shock myself when I do some of these workouts because I don’t think I’ve ever challenged my body as much as I have recently. My gym time is my “Me Time” and I get both a physical and mental workout when I’m at Terminus. Although I feel like death is knocking at my door after some of these WOD’s, I feel happy and accomplished after completing them.

Q: How has your journey at Terminus helped you outside the gym?
I’m generally a pretty positive person, but getting these daily workouts just puts an extra pep in my step for sure. That beautiful positive energy that you absorb at the gym translates so well outside of the gym. It’s like going into a candy store and getting all your favorite candy, except you work your butt off and end up with all the endorphins.

Q: Who inspires you at the gym, and how do they inspire you? 
Oh man, this is a hard one for sure. Besides my “Three Peas in a WOD” crew (Diana, Lacey, and I are dorks), there are so many amazing people that truly inspire me and that inadvertently push me to do better and be better. Michael, Ryan, Kenny, Toni, Carl, Bihn, Roxy, Taylor, Lauren, Ruslan, I can really keep going. Let’s not forget the coaches, because they’re all amazing and I hope they know how much I appreciate each and every one of them.

Q: How would you describe what it’s like to be a part of Terminus?
It’s one of the best parts of my day. I know it sounds cheesy and sort of cliche, but I truly enjoy coming in here and doing something healthy for me.

Q:  Tell us about your first day of class at Terminus.
Oh man, this was a memorable day. I took a 7:30pm class with Cam. By the time we finished with the warm up, I had burned like 300 calories and I asked myself “Can we go home now?” and just laughed because we hadn’t even gotten to the WOD. The best part about the class is that they broke down the movements to a beginners level and you tend to learn so much from classes like that. I did not realize what crossfit was until that class. It was like taking blinders off and I realized that this is what I had been looking for. I quickly realized that this was the perfect marriage between programming and coaching.

Q: What is something that we may not know about you?
I feel like I’m pretty transparent and I talk a lot, so getting to know me is pretty easy if you say hello. I’m an extrovert and I love meeting people so I try to say hi to as many people a day as I can.

Q: What are your top 3 memories or proudest moments in CrossFit?
When we did our crossfit totals, I was able to squat 325lb and I almost cried. That’s something that I’m super proud of. I don’t remember who the coach was that day, but they were like “That looked really good, add more weight” and I remember thinking “oh god, ima die”. I tried it and I failed, but that failure was so graceful. Learning to do cleans with Barrett one evening when we had a small class at 7:30pm was phenomenal because I got some one on one pointers that made the movement that much more comfortable. Lastly, that same night, we were doing handstand push-ups. Lord knows that I don’t like being upside down and I kept thinking that I would hit my head on the wall. I kept practicing and practicing until it clicked and I realized that the best part of coming to this gym is that I constantly prove myself wrong. Every time my mind says “No, I don’t think you can do that”, my body says “yes you can and you will”.

Q: Moving forward, do you have any short term or long term goals in the gym?
My short list: HSPU, Heavy power cleans, DUs, 350lb on my squats, 450 on DL, and MUSCLE UPSSS!!!!