Facebook is a pretty funny place.
It can have people get all up in arms and angry and it can provide some very happy memories.
And the latter happened to me this last week or so. I sometimes cringe when I see what I wrote as a status update ‘On this day 12 years ago’ or a pic of me with my mutton chops sideburns in 2007 makes an appearance. But this time, it was a great little ‘Oh wow!’ moment.
It popped up that 15 years ago I had gone out and taken a leap of faith to pursue a career in the fitness industry completely.
I had a few clients, I had a ute with some gear in it to travel around to their house or run a group session at Bruce Browning Oval or Rugby League Park. I had been told by the education providers in their marketing I would be able to make my own hours! I could, I found out. They just had to be at 6am and 6pm most days haha. Life was pretty good!
That was 2009.
Then in 2010, I had a car accident. Someone pulled out in front of me as I was going to get some marketing materials from the old uni printery, and the mobile PT business wasn’t mobile anymore.
So this constantly varied thing again. I had adapted the last year and a half, added groups, set a sort of base, but now, it was I needed somewhere! So we set about finding that place and the first fully private PT studio was started in Armidale.
Before then it was all in the gyms around town, out in the public eye.
And this was my thing. I always wanted to do what others weren’t. I didn’t want to copy anyone, I didn’t want to steal clients, I wanted to grow the fitness market in Armidale and in turn help more people.
So as more people began private personal training around town, and doing it really well! I went towards CrossFit.
So in 2012, we launched CrossFit Armidale and started not just Armidales, but pretty well the New England and North West’s first functional fitness facility, premier if you will.
I was, and still am very big on adapting and changing, yet at the same time, doing what you do best. It was with CrossFit I discovered that I could help and train so many more people than I could any other way. It worked for me, and it was working for my members. I drank the Kool Aid hard!
And so, 15 years of doing this little training thing, here we are, 2024.
I have seen others tell people what we do is bad for them, then construct workouts similar to what CrossFit might be, and even use some of our benchmarks.
I have kept doing this methodology, I have helped people with it, I have seen people do amazing things. I have watched members head to other cities and towns and join the CrossFit boxes there and still love it.
The thing through absolutely all of that has been the community, the people.
CrossFit is unique in that the people from the official affiliates around the world are some of the most supportive people I have ever met.
There were times I really struggled. We were locked down, other people tried to white ant us, locked down again, and just all the head trash that comes with that.
And it was the people, you all kept me going, you all had a place in my heart and I knew I had to pick myself up time and again and ensure we were there for you.
People rely on us in the fitness industry, and to me it is my job to help people and be there for them. I couldn’t do that if I didn’t keep picking myself back up, and I would have let you all down.
I have constantly said I will keep going, I will find a way, and so far, for the last twelve and a half years, I have managed to find a way.
So yes we are still CrossFit, yes we still practice that methodology, but the program has changed, I have learnt, I have adapted and all for you, the people that entrust me with their health and fitness. I promise you all I will keep finding ways using the CrossFit methodology and community to help you all be better than yesterday in every way, shape, and form.