Blog Archive

Alex has been a long-time morning apprentice who helps Andy.

Prior to his apprenticeship, Alex had been CrossFitting since 2008 when he discovered the sport in Brisbane, Australia.

“I love that CrossFit makes everything else seem easy. It’s the only thing I’ve found mentally and emotionally powerful enough to perfectly quiet the mind,” he said. “For the duration of the workout, there is nothing else. It’s a pretty zen moment at full throttle.”

Alex brings this same calming, zenful approach to his coaching style, which helps students feel at ease.

Alex has been a long-time morning apprentice who helps Andy.

Prior to his apprenticeship, Alex had been CrossFitting since 2008 when he discovered the sport in Brisbane, Australia.

“I love that CrossFit makes everything else seem easy. It’s the only thing I’ve found mentally and emotionally powerful enough to perfectly quiet the mind,” he said. “For the duration of the workout, there is nothing else. It’s a pretty zen moment at full throttle.”

Alex brings this same calming, zenful approach to his coaching style, which helps students feel at ease.

CJ found CrossFit while working as a carhop at White Spot. “A guy came in looking for a specific type of food – I think it was Paleo. Now I know that what I gave him was not Paleo,” CJ remembers. “Then I asked him what he was training for, and he told me to check out the CrossFit Vancouver website.”

Pretty soon, CJ was hooked.

Since is also a massage therapy student, he has limited time to coach at CrossFit Vancouver; however, when he’s there, he works his butt off to help anyone he can. Whenever someone needs a class or holiday covered, CJ steps up to the plate, time and time again.

He has a quiet passion for CrossFit. “What I love about CrossFit is the camaraderie and the community. It’s like a giant family. We celebrate each other’s victories and we support each other when we fail,” he said.

He added: “What I like about coaching is seeing progress. The highlight of any coaching session for me is seeing a student nail a lift or a movement.”

Bill showed up at CrossFit Vancouver’s doors at the end of 2009. The former PhD math student from St. Louis, Missouri, wasn’t sure if and where he wanted to settle down. He had been spending the majority of his time just enjoying life – traveling and playing poker – but there was something about CrossFit Vancouver that caused him to stay put awhile.

Fast forward three years, and Bill has a wife – Lisa Blewett – who he met at CrossFit Vancouver, and a new baby boy named Charlie. Still a successful poker player, the two just bought a house.

And today, Bill, a Senior Apprentice coach, also happens to be one of our most loved coaches.

In short, Bill thinks before he speaks. This goes for his coaching style, too. He is well researched about everything health and fitness, be it Olympic weightlifting, gymnastics, mobility, anatomy, or the body’s energy systems. He’s a wealth of knowledge and is always looking to share it.

Mike ‘Lumber’ Dahlman is one of CrossFit Vancouver’s best, brightest and most experienced coaches.

He is also one of CrossFit Vancouver’s most accomplished CrossFitters: he competed with the CF Vancouver affiliate team at both the 2010 and 2011 CrossFit Games in LA.

Despite his successes, Lumber doesn’t have an ego. He shows up everyday, laces up his shoes, and joins in the classes with everyone else, treating each person like an equal (even though he can lift three times as much weight as everyone else).

One of Lumber’s biggest strengths is his passion. Over the years, we’ve watched him grow up, learn how to channel his emotions into a positive passion, which comes through in his relationships with his friends, his family, and his students. In short, Lumber gives a shit about the people in his life.

Emily is an Associate Coach at CrossFit Vancouver, as well as the school’s Media Director.

She arrived at CrossFit Vancouver in the fall of 2009, after completing her Master’s Degree in journalism at the University of Western Ontario. When she arrived in Vancouver, she was in a bewildered state, confused about how to use her seemingly useless degrees, and lost about what her next move in life would be. CrossFit Vancouver provided her with an answer. It was truly love at first sight.

She became a Junior Apprentice Coach, as well as Patty’s personal assistant, at the beginning of 2010. Thanks to Patty’s devotion and patience – he spent tireless hours working with Eunice one-on-one – she rose through the ranks and graduated to the Senior Apprentice level in 2011 and to an Associate Coach in 2012.

On top of her role as a coach and assistant, Eunice has also put her journalism degree to work during her time at CrossFit Vancouver. She works full-time as a staff writer and assistant editor for the CrossFit Journal.

As an athlete, Eunice was a national level gymnast as a child, a sport she left when she grew too tall. She played NCAA basketball for one year, and then played on the varsity basketball team at the University of British Columbia for two years. She started rowing in her later university years, and won a national rowing championship while rowing at the University of Western Ontario.

As a CrossFitter, she competed with the CrossFit Vancouver affiliate team at the CrossFit Games in 2010. She tore her Achilles in December, 2010, which kept her out of CrossFit competition as an individual in 2011, but she returned to California with her team in 2011. This past year, she placed 3rd at the 2012 Canada West Regional competition, missing out on individual qualification to the CrossFit Games by one placing

Kermit was one of CrossFit Vancouver’s earliest members. She competed with the CrossFit Vancouver team at the CrossFit Games back in the early days at the Aromas Ranch in both 2008 and 2009.

In short, the community has watched Kermit grow up. She has transformed from being an awkward young girl into a confident mature woman.

Today, Kermit continues to be a staple around this place. She spends her days at a 9-5 job in Richmond, and then coaches part-time on Fridays purely because she loves the community. And the community loves her – Kermit’s Friday evening classes are always bustling with energy.

Bumpy has always been a gym rat. He started lifting weights at the age of 12, and he was a competitive boxer back in the day, a sport that led him to win two Golden Glove Championships.

He has been working in the fitness industry as long as he can remember and is constantly taking courses, attending seminars, and trying new sports and training methodologies. “I want to be like a sponge, take in as much as I can, try it all, and then decide what works and what doesn’t,” said Ben.

For Ben, CrossFit works. “CrossFit has opened my eyes to pushing past the normal limits,” he said. “It has made me a better athlete and a better trainer,” said Ben, who also runs a business called Train With Me Online (www.trainwithmeonline.com).

On top of this, Ben is also one of two coaches of the East Van Barbell Club at CrossFit Vancouver.

Ben said his favourite part about training people is watching them do things they didn’t think they could. “Turning your average person into an athlete, taking an overweight mother of three, and turning her into something she didn’t think she could ever be – that’s what I love about this,” he said.

Charlie Palmer’s life changed dramatically when he found CrossFit Vancouver in June 2006. “My life pretty much went from a C- to an A once I started CrossFitting,” Palmer said.

Life before CrossFit was chaotic for the passionate Palmer. He held many different jobs, from truck driving and moving furniture to the film industry, where he worked in both the lighting and production side of the industry. “I was a heavy drinker and smoker at the time, too. I knew it was just a matter of time before I needed to change my lifestyle,” Charlie admitted.

Change his lifestyle, he did. Within a year of being reacquainted with his childhood friend Patty, Charlie jumped on board with the CrossFit Vancouver crew. He left his job in the summer of 2007, earned his CrossFit Level 1 certification, and started coaching CrossFit.

Since then, Charlie has extended himself deeper into the community. On top of his gig coaching students, Charlie also volunteers his time with inner-city school children, teaching them the principles of CrossFit. His current lifestyle, of course, also gives him the needed freedom to pursue other passions, like music, skateboarding, BMX biking, and snowboarding.

And here at CrossFit Vancouver, Charlie’s late night classes have taken on a momentum of their own. It’s not entirely clear what happens in the school during Charlie Palmer’s after hour sessions, but it’s clear that his people are loving every minute of it. Charlie’s gang has learned a thing or two from their master about loyalty; his clients are easily some of the most committed and loyal CrossFitters in the community. Stroll into CrossFit Vancouver at 10 pm on a weeknight, and sometimes they’re still there.

“I love the people here. Everyone strives to better his life. Everyone here takes care of himself. We love and support one another no matter where we’re coming from,” Charlie said.

Wikipedia definition: A shepherd is a person who tends to, feeds, or guards sheep, especially in flocks. The word may also refer to one who provides religious guidance, as a pastor.

Sheppy grew up in the thriving metropolis of Cobourg, Ontario, where he honed his skills as an athlete and a high-ranking boy scout. Next to CrossFit, the best job he ever had was working as a counselor at a Presbyterian Christian Camp in Muskoka for three summers during High School.

 After discovering CrossFit in the spring of 2006, Sheppy describes his life as “getting progressively better everyday.” He added: “It’s uplifting to be part of such an awesome community.”

Sheppy’s coaching style is patient and encouraging, with an emphasis on fairness and honesty. “I consider myself a conduit for the method. I’ll take no kudos for my students because they are doing the work. They deserve the kudos,” he said.

Sheppy believes in practicing what he preaches, with a particular emphasis on nutrition and wellness. As an example, his three favourite things in life are meat, sex and exercise. When asked, “What about love?” he says, “Yes, I love all three.”

Sheppy is also the school’s endurance specialist and the head coach for the High Performance Centre.