Blog Archive

Allister Jones, commonly known as ‘Big Al’ owns CrossFit Glenmore in Kelowna.

It’s no surprise he’s been successful in drawing women in their 50s (his prime clientele demographic) to CrossFit. Simply put, Big Al is objectively charming and equally attractive – he has one of those faces that doesn’t want to age.

Although Big Al has the talent to be a huge success on his own, he doesn’t for a second discredit how CrossFit Vancouver has nurtured him, and continues to cradle his business today.

Patty introduced Big Al to CrossFit in November, 2003.Patty took him to a city park in the area and put him through his first WOD.

Although still a stranger to CrossFit, he was no stranger to Patterson – the two had been best friends as children in Gaspe, Quebec.

“Being best friends with Patty over the years has taken my life on many narrow, less travelled paths,” says Big Al. “The CrossFit path has changed my life in many ways.”

Prior to CrossFit, Big Al was your typical wannabe body building male, constantly pumping himself with horrible tasting protein shakes, creatine, and double whoppers, all the while never seeming to gain the fitness prowess he strived for. While living this lifestyle, he had a life threatening accident that left him 50-pounds underweight and severely disabled on his left side of the body. CrossFit helped him recover and gain his strength back, he explains.

Today, Big Al says what he misses most about training in Vancouver is the sense of community and belonging that flourishes at CrossFit Vancouver. “Every time I feel my tank getting empty, I take a visit to Vancouver, check out your website, or call Patty and get a belly full of energy, inspiration and new ideas to implement at my own box,” said Big Al.

“Everything I learned in CrossFit was learned as a student for three and a half years at CrossFit Vancouver,” he said.

I came to Crossfit in December 2009 after meeting other Crossfit members on my ultimate Frisbee team. I commented on what good shape so many people were in, and they pointed to Crossfit as being the catalyst for getting each of them into such good condition. After living and working for three years overseas, I would describe myself as being a “skinny-fat” vegetarian. I ate mostly grains, vegetables, no meat, and suffered from chronic stomach pain. I could barely do a knee pushup, pull-ups were out of the questions, and box jumps seemed impossible.

Now, after a year and a half of Crossfitting, improving my diet to include meat, and cutting way down on the grains, it would be impossible to fully account for the vast improvements in my physical and mental conditioning. I am constantly amazed at the benefits it has given me in every aspect of my life, and I am proud to say I’ve now gained the strength, technique, and endurance to make it through a day’s workout without wanting to cry.

I started rock climbing about the same time I started going to Crossfit, and I’ve noticed a serious and positive impact on my climbing as a result of the training Crossfit offers. Climbing is as much of a mental game as it is physical, and Crossfit has given me the mental confidence to push myself onto progressively harder climbs while providing me with the physical strength and endurance required to make it through a long day of climbing.

I just wanted to say thanks for being so great. It has almost been 2 years since we started!! I can’t believe it. I love coming to the morning class, it is a great vibe and I think that you (Andy) and Corey offer so much. I believe the fact that I, and others, still come regularly says a lot about what a great teacher you are. We have learned so much and even though our focus might be different from some of those awesome athletes we totally admire, you and Corey always make us feel like we like everyone’s experience is valuable.
-Liz

Being part of the Crossfit Vancouver apprenticeship program has been a great experience. There is a camaraderie to coaching at our school that I feel is unmatched elsewhere in the Crossfit community. We learn, we teach, and we have fun. I have found that my knowledge and experience as a coach and my confidence in my ability to run classes has developed quickly, all while managing a full time job outside of the School. Having more than 20 apprentice coaches and 6 head coaches in one community all working together to improve people’s health and fitness, and ultimately their lives certainly drives up the level of coaching. – Dan Fontaine

Mareck Bigler travelled all the way from Switzerland to complete our junior apprentice diploma program. He graduated in the spring of 2011 and headed home with the tools to help him open his own affiliate in Switzerland.

Here’s what he has to say:

With a gymnastics and team sports backround, I discovered Crossfit two years ago and it caught my interest right away. I did one year of training by myself, took my level 1 cert, and then headed to Crossfit Vancouver for their apprentice diploma program.

I found the CrossFit Vancouver community to be a real family. It was the best time of my life. My experience in Vancouver really opened my eyes and my heart.

I learned the CrossFit movements and the importance of good form and technique. My own training also improved a lot. Charlie Palmer coached me on a daily basis while in Vancouver, and his expertise and advice helped me qualify for my Regional competition in Europe.

Another valuable aspect of the program was the business advice I received from Patty. I can’t wait to open my own CrossFit affiliate and and share this experience with the Swiss people!

-Mareck Bigler

Christa Giordano completed the in-house apprentice diploma program at the School of Fitness in 2009-2010.

Now, she lives in Baltimore, Maryland with her husband, where she has continued to CrossFit, both as an athlete and a coach.

Although she’s happily married, what she learned at CrossFit Vancouver has remained close to her heart.

“I stalk you on the website and see what great things are going on for you in Vancouver a few times a week. Even sometimes more, especially when I’m homesick. I miss CrossFit Vancouver so much,” she said, now a year after she moved away from B.C.

Giordano loves her CrossFit affiliate in Maryland, but says there’s something about CrossFit Vancouver that has stuck with her.

“You have established something really special – the commumity, the members. It’s my goal to have such a big client group, and to grow something similar,” said Giordano, who is constantly using the skills she learned in Vancouver with her clients in Maryland.

“I find myself repeating things Patty, Andy and T-Bear would say, repeating their tips or tricks for performing specific lifts,” she said.

No doubt, CrossFit Vancouver taught Giordano how to be a better coach, but where she really grew was as a person.

“I am forever thankful for all your support when I needed it most. Without CrossFit Van, I have no idea where I would be today, or if I would have mentally survived everything I had to go through during those 10 months back in Canada,” she said.

Don’t let this happen to you.  OUCH!

We all Crossfit for different reasons.  Some of us have chosen to make this our sport.  Others among us simply use it as a fun and varied training tool.  One distinction I like to make between sport and training is that, in sport, we will sacrifice our bodies and well being for the sake of competition whereas in training we prepare our bodies to handle both sport tasks and daily life tasks with more ease and less risk of injury.  Training is meant to make you faster, stronger and more durable.

Regardless of whether your sport is skiing, biking, football or even crossfit, what we do on the gym floor at the school is not sport or competition.  Sure the guy or girl next to you going hard may motivate the competitor in you to push harder and reach new levels of fitness.  And that’s a good thing, but it’s still not sport.  Even if crossfit is your sport, you’re not playing it every day on the gym floor, you’re training for it.  So the next time you hit the floor remind yourself that we’re not competing, but rather, training for competition…or if not for some specific competition, we’re training for life.

Here’s to pushing yourself to and expanding your limits, but not beyond.  Train safe and within yourself.

Lesson Plan for Thursday, July 25th:

Warmup: Running ABC’s

Workout: 4 rounds for time:

run 800m

rest 3 minutes

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