Blog Archive

Ivan Rossman’s story is a familiar one: Skinny, vegetarian triathlete finds functional fitness and strength training.

“I walked through the blue doors about two and half years ago. I was a skinny, marathon running, vegetarian of ten years.  I was looking for a change to break up the monotony of running for hours on end, and after researching CrossFit couldn’t wait to check it out,” he said.

“On my first day, the class workout was Cindy and I remember seeing men and women side-by-side, swinging from the chin-up bar, sweating hard and working non-stop Everybody’s positive energy, camaraderie and fitness was immediately apparent and I couldn’t help but think – ‘I want to do this,’” he added.

Ivan took to it immediately, and although training at MadLab was a world of difference from triathlon training, he took to it immediately.

“Today, I’m certainly stronger and fitter than I was. I’ve developed a much greater awareness and appreciation for efficient movement that comes in handy in all life’s activities,” he said.

But beyond the physical changes he has experienced, Ivan said what he likes most about MadLab is the positive energy the people around him give off, and how the workouts test his emotional limits.

“For me, that mental strength has translated into increased confidence, resolve and happiness throughout my life,” he said. And part of this happiness is undoubtedly connected to his decision to bring meat back into his life.

“I’ve now given up vegetarianism and taken up hunting,” he said. “This year I successfully filled the freezer with two beautiful White-tailed Deer – harvested with great care and awareness of life’s significance.”

Lisa showed up here in 2013. She had already lost a ton of weight and was ready to make the next step.

Her coach, Chest immediately noticed her determination. “As a coach, I know she’s someone I can put my trust in because I know she’s going to show up. She listens to everything I say. I know I can make a difference in her life. She comes in with such determination, purely based on what she’s already earned. And now she’s focused on the next goal. She wants it so bad. There’s nothing that can stop her,” Chest said.

Lisa explained what brought her in: “I’ve struggled with weight my entire life, and on the road to morbid obesity I decided to make a change. I had lost a couple of hundred pounds on my own but felt kind of stuck, and although I was losing weight, I still had a long way to go and my goal had changed from wanting to be skinny to wanting to be fit and strong,” she said.

Despite her will to become fit and strong, it took a ton of courage to contact a school of fitness.

“I walked through the doors my first day completely terrified. I was terrified of my coach (Charlie), whom I had never met, I was terrified he was going to be mean, I was terrified I was going to embarrass myself and/ or pass out during the assessment, I was terrified the other people there were going to judge me and make fun of me, I was terrified I couldn’t keep up in classes. I was so terrified,” she admitted.

She put her fears aside and showed up. Again and again and again. Her fears soon subsided and before she knew it, she found herself fitting in and loving it.

“The community has helped me stay with it, cheering me on and giving me confidence instead of judging me like I’ve experienced at traditional gyms in the past. I feel like I’m a part of something, not just at MadLab but even at events like the Regionals, volunteering and feeling like I’m a small part of it. I even feel like it’s easier to learn things, to read things and remember them. Fitness has changed every part of me, physically and mentally. Those of you who know me know that I’m usually the last one finishing up workouts and that I’ll never make it to the games. But that doesn’t matter, because I’ve gotten so much more out of it,” she said.

“Today I have never been stronger, healthier, and more self-confident. Fitness makes me feel strong and powerful, two things I’ve not felt ever in my entire life. It gives me an outlet to de-stress after work, to focus my energy into something positive when I’m feeling down. At work, the heavy equipment I used to struggle to lift is now no trouble at all. At home I no longer struggle to lift the heavy laundry basket or groceries from the car. I feel more confident as I no longer have to worry about not fitting into clothes in the “regular” stores,” she said.

Lisa as a child and Lisa now

Before coming to MadLab, Nathalie Maurer was a Canadian national team rower. She made it all the way to the World Championships, and collected a couple of Pan American Games medals during her rowing career, as well.

With a master’s degree from UBC to her name, when she retired from rowing she moved on to pursue a career in engineering. For the first time in a long time, she found herself losing fitness rapidly.

“I was feeling unfit and missed the team and competitive atmosphere in my day-to-day life,” Maurer said. “I had a feeling functional fitness would be a good thing for me, but what I didn’t anticipate is the MadLab community and all of the new friends I would make.”

She has been with us since 2011 and says she’s a different person now than she was back then. And somewhere along the way, she has managed to turn herself into one of the most bad-ass women in the facility.

“I love the variety of experiences I’ve had while at MadLab—from competing in my first MadLab competition to competing at Regionals—my competitive spirit has been easily fulfilled,” she said, adding that she loves being part of a team. “Although we’re not always competing as a team in the strictest sense, there’s an extra push you get when there’s a person next to you working just as hard as you are,” she said.

But even more than fulfilling her needs as a competitor, Maurer has grown as a human being, and she credits this to the MadLab community, who accepts her unconditionally, including the coaches.

“The coaching I’ve gotten at Madlab has been some of the best I’ve ever received, and it’s not just coaching on lifting technique or pull-ups, it’s on lifestyle and health that’s been just as important,” she said. “I will keep walking through that door for years to come.”

Rachael Clifford came to us from California in the fall of 2012 – on a three-month sabbatical from work – as part of her “quest to become healthy.”

“I was suffering from depression, anxiety, and sleeplessness. I was sick of taking medications for all of my symptoms,” she said. “I had had enough and wanted to try the natural approach to feeling better.”

Rachael had been CrossFitting for almost a year when she arrived in Vancouver, but she still felt like a beginner. “My strength, form, and confidence needed a lot of work. I committed to making it a priority and went into it with a positive attitude and a consistent schedule,” said Rachael, who also embraced stretching with Giselle and mobility training while in Vancouver.

After three months in with us, she said she improved dramatically in every area of exercise. “There’s something about the Paleo diet and CrossFit that has cured me,” she said. “These people in Vancouver know what they’re talking about.”

“I feel amazing and beautiful and I can finally live my life to my full potential,” she added.

When I think about cycling 240 kilometers in two days, ‘therapeutic’ isn’t the descriptive word that comes to my mind.

But for CrossFit Vancouverite, Pascal ‘I don’t look a day over 16’ Gray, his recent bike ride from Surrey to Seattle had elements of unmistakable therapy.

Gray, a High School teacher, took part in the recent BC Ride to Conquer Cancer, a 240 kilometer bike ride. The main reason for the journey: A way to remember his father, who lost a battle with cancer and passed away a year and nine months ago. “The second day of the ride fell on Father’s Day, so that had a huge impact on me,” said Pascal. “It gave me a lot of time to reflect about who my Dad was, and to spend time with him in a metaphysical kind of way,” he added.

Pascal says rides like this help him in dealing with the loss. “It was amazing to be around those 2,900 riders, to be surrounded by people on the same page as me,” he said.

Another place Pascal feels at home is right here at CrossFit Vancouver. His first CrossFit experience? Last year’s Nutts Cup. He still remembers the pain. “I remember pushing to the point that I wondered if I’d get through the workout. And I thought to myself, ‘there’s nothing else that will do this to me,’” said Pascal, who was immediately hooked. “I was totally blown away by the workout and the people in the box, and it actually solidified what I already believed fitness to be.”

Pascal says his father’s death was a cataclysm for change in his own life, and CrossFit provided him with the opportunity to do just that. “I was severely abusing my body and mind with my diet and alcohol misuse,” said Pascal, who quit drinking after losing his Dad. “I decided to dedicate my life to a healthier lifestyle,” he said.

Since then, not only has he become an avid CrossFitter and bike rider, Pascal also ran his first half and full marathons last year.

As for the ride to Conquer Cancer, so far Pascal’s fundraising efforts have raised $5,600, and it’s not too late to donate to his cause.

If you want to donate click here.

Yesterday I jumped into a wood recycling bin to salvage a beautiful old plant table. It was in a big, deep shipping container, and I popped myself in and out of it with no problem. I would not have been able to do that a year and a half ago.

I started Crossfit training as an overweight, inactive new mom. My sister had been training for a while at that point and I was impressed and inspired by the changes I saw in her. However, I had no idea what I was really signing myself up for. During the personal training sessions I was brought to tears, on more than one occasion, just trying to finish the workout. I pushed myself so hard through some of the sessions, questioning what the hell I was doing there; but once I finished I was elated, and left with a high like no other. I got hooked.

I have never been super athlete and wouldn’t claim to be one today, but I am strong and I can do a pull-up. That makes me happy. I love reaching little milestones, because to me they are huge. For example: the first time I ran 800m without stopping, my first rope climb and the first time I strung together 10 double-unders. I was so proud of myself and I’m sure I bounced around the gym looking like quite the fool, but man, it felt good. One of the best things about Crossfit is that while I am achieving these goals, I have people cheering me on and supporting me, and 9 out of 10 times, these people are super athletes. They can do 30 pull-ups in a row and they cheer loud for my one; it is a great community to be part of.

I still get nervous sometimes before the workouts. I think if that feeling ever went away it would be a loss. The nerves challenge me to push through the task at hand, teaching me that although it might be daunting, nothing is impossible. Thanks to Crossfit I can do things I never though possible, like pulling myself out of a shipping crate with ease (and hopefully a little grace).

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