Growing up I was always active in sports, including, football, swimming, tennis, and martial arts.  I have always had a fire deep down that pushed me to compete and be the best I could be.  After swimming competitively in high school for three years, and playing tennis for two, all the competition and team camaraderie ended very abruptly leaving a huge void that needed to be filled.  Coming to Daytona to attend school that void was filled by what else than hitting the school gym.  I was your typical “gym rat” hitting the bench to bang out some half range of motion presses followed by watching myself do curls in the mirror.  I kept telling myself I wasn’t a gym rat though, looking at the other buffed up dudes in the gym I thought to myself, Boomer you are not a gym rat you’re an elite athlete who has just hit a rough patch.  I kept telling myself that I would just get back into sports after I finished school when I had more time.  So I proceeded to hit the gym 6 days a week, pumping the iron, and occasionally doing some cardio work on either the treadmill, bike, or even I can’t believe I’m admitting it, the elliptical.  Around my second year in school I had gained around twenty  pounds, and had tried to up my workout length, and change my diet but nothing was working.  As the pounds added on I felt disgusted with myself as I looked in the mirror every morning knowing that deep down beyond the layers of fatty foods I injected into my body was a beast wanting free.  While discussing my “elite” workout schedule with a friend, Ross Rickards, he suggested I come give CrossFit a try.  Yeah I had heard about it and its “killer” workouts and I thought what the hell I’ll give it a go. 

Walking in I encountered a group of people using jump ropes, PVC pipes and throwing around some heavy weight.  While all the men used barbells I was given a twenty five pound dumbbell for each hand and told to go at it.  During the workout I realized I was the fat guy in the gym and of course no one said anything but I felt more out of shape and pathetic than I ever had.  Unfortunately I could not continue working at the CrossFit box due to time and lack of funds so I went back to my regular gym routine wishing the whole time I could do CF.      A couple years later some time freed itself up and I got lucky with a new job and I was so pumped to finally start working out at the box.

I went in with my friend, and walking in the door I see two giants tearing through what looked like flailing pull-ups, running, and  doing sit-ups.  After their workout each come up introduce themselves, Boz, and JB. and then collapse in their own pool of sweat.  I was a little nervous but could not wait to prove that I could work hard and do all the things they threw at me.

After a bumpy start with a DNF on one of the workouts, using super light weight, and taking twice as long as the rest of the group I started waking up, going to bed, and thinking about CrossFit every waking minute of the day; it’s all I talked about and could not wait till 5:00 p.m. every day.  The workouts are not only intense, but scalable, always changing, and build muscle that I didn’t even know existed.  The coaches at CFD are very knowledgeable and willing to work with anyone who will put their whole heart into each workout.  They not only teach proper form and offer nutritional advice, but know how to push you past your limits into a state that can only be described as BEAST MODE!  The people at this box are now like a second family to me, always encouraging and cheering each other onward.  After burning through a workout and collapsing next to someone a special bond is formed that I anticipate lasting for years to come.

Coming up on my six month I have lost twenty pounds, put on muscle and accomplished things I never even dreamed of.   I enjoy every second I spend in the box; if I could I would sleep there!  I cannot get enough of CrossFit, and can now comfortably take off my shirt knowing that the fat boy is gone, and a new animal has emerged….and he’s only getting hungrier.