About Us
MEET OUR
Coaches & Staff
With CrossFit at its foundation, we offer a core strength and conditioning program that is made up of functional movements performed at a high intensity level. These movements are actions performed in day-to-day life, like squatting, pulling, pushing, etc. Our coaches focus on teaching our athletes good mechanics and require consistently safe movement prior to increasing intensity of weight, speed, or volume. Following this paradigm of sound mechanics done consistently well prior to increasing intensity has allowed our program to yield exceptional results for athletes of all ages, genders, and experience. Fairwinds CrossFit is just one of thousands of affiliates around the world. For more information about the global CrossFit Community, please visit www.crossfit.com.
Coach Eric
ABOUT COACH ERIC
1. What was your first CrossFit workout and how did it go?
It was an introductory class at a local gym. It was the first workout that everyone did the first time they came in. I remember it being hard, sweaty and I was exhausted after 11:00 of work. Once I caught my breath my first words were “Where do I sign up?” The rest as they say, is history.
2. What’s your favorite CrossFit movement?
The Clean and Jerk. I love doing it, coaching it, watching it. Oh! Also Rest. Especially when it’s programmed in the workout.
3. What’s your favorite benchmark workout?
“Grace” 30 Clean and Jerks for Time. Short, sweet and looks cool.
4. What’s your least favorite benchmark workout?
CrossFit Open WOD 14.5 & 16.5
21-18-15-12-9-6-3
Thrusters and Burpees Over the Bar
5. What’s the skill you’re still working on?
That’s the fun thing about CrossFit. You’ll always have something you could work on. And then another. And then another. Keep things interesting.
Coach Jack
ABOUT COACH JACK
1. What was your first CrossFit workout and how did it go?
Officially, it was a 5×5 Deadlift workout in the fall of 2006, but I hated it and swore I would never do CrossFit again. Fast forward 3 years, and a friend convinced me to try it again, so I consider my first “real” CrossFit workout Fight Gone Bad: 3 rounds for max reps of 1:00 each of Wall Ball Shots, Sumo Deadlift High Pull, Box Jumps, Push Press, Calorie Row, 1 min rest between rounds. I did that workout on deployment, loved and hated every second of it, and have never stopped doing CrossFit since!
2. What’s your favorite CrossFit movement?
If we could somehow combine a burpee, a deadlift, and double unders into one movement, that would be the greatest CrossFit movement ever. But since that’s just silly, I vote for the burpee. They are always hard, they always hurt, and there’s never a good reason to stop…except they are hard and they hurt.
3. What’s your favorite benchmark workout?
The Hero WOD “Bradley”: 10 Rounds For TIme of 100 meter Sprint, 10 Pull-Ups, 100 meter Sprint, 10 Burpees, 30 seconds rest. It’s simple, it’s super fast each round, and the 30 seconds of rest is never long enough to let you get your breath, but just long enough to trick you into thinking you can go a lot faster than you probably should. Classic CrossFit.
4. What’s your least favorite benchmark workout?
It’s a pretty close tie between Fran (For time, 21-15-9 reps of thrusters and pullups) and Karen (For time, 150 Wall Ball Shots). Those relationships are definitely classified as “it’s complicated.”
5. What’s the skill you’re still working on?
Strict gymnastics movements. After doing this CrossFit stuff for over a decade, I’ve definitely learned that the more time I spend on the seemingly basic stuff (squats, pushups, pullups, hollows, arches, etc.) the better everything else gets.
Coach Mary
ABOUT COACH MARY
1. What was your first CrossFit workout and how did it go?
After years of badgering by my step daughter, I finally stepped into a CrossFit gym (at the age of 50+). I was met by none other than Coach Eric, who guided me through a workout that was something like: 500m row, 40 situps, 30 pushups, 20 pullups. It was all fun & games til the pushups….. It was hard, and fun, and full of room for improvement. I also saw a regular CrossFit class going on, and people were using barbells, which looked like a blast! I was hooked & signed up for a membership as soon as I finished. So glad I did! After 5 years of CrossFit, I’m stronger and fitter than at any other point in my life. When I started CrossFit, I couldn’t do one pushup; in a workout we did several months ago, I did over 100! That’s what consistency, solid coaching, and perseverance did for me.
2. What’s your favorite CrossFit movement?
Overhead squats
3. What’s your favorite benchmark workout?
Hero WOD “DT” (even though there are no overhead squats in it!) 5 Rounds for time of 12 Deadlifts, 9 Hang Power Cleans, 6 Shoulder to Overhead.
4. What’s your least favorite benchmark workout?
Anything with lots of burpees….
5. What’s the skill you’re still working on?
I’m still working on many things, because there’s always room to get better. As a coach, I’m always working on my ability to see flaws in an athlete’s movement so that I can help them move more efficiently.
Coach Amy
ABOUT COACH AMY
1. What was your first CrossFit workout and how did it go?
The Hero WOD “Jerry” – For time: 1 mile run, 2000m row, 1 mile run. I lost count of my laps around the building (who knew there’d be math in CrossFit) and had never been on a rowing ergometer before. Despite all of that, it was the closest I had come to feeling like I was part of a team since playing sports in college and I was hooked.
2. What’s your favorite CrossFit movement?
Overhead squatting. It’s so challenging for a million reasons (shoulders! midline! hips! knees! ankles!), but holding a loaded barbell over your head while simultaneously squatting is about as super-heroish as it gets.
3. What’s your favorite benchmark workout?
The Hero WOD “Murph” – For time: 1 mile run, 100 pullups, 200 pushups, 300 squats, 1 mile run. The work can be partitioned in any manner and if you have a 20# weighted vest, wear it. What started out as a CrossFit-centered grueling grindy workout in honor of LT Michael Murphy, a soldier killed in Afghanistan, has grown to have meaning well beyond CrossFit and LT Murphy. I love, too, that it can be scaled and modified in a zillion different ways (just like all CrossFit workouts) so that everyone who wants to participate, can.
4. What’s your least favorite benchmark workout?
Kelly – 5 rounds for time of 400m run, 30 box jumps, 30 wall ball shots. It is hard for me to talk to people named Kelly now that I have encountered this WOD on several occasions. (Just kidding, every Kelly I have ever met, except for this one, is lovely and awesome!)
5. What’s the skill you’re still working on?
There are many, but perhaps the one I ruminate on the most is bar muscle ups – in quiet moments I picture myself floating effortlessly up to the bar and then I come into the gym, hang from the bar, and reality comes crashing down around me… 🙂
Coach Shelley
ABOUT COACH SHELLEY
1. What was your first CrossFit workout and how did it go?
My first workout was the standard row, squat, sit up, push up, and pull up (ring row) workout that many boxes used as their first benchmark WOD for new members. I could hardly walk for days afterward.
2. What’s your favorite CrossFit movement?
I love clean and jerks! When everything clicks and they are well executed, they are poetry in motion.
3. What’s your favorite benchmark workout?
I like Cindy – 20:00 AMRAP (as many reps as possible) of 5 Pullups, 10 Pushups, 15 Air Squats; small chunks of work spread out over a long time domain – love it!
4. What’s your least favorite benchmark workout?
I hate to jump on the Karen bandwagon, but in this case – it’s unavoidable. I’m sure that means that I just need to do more wall balls.
5. What’s the skill you’re still working on?
I’m still working on strict handstand push ups, and strict pull ups. Oh and double unders and toes to bars. Actually, I’m still working on squat snatches and the echo bike, too. On the plus side, I’ve completely mastered the cool down. The continual opportunity to improve is what keeps me coming back. It’s the whack-a-mole of fitness.