Athlete of the MonthJanuary
How old / young are you? 47 What is your occupation? Recovering Journalist & Digital Marketing/SEO Consultant When did you join Widespread Fitness? October 2019 Why did you decide to give Widespread Fitness a try? It seems all my favorite neighbors and even friends from outside the neighborhood belong to Widespread. One of these neighbors, Brad Lingbeck, hounded me constantly about checking it out until I finally caved. What was your athletic background before starting? I played football and other sports through high school. In my adult years, there were periods where I would hit the gym hard, usually when there was a quality facility near my work. However, I usually concentrated on vanity muscles and not actual fitness. What changes in your health, physique, and overall performance have you seen since starting? For the first time since two-a-days in high school football, I feel like I am actually getting fit in a more complete way. I’m actually working on back, shoulder and leg muscles I ignored in the past. I’m doing cardio and running. Besides Brad hounding me, one of the main reasons I joined was to improve my performance on the ski slopes. As my two older sons were getting better in the snow I was finding myself needing to make frequent stops to rest due to my lack of fitness. That isn’t happening anymore. For the last couple of years, I was starting to feel “old.” Now, I don’t. What advice would you give to someone with regards to starting? Just jump in and give it a try. Don’t think about it. Don’t wait for the “right time.” Just do it. I used to drive by CrossFitters sprinting out of their box and think, “I could never do that.” I now think, “I could never not do that.” As Eminem once said, “You can do anything you set your mind too, man.” What is your favorite and least favorite exercises / movement? I still love vanity exercises like floor press and I still hate running and burpees. The difference is I do them all now. (Burpees should still be outlawed, I heard they cause disease or something) What is your most memorable moment so far? I have a lot of memorable moments, but the one that comes to mind right now is the first time I chose to run over row in a workout. That was a big accomplishment for me. What do you like to do outside of the gym? I love to coach youth sports, ski and attend outdoor concerts and sports events. I also love just to be with my wife and kiddos, whether it’s watching The Masked Singer or chasing our dog around the backyard. I feel very blessed. What is your favorite “cheat” food or meal? I’m a sucker for Mexican food and will down many tacos and burritos smothered with delicious green chili. I also love chicken wings. And candy. And soda. I haven’t really tackled nutrition in a responsible way yet! What is something people would be surprised to know about you? In my younger days, I was a crime reporter and I just might pop up on your television some late night on a Forensic Files rerun or an old CNN JonBenet Ramsey investigation archive clip. Who or what inspires you the most? Literature and music. I am constantly blown away by the insights and revelations we can find in the written word, whether it be the divinely inspired Bible or the retelling of a courageous life lived through a biography such as Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption. I also find inspiration in music and am in awe of these artists who create works that can un-peel and evoke emotions like no other medium. What is one goal you would like to accomplish? I’d like to enjoy running once in my life.
