Our athlete of the month for July is Jordon Smith. Jordon has only been at CFC for 6 months but has quickly became one of our favorite athletes. He is what we call “ALL IN”! He loves being at the gym and has participated in every competition we have - including winning the most recent one! He has a great transformation story and has lost 45 pounds since starting CF!
Here is a little more about what Jordon loves about CFC:
Jordan before he began at CFC
How long have you been Crossfitting?
Since December 2016.
What made you start CF?
I played sports my whole life, but that has never translated to any desire whatsoever to work out. I've always hated typical big-box-type gym programs. Crossfit has always interested me though, and I liked that it seemed to make you better at moving in general and didn't just focus on aesthetics. My problem was that I was really nervous about being unable to get through the workouts or even do the movements. A guy I work with started going to some crossfit classes and asked me to join him several times over the course of a few months and eventually, I just ran out of excuses and decided to try it out.
What changes have you seen since starting CF?
I've lost quite a bit of weight, increased my strength, and improved my overall endurance. My wife has brought up more than a few times that I'm a lot less "cranky" than I was (apparently) before I started.
What is your favorite/least favorite movement?
My favorite movement is probably the kettle bell swing. I've always been fairly comfortable with it and it seems to translate to a lot of the other movements that we do.
My least favorite by far is the snatch. I feel like I should be able to do it, but I can't seem to put together the different parts of the movement. And when I fail (which happens often), it tends to be... less than graceful.
What is your favorite part of CF Conway?
Without a doubt, its the people. The coaches put a lot of time and effort into making sure that everyone who walks in the door has the best experience possible. They really care about you as a person and they truly want to see you succeed and reach your goals. There is something about putting in this kind of work as a group that brings everyone together. I've developed friendships through crossfit that would never have happened otherwise.
What are your long term goals?
I want to get better at basically all of the gymnastics movements. The core and grip strength needed along with the flexibility have always been a little slower for me to pick up, but I'm starting to see some improvement and I want to continue to develop in that area.
What advice do you have for people wanting to start CF?
I was really nervous about not being in good enough shape to even begin to do CrossFit. Even when I walked in the box for the first time, it was super intimidating because I'm watching some of these people doing workouts that look borderline impossible. What I didn't realize is that those same people felt about the same way I did when they first started. It doesn't matter how good of shape you're in or what you can or cannot do right now. Every workout can be modified to your ability and then you develop from that point. The coaches always say that 'Everyone starts somewhere.' Once you commit to starting, you'll be amazed at how quickly you progress and what you are capable of doing.
