The Will to Overcome

Cici Does Work!

This woman intends to be the best every time she steps on the gym floor. If you ever met somebody who is competitive down to the deepest root of their being, it is her. She will watch somebody do something then replicate it. She is a fast learner, and waiting for somebody to teach her how is not an option.

What is great about Cici is she only enters that zone during her own training time. Outside of that, she is a humble and genuine person. She shows so much care to everyone she speaks to!

When Cici first told me she was in a bout with cancer, I had a hard time seeing it. She was consistently showing up to class at 5:30am and booking it out quickly to get to work by 7am, and her work day lasts for 8 to 10 hours. What blew my mind the most was when she would tell me about running 12 to 15 miles in the evenings. All I could think is "Who is this person?"

I knew she was a fighter and that the chances of her being defeated by anything were going to be very low! I immediately found myself having a deep level of respect for this lady and at all cost wanted to see her overcome her situation. During her time away from the gym for extensive treatment, I really believed and anticipated that she
would return.

Now that she has, I feel that she has a story that must be known. I don't believe Cici even knows how much she inspires so many others, including myself!


Cici's Story

I think that things happen for a reason and that things happen to certain people for a reason and for me CrossFit came at a really important time. I started working down the street from CrossFit Central and I’ve always been pretty active and athletic and I thought it was pretty cool, seeing the weight training. I went in and did the 3 classes (Elements) with Chris Hartwell in January of this year and was pretty excited. Mike was my first coach when I joined CrossFit Central. I work long hours and wanted an early morning class. There was one more availability in Mike’s 5:30 am class, so jumped at it since I heard it was a highly sought-after class.

The only thing that was holding me back was that I had gone in for a regular check up and was called back by my physician saying that I had some irregular cells. On New Year’s Day, I got a call saying that I had ovarian cancer, which was crappy on New Year’s, to start out the year. But I still felt good. Cancer’s kind of a scary word but I really didn’t think too much of it, I thought it was caught pretty soon and it wouldn’t be a big deal, and so I started working out. It was pretty intimidating. I’d never done weights, so that was kind of a hard thing to get used to, being weak in my upper body.

I started seeing results, started loving CrossFit, started getting a little over-zealous with workouts, calling Mike saying “What if I incorporated P90X everyday AND CrossFit?” He quickly told me that that would be stupid. And so I did CrossFit for about a month or two and I then started feeling the repercussions of getting sick, and I started going to the doctor more for blood tests. I guess it was progressing pretty quickly. I started feeling weaker, and I had to take a month or so off to get chemo treatments in Houston.

It was really hard. I would say it wasn’t the pain, it wasn’t being alone…it was that, when you’re an athlete, your happiness, your motivation to get up is feeling great when you workout, feeling like you’re alive when you’re finished. And when that’s pretty much stripped away from you – the progress you’ve made and you have no power and it’s hard to just get out of bed – you’re a completely different individual. So that was definitely a test for me to really re-evaluate myself.


Cici: I don’t have a pic that is a super dramatic before and after. I’ve always been athletic but now I’m a lot leaner and toned. The photo that I reflect on most was when I was sick and lost all muscle and tone. I got down to about 100 pounds. Now that I’m healthier, I can look back at this pic and see how far I’ve come. I went from losing it all and fighting to gain it back.





I could have turned into an individual that just gave up and stopped working out and just taken what I’ve been given and not really strived to get stronger again, but that’s just not who I am. I’m pretty stubborn when it comes to that kind of stuff, so once I was finished with chemo, the first thing I could think of was getting back to workout. I knew that it was going to be really, really hard, that it was going to be harder because I didn’t want people to see me from what I was before to what I had now turned into, which was starting from scratch. During my first workout, we did bear crawls and I couldn’t even hold my body weight up. I’m not one to cry in front of people, but at that point it was pretty hard to keep in tears and not feel just defeated.

But I stuck with it. I started talking with Mike about nutrition and realized that I was basically starving myself and wasn’t eating the appropriate amount of protein. I started tweaking that more and more. Nutrition is my ultimate downfall. I simply don’t fuel my body enough to give it what it needs. Before starting at CrossFit Central, I went without breakfast and subbed in some coffee. Lunch was a frozen Amy’s and dinner was, eh, whatever was in the house. Once I attended a nutrition meeting, I was intrigued by this new lifestyle of Paleo. So I went home and threw out everything that would not be “Paleo-friendly”…needless to say, it was a shock when I had nothing left in my kitchen. I followed the nutrition and immediately saw results. It was pretty hard at first to increase my protein. I am getting better and better though.

I’ve changed in many spectrums since I started training with Mike. Physically, I’ve lost a total of about 7-8% body fat since, recently losing 5% in the Lean Turkey Challenge. Being an athlete growing up, I thought I was in pretty good shape. Ha! That was a slap in the face of reality once weights came into play. Now I feel MUCH stronger! I’ve always been a runner, so improving speed was a bonus as well in the daily WODs.

Mentally, I was once the girl who thought: Ew, muscles are gross, I don’t want to look like some of the girls I’ve seen in CrossFit who could probably dead lift me with their pinky fingers. Well, once I started seeing muscles and definition in places I never had before, it became an addiction. I loved it, and my once before image of what was sexy and beautiful was now thrown out the door. I wanted to be strong!

Spiritually, I can have an addictive personality at times. If I want to go out for a run, it’s not just 3 miles, it’s 13. If the class is doing 2 reps, I’ll push for 3. So when I started seeing results in CrossFit, I wanted to push myself more and more and more. Mike then lectured me and told me to chill my roll, that doing 2 workouts a day 7 days a week was going to kill me. In the end, it was more about quality than quantity. With time I’ve learned to balance this need to overdo things, listen to my body, and continue to improve…but this is still a work in progress.

CrossFit has been an amazing experience to say the least. I have seen myself grow into a stronger person, pushing boundaries that I didn’t know I could. The changes in my life outside of the gym are too many to count – really, everything has improved. I see things differently now. When a misconception you once had is no longer true, and it changed in a good way, you re-evaluate your life. I am BLESSED and have a whole new outlook on life with the many things going on this year, be it fitness, nutrition, family, friends, career…they have all been driven to a higher standard.

I’m motivated by classmates who show up at the crack of dawn like crazy people to improve their health, great coaches to push me every day and show me that there is no end to my capabilities, my family, my new lease on life being healthy…you never know how precious your life is until it could possibly be taken away or altered.

When I found CrossFit, I was 24 years old, weighed about 135 pounds, had ok energy (I was bad with sleep and usually averaged 4 hours a night), ate what I thought was acceptable food (too many carbs, not enough lean protein). I just turned 25 this month. My latest body comp showed that during the Lean Turkey Challenge I lost 6+ inches, 5% body fat (now at about 14%) and I now weigh 125 pounds.

My new goals are to get stronger, leaner, faster in the gym. I still suck at double unders…so that’s a commitment I need to stick to more. Maybe start more challenging CrossFit competitions and see how far I can push myself. Outside of the gym, I want to go back to school and achieve my PhD in research.

I want to recognize the amazing coaches at CrossFit Central that make fitness, nutrition, and healthy living a top priority in life and do just about anything to educate and better their clients. I want to thank my coach, Mike who has been there with me from the get-go. You’re a great person and mentor, a means of motivation every morning at 5am to push myself harder and harder. Lastly, my fellow classmates, sorry everyone else, but my 5:30 am class is the best. We work hard and push the limits every week – who the hell else wakes up at 5am to workout! Crazy people like us! I look forward to growing together in achievements. I’m very excited to see what else I can achieve now!

I’ve found more of a peace with what happened to me, really realizing that I can have something taken away really quickly but, as long as I fight to get it back, I can be just as happy and even happier because I know that if this (cancer) couldn’t bring me down then nothing will.

Now I’m in a great place. I’m now cancer free and I’m stronger than I was, than I’ve ever been. CrossFit was really new for me, I didn’t know how I’d succeed in it and I really impressed myself with pretty much having everything stripped away and starting from the ground up. I’m really happy where I am now.

Killing It!

Michael is one of those guys that literally surprised the hell out of me. I am always inspired by clients who start up and show rapid progress. It is hard to anticipate what each client is going to achieve and how early on it will happen for them, so sometimes when somebody begins programs and they look like the average Joe, I don't commonly see an immediate fire breather emerge.

Michael is one of those fire breathers! He looks completely different then he did the day he started. In class, I would say he's like an Assassin! Assassins are know as silent killers. This guy comes in and doesn't say much, but when the workout starts he just straight "Kills It!" He is quickly becoming one of Crossfit Central's fittest clients, and I'm willing to bet within another 6 months he will be right there with the best of them!

Michael’s Story

My first experience with CrossFit was joining Mike's class back in May 2011. Before I joined, I looked at some of CrossFit Central coaches' blogs trying to decide who I'd like to have for a coach. I came across Mike's blog and saw this big guy lifting heavy weights with sunglasses on and jumping around like a ninja. I liked his intensity, so I joined Big Mike's class and have not been disappointed. Mike is a positive guy who takes pride in seeing you master a movement or set a new personal record. He pushes you to test your limits and keeps it safe by holding you accountable to proper form.

May 2011

Since working with Mike, my fitness has improved across the board. In the past, I would work on improving in one area for a specific purpose, like running a 5k or lifting heavier weights. With the CrossFit programming, I'm well-rounded enough to go take on any physical challenge. I've also found that I'm more alert and in a better mood while I'm at work. Taking some time out of my day for some fun and self-improvement makes a huge difference. Plus, it gets me outside and, as you can see from my picture, I need all the sun I can get!

My coaches and classmates are definitely a big part of what keeps me motivated. Because it's such a tight group of people, you feel accountable to the others in the group. You know they're expecting you to show up to class, and they'll notice how hard you're working that day. I also want to get the most out of every workout because I want to blow away my old scores on the next benchmark workout.

Growing up, I was always active in sports and joined the Marine Corps Reserves while I was working on my undergrad at UT. But when I began working full time in 2007, I became mostly inactive, spending most of my day sitting in front of a computer. In 2010, I joined Gold's Gym and began lifting weights with a co-worker. I made some strength gains but my overall fitness level wasn't so great and I was developing pain in my knees and shoulders. It was a chore getting to the gym everyday because I wasn't having fun. It felt like I was just going through the motions, doing basically the same routine every day.

When I joined Mike's class, I became hooked on the workouts instantly. I look forward to going to the gym everyday to try to conquer a new workout. In the 6 months that I've been CrossFitting, I've only had to make up 2 workouts. During those 6 months, I’ve dropped 6 pounds of body fat and added 6 pounds of lean muscle. My weight has only dropped by about a pound, but I've lost nearly 4.5% body fat. I can do a pull-up with 90lbs hanging on my waist or go run a 5k in 20 minutes and I've got energy for days.

I participated in my first challenge, Fight Gone Bad 6, in September. It was a great event for an excellent cause and one hell of a workout. I scored around a 280, and I'll definitely sign up again next year aiming to score well into the 300's!

My goal over the next year is to gain strength to lift the heavy stuff and to be able to handle all workouts at the prescribed load. If Mike gives me the go ahead, I hope to move to RedBlack Gym's advanced Garage Gym RX program early next year. I also want to improve my mobility to make some of the complicated movements easier and to avoid injury.

This Lady is Magnetic!

When Judy started in programs she was instantly one of my favorite people. I wanted her to have a great experience at CrossFit Central. At the time she started in class I knew she had a lot to learn and a long way to go in terms of strength. The 12:15 class was sold out and had several experienced people working out in it. I decided to invite Judy and a few other beginner clients to start a new class an hour earlier. That allowed me give them the time and attention that would help them improve.

Judy success is not a surprise to me! She has an amazing attitude. When I think about her success over the past year this is what comes to mind: Happy, Focused, Ambitious, Eager, Determined, Disciplined, Consistent, Persistent, Unbreakable!

Judy has shown resiliency in ways very few are capable of showing. She has a hustler spirit with a heart of gold. I have yet to see her with a negative attitude in any workout, no matter how hard or frustrating it may be. I believe she stays after class every single time to do extra running (mile repeats, 800 repeats, etc.). She often shows up early to work on her pull-ups and other challenging movements. She hits the free Tuesday evening CFE track workouts. During the I Am CrossFit Challenge, she came to the gym almost every Saturday for team WODs and small group training. And she has enrolled several others in her endeavors to join the fun!

It is a true pleasure to work this woman! I can only hope that all my clients take on her type of mindset!

Judy’s Story

I started CrossFit after I went to a free workout with my friend Dusty Trungdale on December 31, 2009. I remember thinking "WOW!"...and "Ouch...I’m soooo sore". I joined the next week.

I was 41 when I started CrossFit. I weighed about 145 lbs. My energy was okay but my food was not in check. Although I thought I ate pretty healthy, the truth is I was eating a lot of processed food and tons of sugar substitutes. Wow...how times have changed! Now I have a garden growing my own veggies – spinach, lettuces, jalapenos and lots of herbs. I have fruit trees and strawberry plants. I eat good!

I did "On Ramp" with Travis Holley for 8 weeks before joining Mike's class. I chose Mike’s class because of the time slot at 11:15 a.m. I have 2 young kiddos, so I was working around their school schedules. Tony and Dusty had raved about Big Mike, so I was very excited and a bit nervous to have him as my coach. Mike reminds me of my favorite high school coach/economics teacher. I have such respect for him that I never want to disappoint him. He makes me want to do better, be stronger, get the answer right. It’s rare to find someone that does that for you.

Since training with Mike, I have obviously gotten stronger physically, but it's more than that. It's like he's given me permission to let my inner warrior out, kicking and screaming "I can do this…I can do anything...I am powerful!!" I have learned that I don't have to be content all the time, that my voice is worth hearing, my opinions are worth speaking. CrossFit has given me the confidence to stand up for what I believe in. It's enabled me to tap into some inner strength I had no idea was there. That's pretty powerful. It's changed my life.

CrossFit has changed my life outside the gym. I see the way my kids have responded to me doing this [I Am CrossFit] challenge. We are constantly talking about healthy choices and getting outside for some fun exercise. I think they learned just as much as I did by doing this challenge. It's important to me that I’m a good role model for my girls. It always makes me smile when they flash the double CC's my way!

What keeps me motivated? Seeing the changes in my body, my increase in energy, even my skin looks better. I want more of that!! When I feel good, I AM good. It’s that feeling of accomplishment that keeps me striving for more. During the I Am CrossFit Challenge, I lost 7.5 inches!! Yee haw! I lost over 3% body fat. I lost 5 pounds of fat and gained 1 pound of muscle. I lost 4.5 pound. Pretty exciting, huh? This was my first challenge but it will not be my last.

Now, I want to become a yoga instructor. I never thought I would actually go for it, but now I have the courage to try it on. Also, I promised myself if I finished the challenge strong I would treat myself to something I’ve always wanted to do...flying trapeze lessons!

I am full of gratitude for sweet Mike and the CrossFit community. They have changed me...inside and out.

My client Debbie

She is a Get it Done indiviual. I first started training her at her home. She had to stay there because her 3 children require almost every bit of attention. Now, 3 day's a week she is able to creep out of her sleeping household @ 5:30 am to attend Crossfit Central Programs prior to getting back to her major priorities! I have seen her son's baseball team crush their opposing team @ a 9pm league championship game by Haden leading a late inning 3 run rally with a outfield knock double! The team is coached by her husband and she kept an eye on her 2 daughters played endlessly on the outside of the field. She didn't mis a glimpse of her son's performance just like she see's every other moment of her children's lives! For that I give her all the props in the world!

Here is her story of your experience and success @ Crossfit Central.

"Until two years ago, I was not a fan of exercise. However, three pregnancies, raising kids, and a deep, sincere love of food and chocolate martinis had taken their toll. I started dieting and stepped up my yoga practice--which is great, but for me, it wasn't enough to bring about the changes I wanted to see. Then I discovered Crossfit, and my whole attitude on exercise changed. I found that sweating is a good thing and that callouses are a badge of honor. And who would have thought that flipping tires would be fun? It wasn't until I signed up for the EPOC I am Crossfit Challenge and then the current Trojan Challenge, though, that I really began to see the changes I desired. Crossfit and clean eating (or at least a valiant attempt at it) have made such a difference. I feel great, I can actually can see stomach muscles (who knew they were there?!?!), and I don't dread bathing suit weather for the first time since I was 20. I still have a way to go, but with the encouragement of great coaches like Big Mike and Winchester, as well as that of my early-rising Crossfitting friends, I've discovered a whole new way of life and for that, I am forever grateful."