Member Spotlight

Our voted Athlete of the Month for June is ANDREW MCKENZIE

Get to know Andrew a little bit better:

How long have you been CrossFitting? 
I was what I guess you’d call an ‘observer’ pre-2014.
I started Sweat workouts in February, 2014. I did that until about December and then started hitting regular CrossFit workouts.
In October, 2015 Corey bought me a t-shirt that says ‘I drank the Kool-aid’. I’m hooked now, so I guess she was right!

What is your favorite CrossFit workout?
I like the Saturday morning team workouts. I love the community and support…..and the occasional opportunity to sneak a nap and/or donut in after an especially hard WOD.

On the flip side, what do you dread seeing on the whiteboard? 
I’m in for a particularly rough ride with any WOD that includes thrusters, OHS, HSPU, or a rep count >30.

What advice to you have for someone just starting CrossFit? 
1) Have patience, it’s a process 2) Scale! & Pace? 3) Keep learning & trying new things 4) Establish a baseline, celebrate your wins 5) Embrace all our great coaches have to offer and the community we continue to build here
What do you do for fun in your real life? 
I love to spend time with my 4 girls and watch all their activities.
I like playing soccer, and pretty much anything outdoors- especially hiking in the Cascades.

What is the best vacation you have ever taken?
I look forward to our annual Sunriver, Oregon trip every year!

Some quotes from your Big Rock Family:

“Andrew always encourages those around him. He’s a great motivator. Even in the middle of a workout he’s continually cheering and pushing you to keep going and not give up.”
“He is ready for a competition with a big smile and then cheers you to finish, after he kicked your ass!”
“Andrew is one of the hardest working guys I know. If he can’t do something he works at it until he can. It’s so awesome to see someone improve so much so fast.”
“He has no quit in him.”

Congratulations to our ONE YEAR MEMBERS! All of you are our May Athletes of the Month!

We are still on a high from celebrating our ONE YEAR Anniversary of opening up CrossFit Big Rock. We wanted to spotlight our members who have been with us since the beginning. This group of members started with us in May and have stuck with us for a full year. Thank you to each and every one of you for your love and continued support. We would not be here without you! Love to you ALL!!!

A huge thank you, appreciation and hugs go out to-

Mike Linder, Andrew McKenzie, Stacy Allik, Carla Smith, Steve Jakubek, Sean Templeton, Dalen Abraham, Sharon Abraham, Jamie Burrell, Ryan Burrell, Jeff Chittenden, Greg Dianich, Michael Doran, Sol Doran, Matt Eyer, Sarah Eyer, Travis Fulton, Rachel Getgen, Jen Heger, Stacy Highland, Kathryn Jakubek, Laura Johnson, Aidan Joes, Maddie Jones, Andrew Kisslo, Kim Kisslo, Sonia Masuga, Lisa Mundy, Kris Munroe, Jason Omlid, Becky Reimer, Denise Renno, Jim Ribail, Byron Smith, Tassin Smith, Poppy Studer, Deborah Taboada, Tami Thomas, Tom Todd, Wendy Tumbleson, Karen Underbrink, and Nadja Wilson

~ Tess & Corey

Congratulations to LISA MUNDY our April Athlete of the Month!

Lisa joined CrossFit Big Rock when we first opened up our doors in May and has continued to be one of our most consistent athletes. Lisa walks through our door with a smile on her face EVERYTIME! She’s eager to tackle what’s on that whiteboard EVERYTIME! Lisa is always working on learning or improving her skills. In the past few months, Lisa has got her Toes To Bar, Double Unders, Rope Climbs, and continues to lift heavier and go faster. Just last week she got her first (and second and third…) PULLUPS!!! We can’t wait to see what she’ll do here in the years to come!

Get to know Lisa a little bit better…

What do you do when you’re not here at CrossFit? 
Play outdoors with my husband Ryan and our two girls; hiking, golfing or riding bikes.  The girls learned to ski this year, which was a ton of fun for us to teach them, and watch them love it!

What makes you come in and train on days when you don’t want to? 
There are so many, it’s tough to narrow down to one.
I love the variety of WODs. Every day is something new, and working different parts of your body with a combo of cardio and strength based movements.
The competitive and supportive environment is also another driving factor, which adds to the motivation.
Pushing me out of my comfort zone.  When my alarm goes off at 5am, and I just want to push snooze, it’s the addictive drive of CrossFit that bounces me out of bed to see what today’s new challenge will be.

What is your favorite food? Peanut butter pretzels with a local IPA!

What’s your favorite movement?  After 16.1 my new favorite is front rack walking lunges, my quads, glutes and hamstrings were on fire, but an area I want to work.  I also love T2B and thrusters.

What’s one thing you would like to accomplish within CFBR in the next year?
Bar muscle ups, consecutive pullups and increasing weight on many of the weighted movements.

Name something about yourself that’s a little known fact.
In 2012, I completed 12 events (actually 13) 1 a month for the year.  I completed 6 bigger events, and 7 smaller ones; 3 ½ half marathons, 2 sprint triathlons, a 12K, and a couple 5K and mud runs sprinkled in-between.  It was a fun challenge that kept me training through the whole year.  The triathlons were probably my biggest hurdle, since I am not an athletic swimmer, but made up time on my bike and run. Each year, I now look to complete a new challenging event.  Last year was the RAGNAR, this year the CrossFit Open, and next summer the STP is on my list to do.

Here is what some of your fellow athletes had to say about you:
“Lisa comes to the gym with a smile on her face every time.  She’s works hard with no complaints and has steadily improved.  She’s always striving to learn more. She’s always open and eager to listen to suggestions and direction. I think she’s been a great addition to our CrossFit family.”
“Lisa has the best attitude!”
“It’s always fun to workout next to Lisa. She’s always so positive and encouraging!”
“I am so impressed with Lisa’s drive and determination. She really has come a far way since last Spring. She always stays after class to work on something new or master a skill.  And all with a smile!”