In just under a year with us, Eric has been one of our most dedicated and active members! He recently competed in the Element Competition with other members on a team, and podiumed at our 416 Classic Olympic Weightlifting event! Check out his story:
“I grew up I St. John’s, Newfoundland where I also attended university and got a degree in Engineering which brought me to Toronto in August of 2021 to work with Bell Canada. Both playing and watching sports have been part of my life since I was young.
I finished playing competitive hockey and wanted to continue to train and stay in good shape. Going to a standard gym and doing the standard 3 sets by 10 reps with some work on the treadmill or stair climber got very boring and was it was hard finding the motivation to go. Crossfit provided me with that competitiveness I was missing along with programming that’s always changing with workouts that are challenging and exciting!
The location of 416 was perfect for me and Karolina also did a great job of explaining how the gym and workouts are structured and the additional training that can be provided by the coaches. I checked out a couple of Cross Fit gyms and 416 by far and away did the best job at explaining who they are, what they are about and actually made you want to be a member.
Starting off I didn’t have any distinguishable impressions as I assumed it would be just another gym. However I quickly learned how helpful and dedicated all the coaches are. I have had coaches pushed me harder than I thought I could go to hit new PR’s, I recently had Coach Derya assist me with how to treat soreness in my knee from overhead squatting, And throughout the Jan lockdown of 2022 it was great to have coaches reach out to hold me accountable for at home workouts.
My first bright spot was being able to string together multiple hand stand push ups and toes to bar which Coach Megs helped me through . My Proudest moment is my 445lb 4RM Deadlift which coach Hannah helped me build up to and my 365lb 3RM Back Squat which coach Karolina pushed me though.
Right now I’m working on Bar Muscle ups and improving my technique on cleans and snatches as Coach Megs is always excited to remind me about my free lancing feet. The coaches have also taught me the importance of stretching and mobility so I am working on incorporating more of this in my day to day routine!”
