Congratulations to our member of the month, Luis Pizarro!!!
Luis joined us at the start of the new year with some serious goals regarding his fitness. When Luis and his wife Wanda came in for their first Elements session, we knew they were hooked and were ready to join our growing community. They have both been a pleasure to work with, always come in with a great attitude and are eager to soak up everything they can about the new movements they learn. Each week they come in together, push each other to the finish and are always ready to take on our challenging Wednesday and Saturday workouts! Luis always comes in with a smile on his face regardless of the dreadful workout set in front of him.
Earlier this year after only two months of training, Luis signed up for his first CrossFit Open to help give him an extra push and feel what the competitive side of CrossFit was like. Although he knew this was a big challenge he knew that each workout was just like any other that we complete on a daily basis and he would give it his all. He successfully made it through his first CrossFit Open, giving him plenty of things to work on over the course of the next year and new goals to achieve. Since then he has improved greatly in his mobility and and his movement and is getting stronger every day.
We thank Luis for his positive and never quit attitude in our evening and early morning Saturday classes. He helps motivate us all to be better.
Below are a few fun facts about Luis that you may not know.
What are your favorite movements?
Wall balls….so simple, so challenging , so complete.
What is your least favorite movement?
B…u..r..,lets not name the evil one, and including and not limited to any and all variations. My first ever evil one was at Vae Victis and Wanda, my wife, stopped to watch and laugh at me. It was not a pretty sight. TC was there and coached me through it though. After 5 evil ones I was done! Right then and there, that evil movement took the top spot on the list of my least favorite things to do. Since then, I have learned to turn my dislike of that evil movement into motivation to spend the least amount of time doing them.
How did you get into CrossFit and how long have you been training?
My wife and I were looking for a place we could workout together in the winter. Together as in doing the same thing, not doing something in the same place. Good old Google research and Facebook stalking led us to VaeVictis in Dec 2015 and almost instantaneously we knew this was for us. The first several weeks were tough and were insanely exhausting, but at the same time highly rewarding. A couple friends of our friends Advil and Aleve, helped us to keep coming back, and allowed us to enjoy the motivation that pours out from the community environment that CrossFit generates.
What is your favorite thing about CrossFit?
The feeling I get from CrossFit is what I like most. It takes me to a place of self-awareness and discovery by challenging my body and will beyond my own motivation.
What do you like most about CrossFit Vae Victis?
The people! VaeVictis is the CrossFit version of Cheers, where everyone knows your name. Everyone is there to help you put up your best effort, and even a bit more you did not know you had.
To me, it is counter intuitive to think that a sport that highlights individual achievement, goals and accomplishments, could generate such an intense collective sense of community, support and motivation. However, that is exactly what I experience at VaeVictis!
Favorite cheat food?
Cheese….any and all kinds. I rationalize it as having BCED, binge cheese eating disorder. Sometimes I wonder if it is a real thing (note to self – look it up).
Tell us one interesting fact about you others may not know.
I am a recreational cyclist, and when not working out I am usually out riding, whether it is solo, in a group or a charity ride. I enjoy the peace of the silence that I get while riding, and the opportunity to see things in more detail. A few years back, I took a bunch of friends to Puerto Rico and we rode around the island, 5 days of riding, 320 total miles. Thanks to CrossFit, I am planning to do it again next year.
Name one goal or personal record you want to achieve in the next year?
I would like to move up a “page” in the Open Games standings for my age group in New Jersey. I jumped in this year, and just treated it as the Saturday WOD. I had no clue what I got into from the competitive standpoint, and had a blast! Next time, I want to “really compete.”
Once again, congratulations go out to Luis for impressing all of us with his amazing attitude and perseverance. That is what it means to be the CrossFit Vae Victis Member of the Month. Check back next month for the next Member of the Month. We will once again be highlighting one of our great members that is killing it in the box.