CFA ATHLETE PROFILE

 

Each month we will be featuring one of our awesome CFA athletes here and finding out what makes CrossFit Ampthill such a special place to train.

 

 

This month meet Kim!
 

 

Name: Kim Ablett

Age: 33 

Occupation: Armed Forces, AGC SPS (HR Finance Manager)

 

Started CrossFit in: Mar 2014

 

Favourite WOD: Helen (I always love a bit of running in a WOD to mix it up)

 

Biggest achievement so far:  24 Hour WOD. Looking forward to doing it all again in August. Glutton for punishment as always!

 

Describe yourself in 3 words… Career-minded, Competitive, well-travelled.

 

Tell us about your sport and fitness background... I have always enjoyed various sports from a young age, mostly football and playing tennis. I was always a keen runner and since joining the Army in 1998 I've been taking part in athletics and cross country. I regularly do 10k races and have a few half marathons under my belt. My weakness is swimming and I avoid it like the plague. I got hooked on Crossfit after Matt came to Chicksands to do the on ramp for us. I think my friends think I'm a little obsessed, but I don't care! 

What are your goals? To remain fit and healthy as long as my body will let me. Complete a full marathon, and to be able to do a pull up without the help of a band. 

Your biggest GOAT (thing you find difficult)  Rowing. I often get frustrated with this, but I am learning to slow down (for once), and do long strong pulls.... As I so often get told. 

What are your hobbies, interest, talents outside of CrossFit? I am a keen biker, I love nights out and probably far too much alcohol. I enjoy spending time with friends and family. 

What sort of changes in your life have you experienced out of taking on CrossFit that were unexpected?  Don't drink as much as I used to!

Please share your favorite CFA moment…. Making couscous at the Superhuman games! **Kim's contribution to the meal the evening after the games was Couscous.....that was as solid as cement!**

Any advice for people just starting out? Listen to the coaches advice. Slow and steady wins the race. Quality over quantity. 

Complete the sentence: I love CrossFit and training at CFA because…. It's varied, challenging, rewarding. Has a great community and everyone supports each other. Coaches are awesome and patient and it will be hard to find another box half as good. 

Welcome to the nest....

Ladies and gentlemen can I have a drum roll please......... CFA is proud to present their latest on ramp graduate Tara! 

Welcome to the nest! 

#fitterfasterstronger #bemorehuman #poweredbycrossfit 

Welcome to the nest....

Get those hands ready for a big high 5 to welcome the latest on ramp graduates to the nest! Philippa and Michelle have had a busy week learning the CrossFit fundamental movements and are getting #fitterfasterstronger every day.  Welcome to Team CFA #bemorehuman 

CFA Athlete Profile

Each month we will be featuring one of our awesome CFA athletes here and finding out what makes CrossFit Ampthill such a special place to train.

 

 

 

This month meet Charlie!
 (this is her at the Superhuman Games!)
 

Name:Charlie Anderson
Age: 34
Occupation:Police Business Development Manager
 

Started CrossFit in:Technically 2014 but shall we say March 2015
 

Favourite WOD: Angie… the first girl I “met" :-) 

Biggest achievement so far: Competing at the Superhuman Games and surviving!?!?

Describe yourself in 3 words… Determined, Fitter and HUNGRY (OMG I am always hungry these days)

Tell us about your sport and fitness background… I’ve always been into fitness as I needed to be for my job. More about running that anything else. I danced for the first 18 years of my life. I’m a qualified Community Sports leader, enabling me to deliver physical training to young people. Over the years I have found that hugely rewarding and have loved seeing these teenagers grow to develop a healthy attitude to life. Getting them to run a 1.5k log run over obstacles was a huge achievement for the group who wouldn’t even walk if they could get a bus. I’m a Mountain Group Leader and so outdoor walking is a huge passion - I quite enjoyed the three peaks challenge a few years back. I’ve entered countless 10k runs for charity and raised over £4000 for cancer charities. A couple of years ago I completed my first road bike challenge, riding 100k around London, at night, in fancy dress. This led me to complete the UK Police Unity Tour last July and I will be taking my place this year in a yellow jersey as a rear ride marshall. The ride is around 190 miles over 3 days from London to Staffordshire in memory of Police Officers killed on duty. It’s emotionally and physically draining but I love it. I’m still looking for sponsorship :-) https://www.justgiving.com/Pondies-policeunitytour15

I was introduced to Crossfit back in 2014 but didn’t finish my on ramp until March this year. Initially I said I would train twice a week… now I want to train every day. :-)  Prior to CF I avoided ANYTHING weights related with the exception of kettle bells…. Now Wednesday is becoming my favourite day.

What are your goals? To have a 100K deadlift would be nice. Like most people in the box, this year I would like to have strict pull ups and handstand press-ups. Mostly though, my goal is to stick with this and watch my body continue to strengthen in a way I didn’t know possible. My biggest goal is to encourage my children to embrace the healthy and active lifestyle. Both are trialling CF kids at the box at the moment. My daughter is already obsessed :-)

Your biggest GOAT (thing you find difficult) Shrugging when lifting…. It doesn’t matter how much I break it down I seem to REALLY struggle with the shrug. Drives me (and the coaches I am sure) mad!!

What are your hobbies, interest, talents outside of CrossFit?  Spending time with my children is usually number 1 on my list. I love to read and listen to music. Huge karaoke fan ;-)  I love to travel and scuba dive but I don’t seem to get much of it done these days.  I’ve recently become an assistant Section leader at cubs. I was a police cadet instructor for years and really enjoy the outdoorsy things whilst working with young people. I find it hugely rewarding.

What sort of changes in your life have you experienced out of taking on CrossFit that were unexpected?  I wake up naturally at 5am!! That’s not a normal time of day but I love the 6am WOD. I feel so great for the rest of the day. My clothes all fit differently. I am the heaviest weight I have been in a long time but I am also so much stronger and that is after just a few months. Can’t wait to see how that develops as I continue to train.

Please share your favourite CFA moment…  I have two…
1) Team WODs at 6am are BAD NEWS if you can’t count….. never laughed so much when we realised how hard it was to calculate individual contributions….
2) In April it was suggested that I do the Superhuman Games by Aimee…. I laughed. Less than 2 months later there I was, competing alongside 17 others from the box. A great weekend with sunburn and muscle strain :-)

Any advice for people just starting out? Don’t compare yourself to anyone else. It is so easy to feel disheartened when you see others lifting much bigger numbers but we all started somewhere low…. Focus on the form and have fun. I found it really hard to feel confident in the box initially because of this.

Complete the sentence: I love CrossFit and training at CFA because…. I belong somewhere. It is my home from home. I have made some great friends and discovered things about myself that I didn’t know were possible, the whole time in a safe and well structured environment where I know that any risk of injury is minimised by great coaching :-)
 
 

 

 

Welcome to the nest....

At the nest we are proud to present you with the 4 latest graduates of the on ramp session! Please meet Ian, Monica, Damian and Jo. Well done on starting your CrossFit journey with CrossFit Ampthill and we all can't wait to meet you in main classes. #fitterfasterstronger #bemorehuman #welcometothenest 

June 2015 at the Nest

June was a busy month for our athletes at the Nest with the Superhuman Games in Bristol, the Flitton Potato race, welcoming new members into the community and even finding time to smash some PB's in Athletic Levels Testing week! Free Saturday Taster sessions were also a huge hit with everyone becoming #fitterfasterstronger  What will July bring?  #bemorehuman 

The Annual Flitton Potato Race!

Team CFA were out in style this morning as they took on a mile run with a sack of potatoes on their backs!  The 'Awesmome Foursome' came in second in the ladies relay race with a 10kg sack of spuds proving training for the unknown and the unknowable really pays off #proud #potatoes 

Welcome to the nest...

A huge CrossFit Ampthill welcome to John and Carolyn who completed their on ramps last weekend.  John took over 90 seconds off his original baseline time and Carolyn has show great progress and determination over her 12 sessions.  Welcome to the nest!

 

 

Team CFA at The Superhuman Games 2015

Last weekend CrossFit Ampthill took on the 2015 Superhuman Games in Bristol. Teams of two took on five 20min brutal challenges and everyone showed courage, hard work, determination, cheerfulness, pride and true team CFA spirit. Well done everyone, we could not be more proud of you!  #Proud

Welcome to the nest...

Introducing Georgie who completed her on ramp this evening! She took a whopping 10mins+ off her baseline time thanks to some great press ups and completed it in 10.27

Welcome to the nest Georgie!

Welcome to the nest....

Please welcome Lucy and Vicki who completed their on ramp sessions this morning! Lucy took 2mins off her baseline time and Vicki smashed 3mins off.  They have flown through their sessions and have showed great determination and strength, can't wait to see them both in class.  

Welcome to The Nest

Welcome to the nest....

Team CFA meet Lucienne who knocked over 2 whole minutes off her baseline on ramp time! Fantastic effort! 

Welcome to The Nest

CrossFit Ampthill vs Judgment Day

This weekend CrossFit Ampthill took on a half marathon distance obstacle course race in Copehill Down.  Judgment Day!

Ben, Emma, coach Matty H and Joey took on an 11.6 mile run in Wiltshire, carried sandbags, buckets of coal through waist deep mud, dragged concrete blocks on chains through ditches, hoisted weights 30ft into the air, swam through swamps, climbed ropes, carried, dragged and flipped tyres, swung across monkey bars and had their feet tied together! 

The course culminated in a buzzer test before entering the Army base village of Copehill Down where they scaled buildings, climbed over rafters, traversed iron girders and took the ultimate 'infinity leap'!  

It was awesome and #PoweredByCrossfit ! 

A heroic fundraising effort at the nest

This Saturday an epic team of Superheroes descended upon the nest to take part in a fundraising WOD to support our very own Carla Rookwood and Kelly Brown who will be running the London Marathon in just a few weeks. 

All money raised through donations and sponsorship will go to the Bedford Hospitals Charity, a great cause, so, if you missed your chance to don your finest cape and spandex attire, you can still be a hero and show your support HERE 

It is moments like these that make us proud of our community at CrossFit Ampthill - to infinity and beyond!

Welcome to the nest...

A huge CrossFit Ampthill welcome to Dennis who in session 1 took 15.26 to complete his baseline WOD and on Monday cut it down to 11.02! Dennis has shown great determination and dedication in his onramp sessions and he will be a fantastic member of Team CFA. Be sure to say hi to him when your next in the box.  

Happy graduation Dennis and welcome to the nest! 

Welcome to the nest Hayley

A huge CrossFit Ampthill welcome to our latest on ramp graduate. Hayley shaved over 2 and a half minutes off her baseline WOD time this morning.  Welcome to Team CFA, we all look forward to seeing you at the box soon! 

Welcome to the nest...

Introducing the latest on ramp graduate 'Skiddy' who smashed his way through his Baseline WOD in 06:19 yesterday! Make sure you give him a well deserved high five when you next see him at the box. Welcome to Team CFA skiddy!

Welcome to the nest...

Dan and Chris, they have finally done it! Dan may well hold the record for most time taken off of the on ramp baseline, reducing his time by almost 11 minutes (and not meeting pukie second time round), very well done and we look forward to seeing you in WOD classes soon!

CrossFit Ampthill Wellness Challenge 2015 Update

Team CFA are now 4 weeks in and half way through the Wellness Challenge.  Members are working in teams of 4 earning points daily for eating non processed food, avoiding sugar, drinking 4+litres of water a day, working on mobility, checking in with a buddy and more.  There are bonus points to be earned with smashing a PB or showing true CFA spirit too.

Some additional challenges have been added along the way for some extra points with awesome results.  Everyone at the box is embracing the challenge and making the start of 2015 one to remember! 

 

Week 2

'Eat a new fruit or vegetable that you have never eaten before'

 

 

Week 3

'Get your food from your local green grocer, butcher and fishmonger'

 

 

 

 

 

Week 4

'Make a healthy version of your favourite take away or indulgence and post your recipe' 

More updates to follow over the next 4 weeks...
 

CFA Athlete Profile

Each month we will be featuring one of our awesome CFA athletes here and finding out what makes CrossFit Ampthill such a special place to train.

 

Name: Chris Smith

Age: 33

Occupation: Asset Finance Manager

Home town: Woburn, Beds

Started CrossFit in: Dec 2012
 

Favourite WOD: Karen - 150 wall balls
 

Biggest achievement so far: Doubling my deadlift in the two years I've been doing Crossfit!
 

Describe yourself in 3 words… Rational, creative and focused. 
 

Tell us about your sport and fitness background... All my life I was never in to fitness and only occasionally played squash and footy, that was about it. I started working out with Matt during 2012 before the gym even opened. We've been friends for years and I was exceptionally unfit and overweight and he was making a habit of training every day.  At the time we lived just around the corner from each other and, after a drunken conversation in the pub, he invited me along.  After he tried to kill me on our first training session by making me carry kettle bells around a football field several times; I was hooked.  When the box opened I was very keen to join and make fitness a regular thing.   
What are your goals? To stay healthy and to maintain a relatively decent level of fitness. I'm still chasing that elusive first strict pull-up, I'm sure it will come in 2015! 

 

Your biggest GOAT (thing you find difficult)... Running. Its my nemesis. My cardio has improved massively since I started Crossfit but my running stamina is still something I really struggle with
 

What are your hobbies, interest, talents outside of CrossFit? Love walking, cycling and spending time with family. Love visiting new places around the country. Love to travel, have lots of family around the world so enjoy visiting them during the summer months. 

 

What sort of changes in your life have you experienced out of taking on CrossFit that were unexpected? The changes in health and the general feeling of wellbeing is the best thing ever. Actually enjoying eating healthily and challenging myself is something I would have laughed about if you have asked me 3 years ago. 

 

Please share your favorite CFA moment... The day the high pull up bar was mounted! 

 

Any advice for people just starting out?  The only person you need to be faster than is yourself; therefore record everything and compare your movements and WODs to the previous visit. Oh yea, most importantly, buy a foam roller!

 

Complete the sentence: I love CrossFit and training at CFA because…  its not just a 'gym'. Its a fantastic community with strict but helpful coaching, meaning you push yourself on every visit, no exceptions. 
 

A proud moment for Team CFA

We are just a few weeks in to January, and already we have a number of new faces smashing their way through our on ramp, some impressive lifting PRs and full commitment to our 8 week wellness challenge from our regulars. 

With all this is aside, we are very excited to announce that two of CFA's most familiar faces are now about to become even more familiar...

CONGRATULATIONS to  Joanna Hollingdale and CrossFit Ampthill original Catherine Paterson for completing their CrossFit Level 1 Trainer Certs. 

They joined over 20 of the UKs most passionate CrossFitters at Reebok CrossFit Thames last weekend to complete their training and have had a nervous wait this week for that inevitable email to say that they had PASSED (not that us other proud coaches had any doubt). 

When you see them in the box next, be generous with those high fives and start fixing up those squats, there may well now be more eyes on you as Joey and Cath embark on their step as intern coaches at the nest. 

Gone in 60 seconds...

Meet Luke and Evaldo...our latest "On Rampers" to smash the baseline, knocking 60 seconds off of already very quick times. Make these guys welcome when you next see them at the nest.