As the CFC roster continues to grow, it is time to start posting our newest members, to make it easier to recognize faces and remember names.

For those of you who have been training, please make it a point to introduce yourselves and make our newest athletes feel welcome. The support and camaraderie enjoyed by our members is what makes CrossFitters in general — and CFC athletes in particular — unique. Regardless of how big our roster gets, we want to keep that same “club” feel that it has now, where everyone knows each others’ name, and everyone encourages each other through the process of learning, improving, and perfecting our “sport of fitness”.

September 1st, 2010: (names/photos from left to right)
Lauren is a top rated basketball player who is looking to take her game up a notch. A natural athlete, she will see a marked improvement in her strength and conditioning, which will give her an advantage once the season rolls around. Her brother Matt, an up and coming soccer star, trained here last year and made some tremendous gains.

Joe recognized the need to get out of his routine and jump start his fitness program. Joe, you made the right choice! Glad to have you as part of CFC.

August 28th, 2010: (names/photos from left to right)
Tim M is off to a great start. While he admits the first WOD was a brutal wake up, he has stepped up his game considerably in a short amount of time already. Way to push Tim!

Dana is Coach Dan’s wife and – under the watchful eye and coaching of her husband – will surely be a strong CrossFitter here at CFC.

Sam is a former collegiate swimmer and a good athlete. He is off to a great start at CFC, consistently hitting the classes with intensity. Lots of potential here!

July 17th, 2010: (names/photos from left to right)
Eight new members came on board this week, Monica, Melanie, Adam, Gretchen, Erika, Lori, Francesca and “Sway”. Please welcome them when you see them. Most have completed their On Ramps sessions and have already begun classes.

July 1st, 2010: (names/photos from left to right)
Four new members came on board this week, Christine, Kate, Alex, and Matt. Please welcome them when you see them. They all completed their On Ramps sessions and have already begun classes.

June 22nd, 2010: (names/photos from left to right)
Very excited to have these three new members finish their On Ramp sessions! Mike H just left the U.S. Navy and is going back to school. He was introduced to CrossFit while on his ship, has an incredible squat, and is working toward his first muscle up. Stephanie comes from a family of weight lifters and is used to training hard. Christie is a very good athlete, with several years of Tae Kwon Do in her background and is preparing for college softball. You will see them in various classes, so please take the time to make them feel welcome.

June 18th, 2010: (names/photos from left to right)
Frank is a former U.S. Marine and former Golden Gloves boxer, who I used to see running in the New Haven Labor Day Road Races. Now retired, he is ready for a new challenge, and that is CrossFit. I love when people who have years of physical exercise and sports in their past open their minds (and bodies) to a new approach to fitness. “We don’t stop playing when we get old, we get old when we stop playing”.

Kori plays Rugby for the Hartford Roses Hart and is quite the athlete. She wants to improve her athletic performance, and decided that CrossFit training would get her where she needs to be.

Andrea plays on a co-ed Softball Team, the Bad News Bowes. She heard that CrossFit will challenge her various capacities (strength, endurance, flexibility, speed, power, etc) and she is correct.

Jen and Rebecca joined together after deciding they needed to get back into shape. They heard from friends the quickest and most fun way to do this was to come to CrossFit Cheshire and we are glad they are here. They are lively, enthusiastic and positive, which will make for some great classes! Jen’s husband has already told her he is signing up for the BJJ classes!

Joe is a former Rugby player (I had no idea it was that popular!) and a New Haven Firefighter. He is related to one member, Frank, and friends with another, Kris. They challenged him to try a workout, he did, and came back for more. A naturally strong athlete, he is looking forward to dropping some weight while keeping his strength. Joe pushes himself hard, so he will be making some quick progress here.

June 9th, 2010: (names/photos from left to right)
Dan E has the potential to be a great CrossFitter: strong, athletic, and passionate about fitness. He is a warm, friendly guy who will fit in nicely with our community of athletes. Glad he found us!

Kevin E is a school teacher and an extremely strong athlete. With a power lifting background, coupled with Strongman training, he has tremendous strength and power already. Now that he has begun CrossFit training, he is addressing any deficiencies in his game, but so far no one has spotted any. He is an absolute gentleman, but a beast in the gym.

Julia is yet another in a long line of Quinnipiac U students who is on board. Unlike the others, she is staying through the summer, and just registered for the Warrior Dash (apparently this event has gotten so popular, the organizers had to add a second DAY, so it now runs on Saturday and Sunday).

June 3rd, 2010: (names/photos from left to right)
Jeremy P and Steven P, cousins who train in MMA, decided to seek peak physical performance through superior programming, aka CrossFit. They are well rounded athletes who will not be afraid to push themselves to the limit.

May 20th, 2010: (names/photos from left to right)
Kevin Z is Claudine’s husband, and joined after tackling the Team WOD last Saturday. He is in very good shape, but knows he can kick it up a notch. Coincidentally, Anthony P is taking On Ramp sessions with Kevin, and is friends with Claudine and Kevin from road biking and spinning. Love these 7 degrees of separation.

Jeff P is the husband of Kyle, who also joined this month. So now we have several couples who are all training at CFC: Jeff & Kyle, Kevin & Claudine, John & Amy, Pat & Stephanie, Coach Chris & Rachel, Paul & Ashley, Dave & Jen, and Josh & Jeff.

John P walked in cold, knew nothing about CrossFit, liked what he saw and heard, and started his first On Ramp that same day. An aspiring boxer, he recognized how well suited this training is for the physical demands of “The Sweet Science”. He already has logged some time on the heavy bag.

May 5th, 2010: (names/photos from left to right)
John F is the husband of CFC member Amy F, son-in-law of CFC member Kathy K, and friend of CFC member Steve R, so he has a little catching up to do! John has great enthusiasm, a positive attitude, and loves the workouts, so he fits in very nicely already.

Kyle P came in to try a Chaos class this past Saturday, and joined as soon as the class was over. Her friend Delaney S is already training here, and she was intrigued by the things she was hearing. Kyle is not afraid to push herself, and is sure to make great progress with her “can do” spirit.

Stephanie A is the fiancee of Pat W, who has been training here at CFC since November. Stephanie will make progress quickly under the watchful eye of Pat, who is a very strong Crossfitter. We are thrilled to have them both working out together here.

Sonia B (whose son was attending the After School Program at CFC until his baseball season started) is a Hamden school teacher who is quickly becoming a regular. With a prior gymnastics background, she shows very good form and quickly learns the lifts. She joins other teachers here at CFC, who teach in Trumbull, Cheshire, Meriden, New Haven, North Haven, and Prospect.

April 29th, 2010:
Kurt M is a Wallingford chiropractor who played football, wrestled, and boxed “back in school” and is now looking to regain the fitness level he once enjoyed. Kurt used to play football with our Scott L, who is a regular in the 5:30 am class. Kurt is a powerful guy who will do well here once he acclimates to the programming.

April 26th, 2010:
Dean C is the 5th Quinnipiac University student (and the 3rd Tau Kappa Epsilon brother) to join this year! Way to represent. Dean is going to be staying on through the year, as he is working in New Haven, so we look forward to witnessing his progress and he gets stronger, faster, and fitter.

April 15th, 2010: (names/photos from left to right)
Cathy recently ran into Sue P at a 5K road race (Sue has been training here at CFC since February) and remarked on how fit she was. Sue P told her to come in and try a Chaos class, which Cathy did, and joined the following day. Cathy has a winning smile and positive attitude, which makes her a joy to train. She will fit in nicely with our community here, and I look forward to seeing her improve each week.

Dave G and Lou B just finished their On Ramps and are ready to start their CrossFit training. Dave and I used to train Tae Kwon Do many moons ago. Dave has not trained in Tae Kwon Do for several years now due to reoccurring injuries, but realized his level of fitness was deteriorating and he was putting on weight. By chance, he came upon the CFC site, recognized me, and came in with a buddy and co-worker, Lou. Now they are both ready to tackle the WODs!

April 1st, 2010: (names/photos from left to right)
Angelo M is an active U.S. Marine Reservist who is back from deployment overseas. He is already in very good physical shape, but recognizes that there is more to fitness than running and body weighted exercises. Angelo learns everything he is shown quickly. In true Marine fashion, he pushes himself hard on the workouts and is excited about finding CrossFit. We are equally excited, as Angelo has huge potential to be a top notch CrossFitter.

John M is a Quinnipiac student who has joined the ranks of Eric S, Tom S, and Justine L, bringing the total number of Quinnipiac students to four! John is a joy to coach, as he is attentive to detail and pushes hard.

Jennifer T is a mother of two who has recognized what a lot of others have learned: Spinning, Pilates, Yoga, Zumba, Body Pump, etc are not going to give the results that CrossFit will. Jen realized she was not seeing results, even though she was exercising regularly. As a mother of two, she does not have the luxury of wasting hours at a time in a gym, so came in and liked what she saw. She has now completed her On Ramp sessions and took her first Chaos class Saturday. Jen will do well here, as she has a great attitude and enthusiasm.

Matt B has a few customers at his barbershop that train at CFC. Matt decided to finally try it for himself, and is just loving it. Matt is already a well rounded athlete: strong and powerful with stamina, so he has transitioned smoothly into the program. Matt loves it here, so this is a match made in heaven. It is a joy to see him clobber these workouts!

Quinnipiac Law School alumae Joe G and Frank B are local attorneys who joined together and just finished their final On Ramp. We continue to attract great people in this place who are a joy to train.

March 1st, 2010: (names/photos from left to right)
Matt A just finished up his On Ramp sessions and is excited to start his training. As he already friends with several other members of CFC, he will feel right at home. Matt is an accomplished mixed martial artist, currently studying Jiu Jitsu, Muy Thai, and Krav Maga, as well as a very good runner, so he should hit the ground running here.

Pedro came in upon the invitation of Denise, one of our newer members. After his initial On Ramp, Pedro recognized the need to step up his game. He plans on making a career in law enforcement, so knows that physical agility tests are in his future. Pedro knows he needs to address this and soon, so has started taking the 5:30 am class, and was off to a very good start this week.

Frank R is a New Haven firefighter who started with his buddy Chris. Frank has set some time framed goals for himself, and after his first On Ramp session, knew the CrossFit methodology would get him there faster. We are flattered to have him and Chris training with us here with the other first responders who train at CFC.

Claudine is a working mom who loves physical challenges: she has done spinning, weight training, running, hiking, and other demanding physical activities. She loves the concept of CrossFit and begins each On Ramp session with enthusiasm and energy. A quick study who is not afraid to push hard, she will surely transition smoothly into the classes. A pleasure to coach!

Kris is a Wallingford firefighter who is no stranger to a gym. A naturally strong guy, Chris recognized the need for more well rounded fitness. He improves every time he comes here.

February 22nd, 2010: (names/photos from left to right)
James is a Meriden businessman who plays in an adult hockey league. James has been running and lifting weights for several years, but acknowledges that he is in a rut, and has not gotten any faster or stronger, and in fact was gaining bad weight. So now James is going to begin training at CrossFit Cheshire, where he will be performing “constantly varied, functional movements at high intensity” and will finally see results.

Tom is a member of the Southern CT University Police Dept, an avid cyclist, “gym rat”, and softball player. So he was very surprised at how challenged he was during his first CrossFit workout. Tom has seen the light, and will begin training with us now that he has completed his On Ramp course. Tom is a very popular guy here, as he knows several members and always has a good story or funny joke to share. I have worked closely with Tom on Special Olympics events for the past 10 years, and am always glad to see him walk in the door.

February 10th, 2010: (names/photos from left to right)
With our newest additions to CFC, we are proud of the fact that we now have 4 members from the CSP, 4 from Hamden, 3 from New Haven, 2 from Southington, 2 from Cheshire, 1 from Guilford, 1 from SCSU, 1 from West Hartford, 1 from North Haven, 1 from Corrections, and 2 firefighters. All of these tactical professionals recognize the benefits of functional fitness and GPP (general physical preparedness).

Jason J and Lenny S are our newest New Haven guys. Jason is a natural athlete, with the build of a football player and the speed and coordination of a tennis player (which he is). Lenny is an accomplished Tae Kwon Do martial artist and arrived in very good shape. Both are finishing their On Ramp sessions and will be hitting the WODs regularly with their co-worker Marty P very soon.

Glen O joins Jess G in representing Troop I at CFC. Glen is a solid guy with natural power and strength. He has a big smile and a big heart, but when the timer goes off, he is all business. We are very happy to see the member ranks swell with our brothers and sisters in blue.

Denise R is a volunteer firefighter that is training to take the CPAT (Candidate Physical Ability Test) for Firefighters. Naturally strong and fiercely determined, we look forward to seeing her train here in preparation of her goal.

Tim D is a Hamden firefighter who is looking to improve his conditioning and pack on some muscle. Long and lean, Tim will have a built in advantage on the C-2 rower. It will be interesting to see how Tim transforms his physique in the next year; this is a great opportunity for before / after shots!

Tom S is a Quinnipiac University student (our 3rd one!) who has a wrestling background. He has family members in Long Island who are CrossFitting back home, so once he saw how close CrossFit Cheshire is to Quinnipiac, he joined. Tom joins Eric S and Justine L amongst the student body here.

January 30th, 2010:
Eric S is part of the growing Quinnipiac student population who just finished his On Ramp sessions. Naturally strong, Eric recognized he was not in the best shape he could be, and decided to do something about it. He remarked that after the first session, as tired as he was, he could not wait to get back into the gym and tackle his next On Ramp session. He said it was so addicting, he was “counting the days” to get back in to train. We love that type of attitude here!

January 28th, 2010: (names/photos from left to right)
Sue decided to “commit to be fit” and is off to a great start. She just finished her last On Ramp and is good to go. A former police officer and currently a teacher, she recognizes the need for strength and conditioning. Glad to have you training here.

Ryan is a former athlete who now works in the accounting field. With a more sedentary life style, Ryan realized his fitness level was not where it once was. He loves the efficiency of the program and the fact that he is not wasting away hours in a typical gym. Ryan has an easy going, friendly way about him, but brings focus and intensity to each work out. We expect big things from him, as he learns everything fast.

Amanda has joined up with her friend Dayna now, so we should be seeing them both in class. Amanda came in for the afternoon Chaos class on Tues, then was right back at it for a tough WOD on Wed, and did great! Don’t let that smile fool you, she is all business when the timer starts.

January 20th, 2010:
We welcome Tracey, who is a 5:30 am class regular now. She wipes out every standard excuse we hear: “I can’t get up that early and make it to work” (Tracey works full time days); “I have kids I have to get off to school” (Tracey has 3 school age children); “I don’t have time to work out” (Tracey makes the time). Coincidentally, Tracey’s mom trains at a CrossFit facility in their home state of West Virginia, so that eliminates the last excuse of “I’m too old to work out“. Glad to have you on board Tracey.

January 18th, 2010:
Introducing Dayna Z, who finally jumped into the deep end of the pool! She called, then visited, then took a CrossFit Chaos class, then bit the bullet and joined. Dayna knows she has some tough work ahead of her, but anyone who has competed in a triathlon is no stranger to discomfort, so we know she will thrive in this environment. Now we wait for her trusty sidekick Amanda …

Mike D, who first visited when we opened in July, has returned and committed. He is fast becoming a regular now, with an impressive appetite for the workouts. Great to have a local in the house! Mike shows great potential already and we are happy to have him in the CrossFit Cheshire family.

January 10th, 2010: (names/photos from left to right)
Hamden is representing and in the house! “Our Wall of Heroes” continues to grow, with the addition of Jay B, Steve R, Rob V, and Scott L. We are thrilled to have them on board. Nothing makes me happier than seeing professionals taking their trade seriously, putting forth great effort, and having fun at the same time.

December 19th, 2009:
Welcome John L, who walked through the door, signed up, and did a 100 pull up WOD. John, who just arrived from the Maine Maritime Academy, had been trying to do CrossFit at his school gym as best he could. He drove home from school yesterday and joined today. He has huge potential, with a 600+ lb deadlift in his arsernal. We look forward to seeing him train and may have to order more weight!

December 11th, 2009:
Rob J plays in the same outdoor soccer league as Dave S (thanks for the referral Dave!). Rob has a gymnastics background and is a well conditioned athlete. He learns lifts quickly, and excels at body weight exercises, which one would expect from someone with a gymnastics background. We expect he will transition easily into the 5:30 a.m. class and look forward to him starting next week.

Justine L is a Quinnipiac University student who is finishing up her last year. She played soccer at “The Q”, so it is no surprise she is already in very good shape. Justine has expressed an interest in competing in the Regional Qualifiers. Justine has comptetitive fire, will train hard, and smiles all the time (except when she is training).

December 1st, 2009:
Greg G came in with Chris P to try a WOD and loved it, in a masochistic sort of way. Greg is the owner of Max Muscle, and is a walking billboard for this place. A mass of muscle, Greg is looking to build up his endurance and speed, while “leaning out” a bit. He is off to a great start, grinding through his first workout with tenacity.

Jen L has just finished her On Ramp sessions, and will be a force to be reckoned with. A strong athletic background in soccer — having played on a scholarship for the UConn Women’s championship Soccer team — Jen is strong, fit, and ready to take on the WODs! We can’t wait to see the times she starts to put up, as she is competitive and will push herself hard.

November 21st, 2009: (names/photos from left to right)
Our strong blue line is on the march, with the addition of Brad B, who is also in the Coast Guard Reserve, and was deployed last year to the Mid-East as a .50 cal Machine Gunner. A barrel chested bruiser, he is going to be working he way into the WODs soon, as soon as he finishes his On Ramp sessions.

The martial arts community here gets stronger, with the addition of John E, who is training for his upcoming Tae Kwon Do black belt promotional test. John came in for a visit, immediately recognized the need to make CrossFit part of his training regimen, and will complete his On Ramp sessions before Thanksgiving.

November 10th, 2009:
Chris S is 25 years old and currently an 8th grade social studies teacher in the Cheshire Public School System. His athletic background is mainly in soccer; playing in the Olympic Developmental Program, then moving on to play Division 1 at the University of Vermont and semi-professionally prior to his teaching career. He created/implemented a 1 week pre-season “boot camp” for Charlotte Central High School athletics in Vermont and was an assistant varsity soccer coach in New Canaan, CT, where he ran their pre-season conditioning program. In addition, he was responsible for creating a 6 week summer sport camp for Foote School in New Haven, CT. His coaching experience ranges from varsity to premier to middle school.

November 5th, 2009: (names/photos from left to right)
Pat W is our first serviceman to join CFC, and we are proud to have him! After tours in Iraq and Afghanistan with the 82th Airborne Division, he is currently enrolled at SCSU majoring in psychology. Pat was already familiar with CF from his military duty assignments, so he has hit the ground running from day one!

Our strong blue line continues to get stronger, with the welcome addition of Marty P. He is also a Kyokushinkai Karate practitioner, which is a style made famous by Sosai Masutatsu Oyama, more commonly known as Mas Oyama. With that background, Marty is no stranger to hard training, and is not afraid to push himself through a hard workout.

Dave M is a Wallingford businessman with a strong athletic background. His prior experience in the sports of lacrosse and football, in addition to a background of running and weight training, shows during his On Ramp classes. Dave promises to be a top CFer, and he is already off to a fast start.

November 2nd, 2009:
Chris C continues to represent our strong blue line. He just finished his On Ramp sessions, and will be participating in the Class WODs. Upbeat, positive attitude, and a great sense of humor, he will fit right in with any class. I am lucky we continue to attract such quality members to our place. It gets better every week…

October 20th, 2009:
A former colleague of mine, Mike R, decided to take the plunge and has completed his On Ramp sessions in record time. Mike is a high ranking black belt in Chinese Kung Fu, and a retired law enforcement officer. He is the Connecticut Field Representative for NESPIN (New England State Police Information Network), which keeps him on the road. Mike recognizes the importance of high level fitness, and appreciates the efficiency of the WODs and the multiple class times to choose from. We are glad to have Mike training with us.

October 10th, 2009: (names/photos from left to right)
Nick is a firefighter who recognizes the need to be in top physical shape within his profession. Nick is already into his On Ramp sessions and will soon be hitting the WODs regularly. He is quickly picking up the lifts and exercises, and has been impressive in his improvements already.

David is a lean (really), mean (not really) fighting machine, who holds a purple belt in BJJ. He is also the drummer for his band Seafire. David is looking to put on some muscle and gain strength to help him when he is “rolling” at CT MMA (Fabio Araujo’s school in New Haven). David always has a smile on his face — even when working out — and is a fun guy to be around!

September 17th, 2009:
We have two more great additions to add to our roster of athletes: Jess G and Josh C. They recently moved to Cheshire, spotted our sign, came in, liked what they saw, loved the workouts, and are in the process of finishing their On Ramp sessions. Jess and Josh will be popping in at various times due to their schedules, so please make it a point to introduce yourselves. They are a perfect match — for each other and for this place! They bring postive, upbeat energy with a desire to learn and improve. Another win/win for CFC.

September 10th, 2009: (names/photos from left to right)
The thin blue line continues to represent, with Chris P and Dave S joining our ranks. I am honored when our finest choose CFC. They train on their time for our protection. Thus, they deserve our appreciation and support. Glad to have them on board.

John U is a former “Power Barner” who, despite his youth, recognizes the benefits of training in the CrossFit methodology. We are always impressed to see a young adult take his training so seriously.

Andrea K lights up the gym with her smile, but she is all business once the stop watch begins. She is a delight to coach, picks up everything that is taught, and has great focus and determination. She is off to a great start.