Blog Archive

Kirk McColl took some time off his military career in Victoria to join us in the fall of 2012. He became part of the morning team, working under Andy Sack for four months before earning his fast-track apprentice diploma.

Looking back at his experience in Vancouver, Kirk said this:

“The amount of pure, caring, and passionate people that surround CFV is
unbelievable. It was an absolute pleasure to show up bright and early
everyday. Your reputation mirrors your product. The wealth of knowledge and coaching techniques the coaches pass on to their apprentices is flawless and mastered. I feel confident now to jump the next hurdle.”

Rachael Clifford came to us from California in the fall of 2012 – on a three-month sabbatical from work – as part of her “quest to become healthy.”

“I was suffering from depression, anxiety, and sleeplessness. I was sick of taking medications for all of my symptoms,” she said. “I had had enough and wanted to try the natural approach to feeling better.”

Rachael had been CrossFitting for almost a year when she arrived in Vancouver, but she still felt like a beginner. “My strength, form, and confidence needed a lot of work. I committed to making it a priority and went into it with a positive attitude and a consistent schedule,” said Rachael, who also embraced stretching with Giselle and mobility training while in Vancouver.

After three months in with us, she said she improved dramatically in every area of exercise. “There’s something about the Paleo diet and CrossFit that has cured me,” she said. “These people in Vancouver know what they’re talking about.”

“I feel amazing and beautiful and I can finally live my life to my full potential,” she added.

Lucy came to CrossFit Vancouver in the winter of 2012. Originally from Ireland, Lucy was living in Melbourne, Australia when she discovered CrossFit. She loved it, but she wanted to learn more. After doing some research about CrossFit boxes around the world, she soon stumbled across our apprentice program in Vancouver.

Here’s what she said about her three-month experience in Vancouver:

“From the moment I set foot at CrossFit Vancouver, I knew I was in for a very different and special experience.  Even though I was still adjusting to the shock of seeing snow rather than blue skies and sand, I immediately felt at home.

I was greeted with big smiles, eager handshakes, and curious questions, not to mention a crew of impressive athletes, who could knock out handstand push ups like they were hiccups!

One thing that really stood out for me was the ease and efficiency in which things were done.  The relaxed yet focused atmosphere, and the embracing community at CrossFit Vancouver are priceless.

In short, Patty and his charismatic team offer a superior service, both in and outside of the school. I learned so much from them, on both a professional and personal level.”

- Lucy Kenefick

Mike Fandrey, along with Tom Smith, are the owners of CrossFit Rocky Point in Coquitlam, B.C.

Fandrey has been CrossFitting for a while now. He first opened up a tiny four hundred square foot garage gym in Maple Ridge. Before opening his doors of his 3,000 square foot facility in Coquitlam, Fandrey spent a good deal of time consulting with CrossFit Vancouver.

“This played an integral role in the early development of Rocky Point CrossFit,” said Fandrey. “We still use CrossFit Vancouver’s fundamentals program to train all of our new clients before they head into group classes,” said Fandrey, whose box has more than 150 members today.

He credits the business mentorship program at CrossFit Vancouver as having helped him grow as quickly and as smoothly as he has. “The program is advantageous to anyone wanting to open an affiliate of his own,” he said.

Joe Marsh came up to Vancouver in September, 2011, for the Executive Diploma Program. In this video, he explains why he came up, what he learned, and what his thoughts about CrossFit Vancouver are.

When I think about cycling 240 kilometers in two days, ‘therapeutic’ isn’t the descriptive word that comes to my mind.

But for CrossFit Vancouverite, Pascal ‘I don’t look a day over 16’ Gray, his recent bike ride from Surrey to Seattle had elements of unmistakable therapy.

Gray, a High School teacher, took part in the recent BC Ride to Conquer Cancer, a 240 kilometer bike ride. The main reason for the journey: A way to remember his father, who lost a battle with cancer and passed away a year and nine months ago. “The second day of the ride fell on Father’s Day, so that had a huge impact on me,” said Pascal. “It gave me a lot of time to reflect about who my Dad was, and to spend time with him in a metaphysical kind of way,” he added.

Pascal says rides like this help him in dealing with the loss. “It was amazing to be around those 2,900 riders, to be surrounded by people on the same page as me,” he said.

Another place Pascal feels at home is right here at CrossFit Vancouver. His first CrossFit experience? Last year’s Nutts Cup. He still remembers the pain. “I remember pushing to the point that I wondered if I’d get through the workout. And I thought to myself, ‘there’s nothing else that will do this to me,’” said Pascal, who was immediately hooked. “I was totally blown away by the workout and the people in the box, and it actually solidified what I already believed fitness to be.”

Pascal says his father’s death was a cataclysm for change in his own life, and CrossFit provided him with the opportunity to do just that. “I was severely abusing my body and mind with my diet and alcohol misuse,” said Pascal, who quit drinking after losing his Dad. “I decided to dedicate my life to a healthier lifestyle,” he said.

Since then, not only has he become an avid CrossFitter and bike rider, Pascal also ran his first half and full marathons last year.

As for the ride to Conquer Cancer, so far Pascal’s fundraising efforts have raised $5,600, and it’s not too late to donate to his cause.

If you want to donate click here.

John Stanley came to Vancouver for the in-house executive business mentorship diploma program in April 2011. Here’s his story:

When I first heard about CrossFit, I was skeptical. Every program claims to be number one, and most don’t come close to meeting that mark. So I started researching and found that there was a lot of science behind the program. It just made sense to me.
I wanted to learn more, so I talked with Patty and we discussed a level one cert, and then he suggested his business mentorship program. I thought, ‘Well if I’m going to open a new business, who better to learn from than the guys that brought the product into the country?’

Simply put, the program gave me all of the ins and outs of the business. These guys had already made all of the mistakes and found the best ways around them. I took in everything they said, and completely bought into their system.

CrossFit Vancouver showed me the perfect way to expose a new client to CrossFit. I live in a city of only twenty thousand, in one of the coldest parts of the country, a place where people want to be outside in the summer. Despite this, I still signed sixty very happy clients in the last two summer months. They are going strong, getting great results, and I believe they are all going to become long-term CrossFitters.

Thank you Patty, and, of course, the entire CrossFit Vancouver crew!

-John Stanley

Yesterday I jumped into a wood recycling bin to salvage a beautiful old plant table. It was in a big, deep shipping container, and I popped myself in and out of it with no problem. I would not have been able to do that a year and a half ago.

I started Crossfit training as an overweight, inactive new mom. My sister had been training for a while at that point and I was impressed and inspired by the changes I saw in her. However, I had no idea what I was really signing myself up for. During the personal training sessions I was brought to tears, on more than one occasion, just trying to finish the workout. I pushed myself so hard through some of the sessions, questioning what the hell I was doing there; but once I finished I was elated, and left with a high like no other. I got hooked.

I have never been super athlete and wouldn’t claim to be one today, but I am strong and I can do a pull-up. That makes me happy. I love reaching little milestones, because to me they are huge. For example: the first time I ran 800m without stopping, my first rope climb and the first time I strung together 10 double-unders. I was so proud of myself and I’m sure I bounced around the gym looking like quite the fool, but man, it felt good. One of the best things about Crossfit is that while I am achieving these goals, I have people cheering me on and supporting me, and 9 out of 10 times, these people are super athletes. They can do 30 pull-ups in a row and they cheer loud for my one; it is a great community to be part of.

I still get nervous sometimes before the workouts. I think if that feeling ever went away it would be a loss. The nerves challenge me to push through the task at hand, teaching me that although it might be daunting, nothing is impossible. Thanks to Crossfit I can do things I never though possible, like pulling myself out of a shipping crate with ease (and hopefully a little grace).

Dan MacDougald is one of CrossFit Vancouver’s celebrity graduates.

A former big-shot lawyer in the US, he is mostly retired now. However he continues to consult to CrossFit Headquarters. And he’s the owner of CrossFit Atlanta.

MacDougald found CrossFit in 2004, becoming certified by the fall of 2005. At the time, he had no idea that CrossFit was about to “become my life’s passion,” he explained.

But soon enough, he left his law practice to devote his heart and soul to CrossFit Atlanta, which he opened in November, 2005.

Despite his tremendous success during his law career, MacDougald was admittedly lost as an affiliate owner. “I had no idea how to run a business, and I blundered along for several years making little to no money at it…until I met Craig Patterson at the 2009 CrossFit Games,” said MacDougald.

“We became friends almost instantly,” he continued.

Shortly after that, Patterson and MacDougald made a deal, and the mentorship program began. “My focus had been entirely on excellence in training, and while that is important, it’s not enough,” he said.

MacDougald learned from CrossFit Vancouver that running a successful CrossFit affiliate came down to the vibe in the box – things like community building, client retention, and developing excellent coaches. He credits Patterson as having helped in him tremendously in these areas.

“From the fall of 2009, when I began implementing his suggestions, to June, 2011, our membership and monthly revenues have climbed steadily, and our currently monthly revenue is 50 per cent higher than it was in 2010,” he said.

He added: “The wife is now getting enthused about CrossFit. Holy Fuckin Mackerel!!”

Colin Broadwater is the owner of CrossFit Bishop,  in Eastern California. Like many affiliate owners, he opened his box and his struggles began.

After training out of his 400 square foot garage for a number of months, it was time to open a real gym. He held a fundraiser in order to pay for the first month’s rent in his new venue.

But when he did get into his own space, he and his wife had a hard time making enough money to pay the bills and put food on the table. In the first year, he was was forced to work insane hours just to get by.

“After our first year in operation, we were at a point where we needed to make some serious decisions about how to run a profitable business,” he said.

So he called Patty at CrossFit Vancouver for advice. In the month after just two short phone conversations with Patty, his box recorded their highest monthly revenue to date. The following month: another conversation, and another $3,000 increase in monthly revenue.

“Patty has opened my eyes to how I can run a successful and profitable business, change people’s lives along the way, and not run myself into the ground trying to get it all done,” he said.