Nate Tolvaisa

Favorite WOD:   12 Days of fitness, a nice mixture of all the non barbell movements.

Least Favorite WOD: Karen!  The last few Wall Balls felt like I was throwing cinder blocks over my head.

Tell us about your sports & fitness background: I have always been an athlete, playing soccer, basketball and baseball.  Through high school I played baseball and soccer during the school year and in the summers, multiple teams, like most kids.  I played baseball in college and continued to play baseball in the summers in local college and men's leagues back home in DelCo for many years.  Through those years I coached baseball and soccer for a local high school which was a great experience.  In 2016, a few years into starting my family, I noticed I wasn’t as “athletic” as I once was, so  I slowly started to get back to the kind of shape I wanted and needed to be in to live a healthier life.  I started a running program and within that year I ran my one and only full marathon in 2017.  I try to keep up the running and enter the Broad Street Run 10 miler each year.  For the past few years I have taken up long distance hiking along the Appalachian Trail and try to get out on long section hikes when I have the time.  For the last few years, I have coached soccer, basketball and baseball for my sons and that keeps me motivated to keep up with my fitness and activity level for a healthier lifestyle.

How did you first get exposed to CrossFit? Take us back to your first WOD... what was it, and how did it feel? 

I was first exposed to CrossFit through a friend and started in June of 2019 at CrossFit Delaware Valley.  I do not recall my first WOD there but all I know is that I finished it and it felt great when it was over.  I was not there for too long due to COVID unfortunately.  I know my first WOD here at CFKSQ was Barn Swallow,  which was a good one to start with.  Completing each WOD no matter if I have to scale down or Rx has always given me a good sense of accomplishment for the day.

What sort of changes have you seen in your body, health and fitness since starting CF (before/after)?  

My results since starting CFKSQ varied for the first year, mainly because I wasn’t exactly consistent with attendance.  Over the last 6+ months of a better diet and sustained attendance I have seen great improvements with my physical fitness and cardio health.  The immediate goal through all of this was burning calories to improve weight management, which is a goal that I have met and continues to improve.  The workouts are tough which has helped my mental toughness to push through minute 14 of a 20 minute AMRAP during an intense cardio and weight lifting grind.

What sort of changes in your life have you experienced out of taking on something like CrossFit that were totally unexpected?   

I think the most unexpected change that I am taking out of CrossFit is the mental toughness and resilience that it takes to complete these hard workouts.  These have also played a crucial role in how I have dealt with various situations in my everyday work and personal life from stress management to decision making among other things.  

Please share with us any favorite CrossFit / CFKSQ moments: 

My favorite moment so far was walking into my first Murph workout.  I knew what the workout looked like on paper but had no idea what to expect when I walked into the box.  Getting through that for the first time is something I will not forget.  The support from the coaches and fellow athletes that I see each time I walk through the doors has been overwhelming which is why I really enjoy the CFKSQ community.

Any advice for people just getting started? 

The only advice I would give is to scale when you need to and keep coming back.  The hard work will pay off.

What are your hobbies, interests and/or talents outside of CrossFit?  

My kids are #1.  I love my Philly sports teams, golf and coaching and watching my kids play sports along with every other activity that they are involved in.  Like most parents, I am a certified taxi driver and logistics manager when all 3 kids have events on the same day or weekend.  You will find us doing outdoor activities as much as possible.