Mike Tryon
Hometown: Chadds Ford
Age: 49
Occupation: SVP Marketing, Citi Ban
When did you first start training at CFKSQ? Wodify says since June 2014
Favorite WOD: Carrying a jump box for a mile. Still makes me laugh but emphasizes some of the core fundamentals about being able to adapt to circumstances and fitness using everyday objects.
Least Favorite WOD: 1-minute max on bike or erg. I am not a sprinter.
Tell us about your sports & fitness background: Always rode bikes and started running after college. I have run over 100 marathons and ultras and was looking for something different, so tried CrossFit and loved it.
How did you first get exposed to CrossFit? Take us back to your first WOD… what was it, and how did it feel? Started with a punch card and realized how weak I was. Continued to run and didn’t commit for a while (running and CrossFit are very different disciplines). Set some goals for the Open last year and decided to try and get more competitive. Let’s see what happens from here.
What sort of changes have you seen in your body, health and fitness since starting CF (before/after)? I hardly run more than a mile these days but I can run a pretty fast mile now. The sign on the wall says, “You can’t out train a bad diet,” so true.
What sort of changes in your life have you experienced out of taking on something like CrossFit that were totally unexpected? How to focus on your weaknesses and get better at them. Some days are going to be better than others but my goal is to improve every time I show up.
Please share with us any favorite CrossFit / CFKSQ moments: Any time I beat Nolan (Quinn) in a WOD. He is a beast.
Any advice for people just getting started? It takes time, trust the process. We are extremely fortunate to have such a great group of coaches that are there to help and support us as individuals and athletes. I give anyone who is there credit, this stuff is hard.
What are your hobbies, interests and/or talents outside of CrossFit? Most of my time revolves around supporting my sons wrestling career. We get to spend great time together and travel a lot for events. We also recently added an American Bully puppy to our family, “Lulu” and she has been a great addition. Livin the dream.
Melanie Klim
Hometown: West Grove
Age: 51
Occupation: Radiologic Technologist
When did you first start training at CFKSQ? December 2012
Favorite WOD: Loredo
Least Favorite WOD: Anything with overhead squats
Tell us about your sports & fitness background: I ran track in high school eons ago until my knees gave me problems. As an adult I would do a little running outside or I went to a gym and ran on the treadmill and used some of the equipment in the gym. Boring…
How did you first get exposed to CrossFit? Take us back to your first WOD… what was it, and how did it feel? I think I first read about CrossFit in a magazine and it piqued my interest. Through the mighty powers of Google I found CFKSQ and walked in. I don’t remember the first WOD other than it had a lot of squats and lunges that I felt for a whole week whenever I went up/down stairs or tried to sit down!
What sort of changes have you seen in your body, health, fitness? I’m definitely in better shape than I was before…I can lift heavier weights and my endurance has increased since starting CrossFit. I just feel better too. Whenever I go for my annual physical all my numbers are good and the Dr. tells me to keep doing whatever it is I’m doing.
What sort of changes in your life have you experienced out of taking on something like CrossFit that were totally unexpected? I think Crossfit has given me more overall confidence in myself. When you see a WOD and think “oh hell no, I can’t do that” but then you do it, it’s empowering.
Please share with us any favorite CrossFit / CFKSQ moments: There’s no one favorite moment for me, I just really enjoy coming into class in the morning and seeing some of my favorite people 🙂 I also really enjoy some of our extracurricular activities outside of CrossFit too!
Any advice for people just getting started? Just give it a chance and don’t worry about what everyone else is doing. It’s your workout and honestly, nobody else is paying attention to you doing the workout. They’re focused on getting through it themselves!
What are your hobbies, interests and/or talents outside of CrossFit? Outside of Crossfit I enjoy traveling, hanging out with my family and dogs, Penn State sports and some good food and beverages.