January Athlete of the Month – Mike Mutch

1) What was a misconception you had about CrossFit?

My introduction to CrossFit came in High School when I was wrestling, playing football, and gearing up to wrestle and compete on a division 1 level in college. I was immediately drawn to the functional movements of Crossfit workouts, and when I was introduced to the kettle bell I immediately fell in love. Crossfit workouts felt much more natural to me than the traditional strength training regimen that my previous coaches instilled in me. What I think I lacked in that type of setting, where WOD’s were usually done at the end of practice as conditioning and were meant to be highly competitive to identify a winner, was the feeling of camaraderie and that everyone is welcome regardless of skill or talent level.  

2) What motivates you?

The people around me and trying to become the best version of myself. I’ve tried in the past, even successfully, to motivate myself to go to the gym and improve my fitness. For a few years I found a lot of joy in my routine, built strength, lost weight, and even ran the Austin Statesman 10k two years in a row. The difference between then and now is community and accountability. From my very first PT sessions with Coach Sam, I felt like I had a team around me supporting me in my journey to reclaim my physical self and former athletic identity that was the foundation of my first 22 years of life. 

3) What are your training goals?

With the help of Coach Adrien, I lost close to 20 pounds in 2022. I’d like to continue that progress and ultimately get to 25% body fat in 2023. Once I’m able to get my fat free muscle mass to a manageable number I’d like to improve on my gymnastics overall, specifically pull ups, double unders and handstand pushups. 

4) What’s a moment you felt very proud of yourself in a workout?

A few weeks ago I beat my 3:08 grace time from last year and that was pretty cool!

5) What would you tell someone that’s thinking about joining CrossFit?

It’s never too late to start! We have people in this gym of all ages and all walks of life who come to the gym motivated to improve. Don’t feel intimidated by the journey in front of you because we are all on our own separate journeys and you don’t have to compare yourself to anyone else but the person in the mirror. 

6)  How has CrossFit changed your life outside of the gym?

For those who don’t know, things have changed a lot from my days of being able to ride my bike down Purple Sage drive to the gym. In the midst of a chaotic year with my fiancee and I building our house, and the all of the challenges that come with that like living with family in Liberty Hill for 6 months, CFRR has kept my routine stable. Even though my commute to the gym has gone from 5 to 45 minutes, I still look forward to going to the gym because I know I’m going to see friends and get a great workout in, even if it takes me a few minutes to recover before I can grip the steering wheel to drive home 🙂

7) What’s your favorite part about the community here?

For all of the reasons I mentioned, and for the memories I have yet to create at CFRR. I know that CFRR has truly become a second home for me and a place that I didn’t know I needed when I didn’t have a place to call home.