At CrossFit Aiken, we believe in celebrating progress and perseverance. Each month, we feature an athlete who not only demonstrates dedication to their own goals but also inspires others in the gym. Their story is a reminder that success is built one workout at a time. Michael is one of our biggest supporters, one of the most consistent and one of the most cheerful people we know. He has been so helpful to us and to everyone he encounters here. We are so lucky to have him in our community!
Tell us a bit about yourself and your family – (Where are you from originally? What did you want to be when you grew up and where do you work now? What do you like to do out side of work? Etc.)
I grew up in Redondo Beach, California, and lived there (for the most part) for 55 years before I moved to Aiken. When I was 10, I wanted to be the governor of California, but I realized that I didn’t like people enough to be a politician. So, I became a Chemical Engineer for about a year, and then a lawyer for almost 20 years, before I decided to work for myself as an investment banker selling small to mid-size companies. (By the way, that would never have happened if I wouldn’t have met and fallen in love with Bethany when I was about 40.) Now, I work with a lot of early-stage advanced manufacturing companies, do CrossFit, and play games and drink bourbon with my friends and my kids.
What made you start CrossFit? What has kept you going? Has your motivation changed over time?
I’ve always stayed in shape – for decades by playing basketball. But, I also worked out at a “regular” gym for decades, most often with one of my best friends (who also moved to Aiken). And when we didn’t work out together, eventually I got to the point where I walked into the gym and wondered what in the heck I was going to do today before I walked out 30 minutes later. There was a Crossfit gym across the street from my regular gym, and it intimidated me for years. But one New Years weekend, my friend and I walked over to check it out, and Bethany joined before we could. In any event, it took about three months to move from “Accelerator” (basically, Dana’s Boot Camp) to CrossFit, and I haven’t looked back since.
What moves me to CrossFit is the same thing that moved me to basketball for 30 years – a somewhat competitive, but yet social environment for my physical activity. I played basketball for close to 30 years. I’m closing in on 10 for CrossFit.
What are your Fitness goals? Professional goals? Personal goals? How close are you to reaching them?
Early in my CrossFit days, one of my buddies was a guy almost exactly 10 years older than me. (so he was 63 when I was 53). He once told me that he wasn’t looking for “elite performance,” he was looking for an “elite rate of decay.” Yup. Those are pretty much my fitness goals. My parents were out of shape and in ill health at my age. I’ve decided that the grim reaper is going to have to drag me kicking and screaming. I want to travel and live a good life for as long as I can. CrossFit helps me get there.
What kinds of changes have you noticed since starting CrossFit?
While I have always been in good cardiovascular shape, I am stronger now than I’ve ever been. (For you old guys out there, check your testosterone levels – correcting those made a HUGE difference for me.) People say you can’t get stronger after 40. BS. I’m much stronger, and capable of a lot of things I could never do at 30 or 40 or 50.
What have you learned about movement, fitness, and yourself through CrossFit?
The hip bone is connected to the thigh bone…seriously, so much of physical activity is limited by mobility. I try to get to the gym at least 15-20 minutes early every day just to loosen up and stretch ahead of the WOD.
How do you make time for working out?
Fortunately, my life is pretty flexible. I’ve worked out of my house for 20 years, and my business partner lives on the West Coast. So, it’s easy to get up and work out at 8:30 am every day. But, frankly, it’s just a priority for me and always has been.
What is your favorite healthy meal? Have your eating habits changed since starting CrossFit? If all the coaches were coming to your place for dinner what would you cook for them?
About 2 years into CrossFit, my gym (CrossFit SouthBay) did a “Summer Shred” program, where the coaches worked with us on diet and exercise for 6 weeks. I learned that leading with protein was a huge winner for me. So, I eat a lot of ground turkey (my current favorite seasoning is Thai curry), spinach, and rice bowls.
If the coaches were coming to my house for dinner (and my favorite coach usually does), I’d make Shrimp and Sausage Etouffee with a side of rice, alongside a nice bottle of red wine (It’s mostly healthy).
With everything that you have accomplished, has your view of yourself changed?
I was never very athletic growing up. So, it’s pretty cool doing things at 60 I never thought I could do.
What would you say to anyone who might be struggling?
Attendance matters!
Also, the stuff that is hard is hard. It took me 18-24 months to develop enough mobility to do front squats. I learned how to do a kipping pullup about 8 years into CrossFit.
Just come every day and push yourself to the best of your ability (and only you know if you are pushing yourself)
What or who is an inspiration to you?
Most importantly, Bethany is an inspiration to me. If she won’t quit, I sure the hell am not going to…
But, really, everyone who shows up every day and doesn’t quit is what drives me. Dana, Nikki, JJ, Geoff, Stuart, Nicole, all of the Schiffers, Trish. Those are the people that inspire me to keep picking up the heaviest weight I can and pushing myself past where I thought I could push myself.
