Member Spotlight: Will Ross

I joined CrossFit Bexley with my mom, Andrea, in December 2017 as a founding member. At the young age of 15 I thought it would be a good way to get stronger as well as start good eating habits. I also wanted to both stay in shape for track as well as get stronger for the season.

Growing up into my adulthood with Crossfit Bexley has taught me a lot about myself and about life. Before, I didn’t feel the need to push myself with workouts, only to get it done. I didn’t particularly eat right before workouts or I would eat too much junk food during the day. I would work out from time to time as well but without a set schedule to fall back on, I would default to not doing anything. Crossfit Bexley showed me how to be my best self and taught me to put in what I want to get out. Being a scrawny 15 year old with a bad haircutI didn’t have the best self confidence, but with my dedication to coming to classes I began to change that.(As well as a much needed hair change)

As a 3* year letter winner in Track, (Missed out on Junior year due to Covid-19) Crossfit propelled me to that success. Not only was I getting stronger, but I was also getting help from two of the best track athletes I knew: Pat Woods and Ahmed Halim. The two helped me with pre race stretches, supplementary workouts for hurdles, how to mentally prepare myself before a race, etc. Without them and without Crossfit I would not have done nearly as well in Track and Field.

I have made a lot of good memories at the gym over the past 3.5 years. The many friends that I have made through the classes, the terrible workouts that I would go home and complain about to my sisters and the 2020 Halloween WOD where I showed up in a cardboard UNO card costume. I would also like to give a special shoutout to Brian Peterson and Amy Sandel for “bullying” me throughout my time at Crossfit Bexley, it motivated me to work even harder. While I wouldn’t have started going to Crossfit Bexley if my mom wasn’t there to get me into it I am incredibly glad that we started.

My advice for those who are thinking about trying Crossfit is to just try it! If a tiny, awkward 15 year old can do it, then you probably can too. It may seem intimidating at first, especially when there are some people with arms the size of my head, but it is extremely rewarding in the long term. Another tip is to not get discouraged if you see someone next to you with 100 more pounds than you have on your bar because they have probably been doing it for a long while, plus the fact that they are a fully grown adult. As I go off to college I would like to thank every one of you for helping me push myself to be my best, but a special thanks to my mom for getting me into such a supportive and fulfilling group.