His smile says it all....
Meet Patrick Gordon.
Just 10 months ago at age 15, he walked into FirePower and began his journey into Crossfit. Patrick first tried CrossFit as a trial class with his friends. He didn't join at the same time as them, because he was heading off to Cadet Camp for the summer.
His parents always just thought he was a big kid, but they never really saw him as being overweight. He was thin as a young kid, but filled out around age 11 or 12. He'd always been the tallest of his friends and they just figured he was a "big guy". But while at Cadet Camp, Patrick realized that he was out of shape when the physical demands of sailing proved to be very challenging for him. It was at that time, that he and a friend decided to start eating paleo. Over the summer, he lost about 16 lb and returned home looking quite trim (or so his mom thought).
He was very eager to get back to the gym when he returned from Cadet camp, because he was very concerned about losing any of the progress he had made over the summer.
Consistency + Mechanics + Intensity.
That's the formula Patrick followed. Consistency with nutrition and workouts. Focusing on technique of movements with every class and adding intensity to generate physical change. His workouts consisted of olympic lifting, gymnastics, body weight plyometrics, running, rowing, biking, and boxing. He even competed in the 2017 CrossFit Games Open: 5 weeks of competition, performing workouts provided by CrossFit HQ in front of a judge, and posting scores to compare to other varsity athletes around the globe.
"Patty is the life of the class and one of those members that when he walks through the door puts a smile on your face. He always brings a hard working attitude to every workout and gives it his all. He is a pleasure to coach." says Coach Dave.
And the results show.
At this point in time, he is down about 65 pounds. He has really toned up his body too, and is now starting to really build muscle. He's now looking to gain weight - but in a good way!
A Family Affair
With his sister at his side, the pair joined the after-school Varsity program last September, training 3 times each week. And soon after, his mom Cathy joined FirePower making it a family affair and It changed them all remarkably.
"He recently commented that his mom is a badass. Hahaha! Who would have thought!?!?" laughs Cathy. "We have all changed our eating habits but the biggest change is definitely in lifestyle. We get to the gym as much as possible and are just much more active as a family. We have a pretty healthy competitive spirit amongst us regarding our workouts. It really has changed our lives for the best.
Your staff has been nothing short of incredible. From the very beginning, it's been a joy to see how much passion and care go into coaching every class. For me, as a completely non-athletic person, I have always been fully confident in the guidance I'm receiving, even when I have no confidence in my ability to perform the task at hand!"
For the kids, they have been pushed to achieve so many wonderful things. Patrick started out always being last to finish the workouts, and now he's usually near the top of the pack. He's a completely different kid. This year he will take his position as a senior member in the program as his sister Roisin will move onto her first year of university. The coaches will continue to look to Patrick as a leader in the classes, guiding the new up and comers through their first Open in February and beyond.