Athlete of the MonthNovember

 

1. What’s your athletic background?

That is soccer. I played that from a very young age on the street, and joined a club when I was 8 years old. I played until somewhere in my thirties. Becoming to prone to injuries made me stop. Then I started running, half marathons mostly. After I moved to the US I even got three marathons done.

 

2. When did you start working out at CrossFit Osiris?

I am not exactly sure about that. It slowly grew upon me. I had done CrossFit before when we lived in St. Peter, but stopped going because of a shoulder injury. At Osiris my first experience was when my wife Rebekka asked me to join for special workouts, and she signed me up for bootcamp. After that I got a punchcard which made me go twice a week. It was during the pandemic that I started working out more doing the virtual classes and finally became an official member.

3. What keeps you coming back?

It is kind of addictive. Once you start learning the techniques and are able to do things that you never did before, like toes to bar, you just want more. And then of course there is the people and the coaches (who doesn’t want to tear an eardrum like when V is encouraging you).

4. If you could write the WOD, what would it be?

Rope climbs, cleans, running, rowing, biking, box jumps, DB snatches. No burpees or overhead BS.

5. What are some of your goals, fitness or personal?

Fitness goal is running a marathon under 4 hours, and doing no banded pull ups, maybe even strict. Personal goals are having a nice life, which includes traveling to see the family, retire in a few years and enjoying the grandbaby.

6. List one or two improvements you have seen in your life since starting CrossFit.

I gained so much strength, especially in my upperbody. Going from green and purple banded kipping pull ups to black banded.

7. How do you like to spend your free time?

I like to go for bike rides, playing some cribbage with Rebekka, or meeting total strangers and having wonderful conversations. This all involves breweries. I became a fan of the Vikings and still watch the highlights from the Dutch soccer league every week.

8. What’s your favorite cheat meal?

Burger with a fried over easy egg on top and french fries with mayonaise.

9. What would you say to someone thinking about starting CrossFit?

CrossFit is for everyone, no matter what age or shape you are in. You can make it as crazy as you want, or not.

10. Anything else you’d like to share about yourself?

I am Dutch, born and raised in the Netherlands and moved to the US in 2009 to marry Rebekka. I have two sons that still live overseas. I come from a family of 6, with two brothers, one older one younger, and an older sister who lives in Melbourne, Australia. My mom is still alive and turns 90 next spring. I went to school to become a chemist and worked for a pharmaceutical company in the Netherlands in the Quality Control lab. That is what I did my first two years in the US as well. Then I moved to my current position which is Quality Assurance Manager at Zinpro. We make organic trace minerals for livestock, poultry, companion animals and aquaculture.The last 1 1/2 years in the Netherlands I went to school to become a shiatsu therapist. I did not finish that training but do have some experience with pressure points and shiatsu stretching which is called Do-In.

11. How often do you attend?

I come to class three times a week and try to go for short runs on 2 or 3 of the days that I’m not going to class.

12. What class do you typically attend?

My preferred schedule is Tuesday and Thursday at 5:30am, and Saturdays at 7:30am. Love the early morning crowd.