He’s a busy working husband & Dad, but shows up with a big smile and his beat up converse!
We are SO excited for you to meet our January athlete, Rory Connolly! To get us started meet his lovely family; beautiful wife Casey of 4.5 years and his sweet baby girl, CeCe who’s 11 months old! He’s a busy working husband & dad, but shows up with a big smile and his beat up converse!
- What’s your athletic background?
-I have always found a ways to stay busy. During high school I mostly played football and track/Field. As I got older, I became a distance runner and finished five marathons. With my absolute favorite being Grandma’s Marathon in my home town of Duluth, MN. After-awhile, I supplemented my running with some type of H.I.I.T. and needed a change. I liked working out with a few of my buddies and thought I could get more accomplished in a community gym.
- When did you start working out at CrossFit Osiris?
-April of 2021.
- What keeps you coming back?
– This is a complex question for me and I don’t know if my response could do it much justice. Socially it gets me out with other people. Especially, when people are put in a challenging situations, its helps make closer bonds with the participants. And I’ve met some rad people through Osiris and through my “fitness journey.” The coaching is another high point of my experience. I’ve always been a “technical athlete” and am always trying to learn new things about some of the movements we do. I learn something new every day from our coaches.
- If you could write the WOD, what would it be?
-I would do a partner or team, Workout Of the Day. The encouragement and positivity push people to work harder. New friends!
- What are some of your goals, fitness or personal?
-My main goal is to keep my blood pressure down and stay healthy. I am not 18 anymore and I have found as you age, you need to put in little bit more work to keep up a healthy lifestyle. For me its just staying healthily and slowly getting rid of my “dad bod.”
- List one or two improvements you have seen in your life since starting CrossFit.
-Weight loss is the most obvious. My pants are starting to get baggy and people have been making comments. Its also helped on an emotional level to decrease anxiety and depression.
- How do you like to spend your free time?
-I spend most of my free time with my wife KC, our daughter CeCelia, dog Ava, and our cat Worf.
- What’s your favorite cheat meal?
-90% of our workout happens in the kitchen. And to be honest, I am continually trying to make my nutrition better. With that disclaimer in place, my favorite food is pizza and beer.
- What would you say to someone thinking about starting CrossFit?
-Duh, sign up! J/K. But there are three things that scare people off of CrossFit and I would like to put those people’s minds at ease. One, there is this preconceived notion that cross fitters are these monster/hulking athletes, who are super young, and beautiful. Because of this, how could a normal person like myself be able to workout with such intimidating folks?! Despite what you might see on Instagram, most of the people at our gym are normal folks. They have full time jobs and are just trying to make time for a healthier life style. We have members who are in their 40s, 50s, and 60s putting in the work every day. People are just trying to get better and are succeeding.
My second point is about injuries. There is a preconceived notion that you could/will get hurt doing CrossFit. People get hurt when they push themselves where their bodies are unable to substance that level of training, they do not get rest, or they eat like garbage. If you get on a treadmill and go too fast or too long, if your body isn’t in shape, there is a high chance for injury. In CrossFit, injuries happen when you lift an amount of weight you shouldn’t be lifting, not listening to coaching about technique, and not adhering to your limits. It takes time to get good at some of the movements.
My third point is to buy some cool clothes. My style is seven year old Chuck Taylor Converses and short running shorts.
- Anything else you’d like to share about yourself?
-I have two jobs. One as a newly minted nurse practitioner and a part time government employee. I’m a HUGE Green Bay Packers fan, much to the dismay of the owners. I am big into reading, gaming, classic rock, animals, and podcasts.
- How often do you attend?
-Around four times per week. I try not to cherry pick the workouts and try to do every scheduled movement, even ones I might not be totally comfortable with. I see those days as good technique days and time to get better at an exercise. I have also learned the importance of active rest days.
- What class do you typically attend?
– I am a morning person. I like to get my workouts in when I have a little more focused time and my body is rested. You can see me at 0530, 0630 or 0830 classes.