JIM & KATHY WILLE

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YOUNGER THAN EVER

2.27.24

Alex and I wanted to spotlight this month Kathy and Jim Wille! (my mom and dad) Aside from your undeniable support over the last 14 years since we came across CrossFit you both are such a huge inspiration to our community! We find ourselves sharing your story almost daily when we talk to potential members considering CrossFit, in fact I did just that this morning when someone came in during the 9:30 to ask about our gym. Please take a moment to read their stories, it's pretty incredible how much fitness in general has kept them feeling young, healthy and happy. Love you mom and dad

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Kathy’s CrossFit Testimony

I used to workout at the YMCA. Keri and I would go at 5:00 am for several years. I was 46 years old. I didn’t feel like my body was changing. I felt like a hamster running in an exercise wheel going nowhere. I would go from one machine to another. My heart rate didn’t feel like it was maxing to its highest potential.

In 2011 Keri heard about Crossfit. She asked me to come with her. I did and I never worked out as hard in my life. It was invigorating. I could feel a change in my body and health. I kept going to Crossfit, but as I aged my knees were becoming bone on bone. In order to keep working out, I decided to have knee replacements. I wanted to still be active as I grew older. So, in 2020 I had my left knee done and 2022 my right knee done. In between those surgeries I had a toe surgery from a fall during covid.

I’m pain free now and I’m so excited to get to do more Crossfit moves that I wasn’t able to do before my surgeries.

I’ll be 73 in May. I’ve been working out 3 to 4 days a week. I’ve lost weight by eating clean. Yes, I have to modify a lot for my age but I’m still moving and my body is getting the muscles back.

Keri has always been an inspiration and encouragement to me. She is my health “Guru”. She helps me with my eating and exercising. She sets up my WOD modifying for me.

Alex is an inspiration to me too. He is always encouraging me and wants the very best for me.

I owe my life change to Crossfit and especially to Crossfit Chateau. It’s not just the WOD’S or strengthening, it’s the members too. It’s like a family that looks out for each other. They really care about you.

Thanks Keri and Alex for helping me with my life journey. Hopefully I’ll still be working out with you all when I’m “90”.

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Jim's CrossFit Testimony

Hi. I am Jim Wille, Keri Konicke’s father. I’ve always been pretty fit and started working out with weights when I was 12 and swam competitively in High School and College. Then came marriage at 22 a fulltime job and Kids at 25. I had very little time to work out, so I gained weight and did not work out much if any for probably 25 years, until the kids were grown and I was in my 50’s. Then it was lifting weights, jogging and a little swimming. I kept getting stronger and when I was about 55, I did my all-time best bench press (275) and on my 59th birthday, I was still able to do 8 bench press reps with a 100 lb dumb bell in each hand. Then, 2 months later, came rotator cuff surgery and I was told I could never again do bench press and many other exercises such as pull ups, etc. I was bummed.

But at age 61 in 2011, we discovered CrossFit with Keri, and began doing CrossFit several times a week. That was 13 years ago. Even though I have had a few set-backs the last 3 years including Covid, foot, hip & eye surgery, a heart issue (vessel blockage) and a hernia repaired….Kathy and I are still able to do CrossFit 3 – 4 times a week! One nice thing about CrossFit is that you can modify all the Wods and workout / movements if needed. So even though my shoulder will never be 100% and I have a new hip….I can still do pull ups (with bands), knee ups using the arm straps, box step ups instead of box jumps, and the Echo bike or rower instead of running.

Thanks to Keri and Alex for all their support and for making CrossFit Chateau such an amazing gym! Even though we know it will be a challenge for us to keep up and complete the Wods, we always look forward to our workouts at the gym and the great comradery and friendships we have made at CrossFit Chateau!!

So, if you see an old guy (maybe the oldest member at the gym?) with a back brace on doing bench press (I can do that again now!!) or my version of the Wod to the side…. pop over and say “hi” or encourage me to get in a few more reps!!

PS. I still have a goal to hit 225 lbs on the bench press before I turn 75 in October.

PAULA WATSON

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FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH

1.8.24

Alex and I want to take a moment to recognize a committed, humble and inspiring member for our spotlight this month. Paula Watson is a force to be reckoned with. She has shown us what it means to have true inner passion and drive to push herself past the typical points of giving up. There have been times when I've encouraged her to take an "easier route." It's part of our job as a coach to assess and notice when a member is either having a harder time or perhaps not enjoying themselves and when we do, we try and offer different alternatives and modifications. What is so inspiring to me about Paula is she is ok working through a challenging movement, she is ok doing what is harder because it's important to her to conquer that challenge and improve. We are so proud of you Paula and have loved having you here at Chateau!

Paula's Testimony;

My CrossFit journey began in 2014 when I  immediately grew attached to the sport and the people that do it. The spirit of the community and patriotism of WODS like “The Murph” among others, resonated with me coming from a military family. There was something so powerful and spiritual for me about honoring a fallen soldier as I conquered each lift and movement at CrossFit, that I dedicated myself to it for 5 years. After experiencing a flurry of injuries and developing chronic arthritis, I told myself I couldn’t do CrossFit anymore and sadly took a break from it for 4 years. During the spring of 2023 I began physical therapy and bonded with a PT that taught me the value of breaking down mental barriers to return to the life that I missed at CrossFit which led me to meeting up with Alex and Keri. I knew from my first meeting with them that CrossFit Chateau had a special community and motivational force that would stay with me for years to come. My journey is hard as I continue to fight chronic pain from arthritis with a goal to be the strongest and most spiritual version of myself in 2024. I know I can achieve my goals with amazing coaches like Alex, Keri, Austin, Logan, Heather H & W, Peter, and Raj. Thank you for welcoming me to your CrossFit family. Its an honor to be a part of something so special.

Member Spotlight!!

The Bell Family

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Ambitious Individuals

Generous Family

10.22.2023

Our next member spotlight goes to the BELL FAMILY!!! We are so excited to shine the light on a family this time around and the Bell Family is perfect for it! Many of you know at least one of them since they all come at different times of the day. Beth and John are one of the kindest people in our community and always have such warm and welcoming smiles when you see them. Philip and Lauren are just like their parents with the smile and warm welcoming. Both these kids have improved so much over the past year or so. It has been rewarding for all of us to watch them both push themselves at such a young age.

Bell Family Testimony:

Myself (Beth) has always enjoyed exercise, and getting regular cardio has been important to me for as long as I can remember. One of the first things I did when I moved to Seattle in my 20s was to join the YMCA.  John and I used to live very close to the YMCA, and it was very convenient for us to go after work and on Saturday mornings. Over time, as our kids grew up, the YMCA was great for the daycare, and I continued to do a lot of cardio.  However, I was always hesitant to do weight training. I think it was mostly because I had no idea how to start. 

Eventually, we moved to Gold’s Gym because it was closer to our new home. But neither of us really LOVED going there.  Things changed in 2016/2017 when John had two surgeries for thyroid cancer.  John started lifting on his own to get back in shape after the surgeries, and after around two years, he started looking for help training.  He decided to stop by CrossFit Chateau and see what it was like. John connected well with Alex and did the onboarding sessions.  John was immediately impressed by the classes because they efficiently used his time to get both strength and cardio in one hour.  As he spent more time there, John appreciated CrossFit Chateau’s great combination of programming, accountability, encouragement, and camaraderie in its community.  Four years later, he still loves it and wishes he had started years earlier 

John kept trying to convince me to try it, but I was still not ready to leave my daily spin class at Golds. In March 2020, I decided to give it a try.  I went through the onboarding sessions with Alex.   One of the best aspects of CrossFit is seeing progression over time.  For me, it’s been a very slow progression. But progress is really important to me at this stage of my life.  I’m still intimidated by many of the movements, but I show up and keep trying!

I only did one or two classes before the gym shut down for COVID. I was impressed with how Alex and Keri let us borrow equipment and set up classes online. During those months and watching how hard Alex & Keri worked to figure out how to run a business in such uncertain times I became committed to the gym.  The first few in-person classes after the shutdown were difficult for me. But, in many ways, everyone was figuring out a new system. 

Another challenge that impacted our family from the COVID shutdown was the end of organized sports for our son Philip and online school. Over time, we saw that our kids had developed some difficult habits, and we asked Philip to choose an activity he would like.  He had watched John and I go to CrossFit and decided that he would like to try it out.  Alex was willing to train him, and he started going one time per week. That became two times a week for a year or so. Alex also helped Philip think about his nutrition and how that should change to be healthy.   After the gym moved to the current location, Keri started a ‘middle-school boys group’ on Wednesdays at the 3:30 pm class.  A few of Philip’s friends from school were in it, and Alex asked if Philip would be interested in trying the class with them.  As Philip did more of the classes, he became more confident in his abilities and was willing to try more gymnastics movements, etc.  He’s there almost every day and is the most careful eater in our family. He has worked hard these past few years and shows how much change is possible when we’re consistent and willing to keep working on the things we struggle with. 

Our daughter, Lauren, has always been very active.  In 6th grade, the winter season doesn’t offer girls’ sports, and Lauren wanted to try CrossFit.  She also started working with Alex once a week to learn the movements.  She loves pushing herself and is always willing to try things.  She continues to do her personal training sessions with Alex but also does classes when she can.  In many ways, I would have loved to have started doing CrossFit at her age. I’m excited to see how far she goes with it. 

CrossFit and the CrossFit Chateau community have been awesome for our family.  Our friends in the CrossFit community are encouraging far beyond the workouts themselves.  We’re visited a few other CrossFit communities while traveling for work and vacation, but we’re always glad to be back at CrossFit Chateau!

John and Nancy Hazen

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Full of Faith - Encouraging Couple

8-29-2023

We’re so excited to announce our next member spotlight but this time instead of just one person, we chose two people to acknowledge, John and Nancy Hazen. John and Nancy joined CrossFit Chateau just shy of a year ago and we’ve seen them push personal and physical boundaries since joining.  They are mostly in the morning but sometimes surprise us by attending other classes. Nancy is one of the sweetest people in our gym and is always a pleasure to talk to you. John is always driven to push himself to try new things and is always someone who is encouraging and positive when he is here.

John and Nancy’s Personal Testimony:

In our 35+ years of marriage Nancy and I have stared down many curveball’s life has thrown across our plate.  We maintain hope and joy in the face of these curveballs because we know we are not alone in facing these challenges.  We have stood with each other, side-by-side, for decades. We live in the comfort of knowing a God we believe is present and active in our circumstances. We treasure the communities we are part of: our family, our church, our neighborhood, and in the last year this wonderful community at CrossFit Chateau. 

The last 12 months have been some of the hardest.  Last July John came down with COVID which took months to recover from, while at the same time being diagnosed with Prostate Cancer.  These health issues led John to the difficult decision to retire late last year from a long career in tech to focus on his health and prepare for major surgery in February. A big part of that focus was the decision to try out CrossFit.  Neither of us were serious "fitness" people and knew that we would not be successful just joining a "big box gym" - we would not know what we were doing and likely would not stick with it.  Hiring a personal trainer did not feel like a good fit for us either and is quite expensive.  We knew people who loved CrossFit and thought more structured work outs and group coaching would be a great fit.  We found Chateau on the web and sent a message asking if we could give it a try.  Alex got back to us right away and invited us to join a 9:30am class he was coaching to give us an introduction.  It was hard.  It was confusing.  And we loved it.  We immediately knew this was for us, signed up and started coming together every morning.  It is still hard (especially getting up early enough to make the 6am class!) and sometimes still confusing (AMRAP?  EMOM?  TABATA? Oh my!), but we still love it.  It has become an essential part of our daily routine, and something we love doing together. 

The coaches and the community have been amazing, and we feel so supported and cared for.  With the help of the community, John lost over 60 pounds before surgery and has had a strong recovery post-surgery.  Nancy has shed weight, gained strength, stability, and confidence.  In the months since John’s surgery, we have celebrated highs like our son’s wedding, and more lows like Nancy’s mother passing away at 95.  But through it all this community has become an important part of our lives, and we feel like we belong (even when we can’t do all the movements)!

Shelly Navarre

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Always Smiling

Whole Hearted Human

6.9.23

The team at CrossFit Chateau wanted to take a moment and acknowledge someone who we feel is something beyond special in our gym…. Shelly Navarre! We wanted to shine the spotlight one this amazing human and all the hard work and determination she brings to our gym! Shelly is a great example of someone who shows up to the gym to give it her all and not care how she is compared to others in the gym. Thank you Shelly for showing everyone who meets you that you don’t have to lift the heaviest or be the best athlete, you just need to be you and give it 100% each time. Your personality and smile on your face every time you walk into the gym sure brightens the gym.

Shelly Navarre Personal Testimony:

Here is a synopsis of how I, a non athlete, ended up at CrossFit.  It's been a journey.... 

Journey to CrossFit Chateau

Prior to joining CrossFit Chateau I had never been a member of a gym.  

I have some neighbors who belonged to a Woodinville gym (not CrossFit) and they talked about going to a fun ‘bootcamp’ class where they moved from machine to machine in a training circuit.  Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately for me) that gym closed down.

I knew I wanted to improve my upper body strength to be a more effective volunteer with the Washington State Animal Response Team.  WASART is one of the only organizations in western WA equipped to help rescue large animals who are down and need a lift to their feet, like horses and cows.   So, consulting with Google I found a ‘bootcamp’ class at a place called CrossFit Chateau.  I sent an email and got a friendly reply to come down for a class.  I took a leap of faith and showed up.  

I don’t really remember much about the first class except some kind people who showed me how to use a rower and what a barbell was.  I’m not athletic in any way but I remember thinking ‘that was kind of fun’.  Until the next day when I couldn’t believe how sore my muscles were, but perhaps in a good way.   After a few days (okay, let’s be honest, I was probably hobbling around for 5 days) of recovery I went back for the designated bootcamp class where I was given a lot of guidance in the various movements.  It was a fun experience from the beginning in bootcamp class as we (mostly gals) all would simultaneously groan when the day's workout was presented.

Because I have a stubborn streak, I stuck with bootcamp and just kept plugging away on very tiny goals.  Eventually bootcamp morphed into participation in regular class programming where I made incremental progress in my strength. 

I spent two years doing faux jump rope and eventually reached a point where I could do single unders!  I spent two years back squatting onto a box and eventually reached a point where I can back squat, almost past vertical!  Along the way I have made many new friends and sometimes at the end of a WOD, I am the one being cheered on to finish.    

Will I ever do a pull up?  Doubtful.  Will I ever do a rope climb?  Not unless I am on a fully assisted belay.  Is a handstand pushup in my future?  Not likely.  But, can I improve my bench press?  You betcha!  Can I step up on a box over and over again?  Yes, at a certain height!   Can I feel a sense of accomplishment for pushing myself just that little bit harder.  For sure!

There are many many very fit athletes at CrossFit Chateau and they have my complete admiration of their abilities to wall walk, muscle up and double under.  But at CrossFit Chateau I am only competing against myself and gravity.

I suspect CrossFit Chateau isn’t like other ‘gym’ experiences.  There is an entire ethos at Chateau of kindness, encouragement and support from the top at the ownership level and then down to the coaches and participants.   For anyone who thinks they can’t do ‘CrossFit’ I am a prime example that the exact opposite is true.

CARSON WILLE

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Young Inspiration

Changing Habbits

4.11.23

Alex and I would like to acknowledge a very special person “our nephew” who we feel is well deserving of being in the spotlight amongst our community. As many of our afternoon members may have noticed, over the last year or so we have had numerous teenagers joining our classes after school.. They bring energy like no other and have been so dedicated to making fitness a priority in their lives. One of these teens is our nephew Carson Wille. The summer of 2022 my brother (Carson's Dad) asked me if Crossfit would be a good idea for Carson. He had been struggling in some ways like most teen boys finding his place, being predominantly sedentary playing the usual video games and then of course eating “teenage” food like, cheetos, pizza or anything easy to grab. Like any parent it can be a very sensitive subject talking to your kids about their unhealthy habits because oftentimes those conversations just push them to continue and or feel bad about themselves and their body image. So rather than harping on all the bad things we just encouraged 2-3 days of Crossfit classes. 

At first Carson was sometimes frustrated because he wanted to lift more with the other boys that had been here longer but he didn’t allow that to stop him. In fact all the boys clapped and acknowledged Carson for his progression each day. Carson felt safe to be himself, to try new things that were difficult for him, like jump roping! Over the course of a few months Carson's whole demeanor changed, aside from dropping 20 lbs and becoming stronger he became more confident, he smiled so much more, laughed things off if he did a movement wrong and was overall so much happier. The incredible thing about this whole story is how on Carsons own he became more aware of the foods he was eating. He realized how much better he felt when he didn’t choose the “Easy Foods,” He downloaded on his own a food tracker, started learning about macros and counting calories in and calories out. He started understanding more about burning fat and carbs. We would receive texts from him asking us about protein intake, asking smart questions about eating more of a deficit vs not or if he should since he was actually feeling good and had energy. With his new knowledge he started teaching his family how to track their foods as well. So what can you find Carson eating these days? Chicken and Broccoli is his new favorite! 

Carson, you are so very special to Alex and I and the rest of our community. It has been so rewarding watching you transform, changing your habits to new ones that are life changing, making fitness a priority, educating yourself and being more aware of what you are fueling your body with. These tools you have gained will forever help you and I am so grateful you trusted us with your fitness goals. You should be so very proud of yourself Carson and the phenomenal example you have shown to your family and friends. Thank you for being such a huge part of Chateau and a great example to others! 

Starting an exercise routine is MOTIVATION in itself! 

Food is for FUEL and sometimes for FUN!

MARY FRIEDMAN

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Family Hero

2.25.22

Alex and I would like to acknowledge a very special person who we feel is well deserving of the spotlight, Mary Friedman! Mary, you are so very special to Alex and I and the rest of our community. It has been so rewarding watching you kill all the workouts and at RX! You should be so very proud of yourself Mary and the phenomenal example you have shown to your family and friends. Thank you for being such a huge part of Chateau, supporting us over the years and being such a sweet friend to all of us.

Mary Friedman’s Personal Testimony…

I’ve always been physically active in individual sports. I’ve raced mountain bikes in New England and road bikes in Northern California. I was a competitive triathlete and did a whole lot of skiing with the kids. I’m currently an avid runner (some of you have spotted me running around town) and hiker.

I was in my early 40s while living in Northern California that I was brave enough to try CrossFit. 4 weeks of on-ramp later and I was hooked. It was a struggle at first. I’d never climbed a rope or done a pull up, let alone done anything gymnastics related. I had only seen Olympic lifts in the Olympics. And on top of that a new language- AMRAP, RC, TTB, DUs. With time I gained more confidence as I had started to see each movement multiple times and that tracking my strength progress helped me determine what working weight I was comfortable with.

When we moved to Woodinville in 2015 I tried several CrossFit gyms within a short drive from my house. It was CrossFit Nine (now Chateau) that seemed the best fit. There is a real sense of community here. The coaches and members are all welcoming and supportive. Shouts of encouragement and fist pumps after a workout is a clear indication of this. I appreciate that the coaches are focused on form and have a keen eye to give each athlete individual cues.

I’m into the next decade of my life now and the consistency of CrossFit has given me confidence in my own physical strength and ability. I competed in the Winter Showdown a couple years ago and had a blast challenging myself and encouraging my partner. Many of my lifts are getting stronger but I still scale a lot. I’d love to improve my gymnastics skills and already have with attending the skills workshops. I’ve got my strengths in a WOD as well as my weakness and try to pace early and finish strong as much as I can. I still dread the 10 sec countdown before a WOD but knowing that we’re all in it together helps me get it done!

I love the practicality of the strength I have gained. I hike a lot and doing all those pistol squats has given me the ability to descend 1,000 vertical feet in a mile with relative ease. I can shovel two yards of dirt into my garden and piggy back my teenagers up the stairs.

What is best is my daughter began CrossFit with me when she was in high school and now joins me when she is home visiting from college. I love that we can share this together even though she can now out lift me.

Mary Friedman

TYLER MATTHEWS

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Everyones Big Brother

9.15.21

Alex and I are beyond thrilled to be bringing back “Athlete Spotlight!” With the focus on surviving through the pandemic and then our move, we are finally feeling settled into our new Chateau home and getting back into a better routine! Yay!! So without further ado we would like to acknowledge a very special person who we feel is well deserving of the spotlight, Tyler Matthews! You are so very special to Alex and I and the rest of our community. You are welcoming, humble, genuine, happy and sweet to us all. We are inspired by your amazing dedication to supporting others along with being such a true friend. It is beyond crazy how uplifting you are Tyler and we all cherish your big brother hugs. Love you so much!

Tyler Matthew’s Personal Testimony…

I am your typical 40-year-old-former-kinda-good-athlete, married to my beautiful wife for 18 years (yep, we were kids), with two daughters, now 10 and 13.  Life is really full, and certainly not without its challenges, especially since COVID hit!  If you're reading this, my hope is that at least part of this resonates.  Since my football playing days almost 20 years ago, I've tried everything from your typical gym membership to P90X to training for marathons, everything in between, and it was the same old story: go hard for a couple months and then fall off the wagon, rinse and repeat.  My good buddy Zane Martin had been telling me for months I needed to check out Chateau, kept talking about the culture, the coaches, and how cool the people were.  He told me, "Forget what you think you know about CrossFit.  This place is different."  On February 4, 2020, I randomly popped in, saw, felt, and heard the culture, was signed up 10 minutes later and enrolled in the 5 AM glass the next morning.

It was rough getting up that first day at 4:15 AM, and for sure, I thought I might pass out after my first WOD.  I hadn't worked out hard in probably a year, maybe more, and I'm sure I went too hard on day 1.  19 months later, CrossFit is easily the most rewarding yet humbling sport I've known.  I still can't do a bar muscle-up, can't do hand-stand walks and I’m still trying to figure out snatches. But as awesome as the workouts are and as good as it feels to relieve stress and get in shape, it's the community and culture Zane talked about that intrigued me, and he was right on.  The coaches watch like a hawk, keep us safe, correct us when we need it but encourage us the whole way.  I remember Keri telling me early on, probably on snatches, "Ok, I think you're ready to add some weight, but let's see."  I still have days where my body is asking me what I did to it the day before, no part of me wants to pick the bar up, and then I see my crew spread out across the gym, going for it.  Every morning, I can hear Alex, D, George, Devin, Rolin, Rikki, someone saying, "Come on, Ty, one more.  You got it."  It's the people that make it what it is.

As someone who has struggled mentally in the past with work stress and the pressures of life, the Chateau community has played a huge part in getting me through the past 18 months.  Alex, Keri and all you coaches who have poured into all of us, thank you for the community and culture you have built, for persevering and keeping us going through it all.  It still feels like I'm just getting started, but I'll be forever grateful for being welcomed into this, and the relationships built.  Can't wait to see where we all are at in the next year!  

Love Ty

CHRIS STONE

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Genuinely Unstoppable

6.10.20

He's 65 yrs old, arguably in the best shape of his life and has lost 23 lbs since January. He took on our 2020 Chateau Health & Fitness Challenge that we had going from January to June 2020. This got pushed out from the nationwide quarantine from COVID-19 and he still stuck to his guns and stayed committed! Chris continued following our daily workouts, hopping onto our online Zoom classes every week and worked in strong partnership with his wife Pam, to keep their nutrition in check and they came out way ahead! From our nutrition seminars, daily tips, starting the Zone Diet with us and all of their past knowledge of nutrition, they have been able to literally kick butt in their 60’s. Chris is known for his hard work, camaraderie and for being a motivator. He’s not selfish and he cares about everyone else in the gym finishing their workout strong, just as much as he cares about his own workout. Listen to what Chris has to say about his journey, success and motivation. Chris is incredibly aspirational, the kindest guy you'll ever meet and one heck of an athlete! Thanks for being a friend, a great member and for giving us a strong example of what it possible, even in your retirement!

Zane Martin

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A Born Athlete

1.3.20

Alex and I would like to acknowledge a very special person who we feel is well-deserving of the Member Spotlight, Zane Martin! If you know Zane you know exactly why he came to mind to us and all our coaches as a Member Spotlight! Zane you have seriously blown us away with your dedication, increased strength, pure deep motivation and just your natural ability to thrive amongst our community! It has been so inspiring and awesome watching you crush lifts, crush workouts and just recently string 5 BMU together! We’d put our money on you Zane if you were to ever consider competing. You were born an athlete and it surely shows! We love you Zane and have truly enjoyed watching you progress and reach so many goals with us!

Zane Martin’s Personal Testimony…

I am so honored! Chateau, the members, and every single coach have meant so much to me over the last 5 months.

My first experience with Crossfit was about 8 years ago, I loved the challenge immediately and having played multiple sports for most of my life, it was a source of competition that I had not taken part in for far too long. I felt great, saw results, and rarely missed a day for 3 months until I shattered my collarbone. I continued working out after I recovered, but never got back into anything organized or planned.

My wife and I moved here 2 years ago for a job opportunity I couldn't pass up. When we decided to move, our son Wyatt was 7 months old. The day after we arrived, we found out that our youngest son, Maverick, was on the way (16 months apart) My wife had to stay home and take care of two babies, money was tight, and time was tighter. When she was presented with a good opportunity to go back to work in June, my first question was "Can I join a legit gym?" My wife works afternoons/evenings, so while money was suddenly not an issue anymore, I had even less free time.

Enter Crossfit Chateau!

I walked in the door at 4:55am mid-July 50lbs overweight, tired, and in the worst shape of my life. I have always been athletically inclined, HYPER COMPETITIVE, and thrived in a team atmosphere, but felt far from anything that resembled that guy. I can’t remember the first workout specifically, but I remember showering after the workout with my lungs burning and my legs feeling like jello and it lit the fire right back up.

I love the coaching, the competition, and the challenge that is ready for us every day, but the community has been the most impactful piece for me. It makes it so much easier to commit to a diet plan and get up at 4:10am on the days that I am really struggling because I know I just have to get myself to the parking lot. Once someone sees me, I won't be able to bail out.

The morning crew has been so great!! I am so thankful for the encouragement from Johnny, George, and Jennie. I also appreciate that Johnny comes ready with jokes at 5am. I am 40 lbs down from when I started, my goals have all been reached, and new goals have been made. I am thankful for Chateau, I love that everyone here, members and coaches, will support and push you at your

own pace, to reach your own goals. My goal is to be the best version of me and to be an example for my two boys that if you want to achieve things that few people achieve, you have to be willing to do things that few people will do. I am thankful to every single person at Chateau, for the community, the push, and the encouragement. You guys don’t just improve yourself every day, you help others get better too.

Love you all,

Zane

Joanna Muir

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Humble and Kind Hearted

9.23.19

Alex and I would like to acknowledge a very special person who we feel is well deserving of the spotlight, Joanna Muir! Joanna you are so very special to Alex and I and the rest of our community. You are so welcoming, humble, approachable and such a good friend. You are one of those friends who you could literally tell anything to and trust that there wouldn’t be judgement and more than anything laughter! It has been such a pleasure having you with us for almost 3 ½ years. You have submerged yourself within our family, been so friendly to new faces and literally been to almost every one of our Chateau get togethers. We appreciate your kind heart, giving hands and loving smile hun. Love you so much!

Joanna Muir’s Personal Testimony…

I started CrossFit in May 2014 and right away I was hooked. At first, it was the workouts that got me but what kept me going was the view ;)

Growing up, I swam on a summer team each summer and on my high school team but swimming was kind of boring since I couldn’t really talk with people or listen to music while I was doing it. As an adult, I joined a “regular” gym and tried classes, they were OK, but I never saw impactful results. After I finished college in 2013, I needed to get back into working out so my husband suggested I try a gym that one of his co-workers owns and runs.

I started at Seatown CrossFit in May of 2014 in hopes of feeling a little better about myself and my physique by my planned wedding date of August 1st, 2015. I started with 3 days per week doing the On Ramp work and quickly realized that I needed to go more frequently to avoid the amount of soreness between workouts. I steadily increased my frequency to four days and then to five and now I try to go 4-5 days per week.

I was surprised at how out of shape I was in the beginning. After a few months, I was feeling better about my endurance and strength and most importantly, I felt welcomed by the other members and encouraged in my fitness goals. Then I started noticing muscles in places I hadn’t had before. WOW! I had always been a “skinny b!tch”, like skinny-fat, and seeing muscle definition is incredible! I’ve always wanted to be a strong woman but felt like it was a “grass is always greener situation” for me. Although putting muscle on my frame has been changing, I appreciate the journey and look forward to the continued challenge.

I was at Seatown for about a year and a half before I started a new job in Bothell and my family moved there. I didn’t know what I was going to do about finding a box close to home and work. I was really worried that I wasn’t going to find the same level of workouts or make new friends. I looked at few gyms and tried one out for about a month but it wasn’t a good fit. I liked the people but the workouts weren’t what I was looking for. Then I found CrossFit Chateau. When I came in the first person I met was a member named Dawn Cargile. I think she just finished a workout because she was all sweaty and red faced. It was an intense introduction! When I saw Dawn again, she smiled at me so I felt much better about joining. She remembered me so I thought this might be a good place with good people.

One of the many things I really love about CrossFit is the community. I had heard people talk about this but when I experienced it, it really resonated with me. I could probably get a decent work out in different ways but the encouragement and support I feel at Chateau is more than any gym membership can deliver. I love celebrating successes with others! This is the only sport I know of where competitors encourage each other while they are in the thick of it. I love the selflessness of the community around the sport. I feel like we are exercising our bodies and our psyche by building both up at the same time together. I like this holistic approach. It makes me feel like anyone with the mind for it can do CrossFit. It’s made for all ages, body types, and abilities, especially someone like me who needs lots of modifications.

CrossFit has empowered me in a way other physical activities and communities have not. I wish I had found CrossFit sooner in my life because it has helped me connect with so many like-minded people and increased my physical and emotional well-being. I feel like CrossFit are my people and more importantly, that CrossFit Chateau is my home away from home. My family there makes me want to share it with everyone because it makes me feel welcomed and inspired by so many wonderful people and I wish I could connect others to this so they can have the same experience.

Lindsay Ray Nelson

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Raw and Real!

6.3.19

Front Squat +2lb, 217

OHS +31lb, 176

Bench Press +25lb, 170

Murph -5min, 66:22

Isabel -2.5min, 4:19

We admire you Lindsay for the countless hours, determination and persistence that you’ve encompassed.

Lindsay Nelson’s Testimony..

I started CrossFit 7 years ago when I was in a really unhealthy stage of my life mentally and physically. I heard about it one time and signed up as a full member without even trying a class or visiting the gym first. I come from a background of ballet and figure skating so the structure, programming and technique components of CrossFit were perfect for me. My confidence was so shot that I definitely didn't believe I was capable of ever being an "athlete" again and I was somewhat of a lazy CrossFitter. I fell in love with Olympic Lifting and began going to those classes regularly, but still was too mentally weak to realize I was capable of more and to push myself.

That all changed about 4 years ago when I found out I had to have surgery on my left knee. I felt like the rug had been pulled out from under me. The surgery was a major one and I'd be out for a long time. I gained a ton of weight and whatever small amount of confidence I had gained was completely gone. Luckily, I found out I had the strongest group of people around me that helped take that on for me and get me through it. Julie made a special modified WOD for me every single day, wrote it on the board with the normal WOD and other people started joining in on my work out as well to support me. It ended up being one of the best summers of my life because of that crew of people. That's when she sold WestPac to Felix and my journey at Chateau began. I was just starting to be able to freely do WOD's and lift again and with a renewed mental game I was on it and determined to get better. I was doing the Oly focus as well as CrossFit to keep up on my Metcon. At the beginning of this year there was some severe burnout going on with life and the grind of the Oly programming and Jeremy suggested we go back to doing just CrossFit again. I was terrified. I just knew I would lose all my gains. But I haven't. I'm loving the strength cycles and overall I am definitely the best I've ever been and I am enjoying CrossFit more now than I ever have. I appreciate Chateau and the coaches as well as the awesome community we have for the push every day! I extra appreciate Jeremy who consistently encourages me and believes in me more than I ever could.

Lindsay Nelson

Gena Schirer

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Strong and Toned Momma!

4.19.19

Alex and I would like to take a moment to appreciate and acknowledge Gena Schirer. Gena joined us last May and has been coming in consistently ever since. She has been so positive, humble and fun to have in our class. Gena always comes in smiling, happy and eager to learn! We love your upbeat energy Gena and are stoked to see you progress every week!

Gena Schirer’s Testimony..

I have always worked out but in a much different format than CrossFit. I was a fairly religious member of Baseline and Orange Theory and did enjoy them at the time.

I had two babies while doing those workouts up until the night before I gave birth both times. Although they were fine, I never really saw a change in my body and never felt like I was apart of a community like I do now. I would do my workout and go home, rarely getting to know anyone and it was not a lot of heavy lifting, mostly a lot of cardio. Even though I was thin, I really was not very strong. Since  doing CrossFit 10 months ago, I have noticed huge changes in my strength and muscle tone!

My husband, Alex started at CrossFit Chateau about a year before I did and always tried to get me to join, but I was initially resistant. I was worried I would get too “bulky” and that CrossFit was too “cult like”. I feel like the

opposite has been true. I have seen amazing growth in less than a year at CrossFit Chateau. I still have a long way to go but there are so many moves I can do now that I never thought would be possible and I’m not bulky at all, but I do have some muscles! There are two aspects that are the most amazing to me, though, outside of changes in my strength. First, what I notice most, is that I have more energy and strength when I play with my kids. Lifting them and throwing them and keeping up with them is much easier now. This has changed how our family behaves because I can engage with them in ways I couldn’t before.

Second, is the friends I have made. CrossFit isn’t a cult, it’s a group of really welcoming people who encourage you to grow. I have met so many great people and that makes working out fun, not a chore. As I write this from vacation, I actually miss the gym, the coaches and my friends there.

I am very grateful for the community I have at CrossFit Chateau. It’s a network of people that can rely on each other and support each other. I’m also grateful I can do a kipping pull up now :)

Gena Schirer

Lawrence Ebel

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Lift Big - Smile Big

3.19.19

We want to take a moment to appreciate and acknowledge Lawrence Ebel. He is someone that is very sweet, genuine, fun and inspiring to many of you and especially to us.

Before starting with Crossfit Chateau, Lawrence had done Crossfit for about a year in 2012 while he was in dental school. After school life got busy for Lawrence and he stopped working out. In doing so, Lawrence gained a lot of weight and just felt unhealthy. In January 2017 he started the Keto diet and working out again at a big globo gym.  Soon realizing that he truly missed the intense workouts that Crossfit gave him. Right before moving to the Seattle area, one of Lawrence’s friends invited him to do a WOD and he got hooked on Crossfit again.

Lawrence joined Crossfit Chateau back in July 2018 when he moved to our area. His plan was to check out a few local gyms and make a decision, but after one class at Chateau he knew it was the right gym for him. Lawrence says, “The coaches are awesome and the community that we have is unbeatable!”  Since joining CF Chateau Lawrence has achieved his first bar muscle up, his first ring muscle up and has made a lot of great friends. He has also lost almost 20 lbs, thanks to Crossfit and the keto diet!

With all that said, Lawrence, we couldn’t be more proud to have you as a part of our CrossFit Family! You seriously have such a magnetic personality and we love seeing you every week. It is always so nice to see you walk in and walk out with a big smile on your face. You’ve really helped keep the camaraderie strong here and it has been truly rewarding seeing you PR and reach so many goals with us!

Keri and Alex

Daniel Schaffer

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Set Goals and Reach Them

2.21.19

We want to take a moment to appreciate and acknowledge Daniel Schaffer. Daniel joined us last Sept and has been coming in consistently ever since.

When Daniel first started with us he had a Powerlifting background, but quit training in 2016 when he moved to Seattle from Charlotte. Like most of us, he let the stress of his new job and cross-country pretty much kill his daily gym routine. Over 2016 and 2017 Dan gained 50 lbs while adopting a largely sedentary lifestyle.

Luckily he started training back up again mid-2018, and joined Chateau in Sept. So far, he is down 15 lbs and has increasingly gained upper body strength! Dan claims to still hates burpees like the rest of us, but says they're getting there! With his persistence and dedication, Dan can now do 5 strict pull-ups, up from 1. A few other goals he has reached is getting his first Pistol and Rope Climb in Dec. His endurance is improving and strength is coming back in some of his major lifts, despite a current setback w/ a back surgery.

CF has given him structure back to his weeks. It's also helped him gradually dial nutrition back in, as the transition into his 30’s was less than graceful, per Dan:) Dan enjoys suffering together, and is stoked that CrossFit has helped him find that extra gear again that had been missing for awhile. Reaching new goals and pushing himself has not only made him feel better as a person it has also spilled over into his work life giving him more energy and allowing him to be more productive there as well. More than anything, Chateau has provided him a community for accountability and motivation. There's a lot of humble monsters at CrossFit Chateau and he aspires to be one of those again!

Dan you have not only reached some awesome goals in the 7 months you have been with us but you have been so eager to learn correct form and improve your athleticism. We love how coachable you are and not only receptive to our feedback but very grateful. There is nothing more rewarding than having a member who loves feedback, makes the changes and continues to learn and improve all the while being humble and grateful. Dan we are stoked you have joined our community and we can’t wait to see you take CrossFit and Oly to the next level!

Keri, Alex and Team!

Toinette Watson

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A True Inspiration

12.18.18

We want to take a moment to appreciate and acknowledge Toinette Watson. She is someone that is very special and inspiring to many of you and especially to us.

Sept/Oct 2018 Tonee found out that she was struggling with really bad tendonitis in both forearms as well as ongoing pain from arthritis in both thumbs and wrists. Her left shoulder which had been giving her issues, could have been a contributing factor to the tendinitis in her elbows due to overcompensating. For a good 3+ months Tonee had to modify every single workout. But she still showed up even if it meant squatting yet another day! Between Physical Therapy and help from Sport and Spine, she is now seeing some progression and able to incorporate using her arms more.

If you know Tonee, you know her passion for competing and pushing herself further than most of us ever dream of. Being a competitor I can only imagine how not only humbling but very difficult it would be to have to take ten steps back and essentially although temporary, loose many gains and goals you’ve worked so hard to accomplish.

Here are some of Tonee’s recent accomplishments over the last few years. During the CrossFit Open in her division worldwide she placed around 150th in 2016, 562nd in 2017 and place 124th this year after the online qualifiers. Rockstar!

With that said Tonee, we have watched you come in here without skipping a beat for the last 3+ months smiling, laughing, cheering on everyone all the while you are feeling defeated and broken. You are such a strong and caring friend who has portrayed to us all what true strength looks like. We love you hun and are so blessed to have you amongst us here at CrossFit Chateau. 

West Coast Regionals May 2018 ----- San Diego, CA

~Kelcy Ware - Individual~

Kelcy Ware is an amazing athlete. She has been a part of our community for the past 3 years and she is on a mission! This is her 4th Regionals as an Individual Athlete and she is not stopping there.

Every year gets harder and she continues to get stronger and better amongst the field of other women. This year, our Northwest Region was combined with California and West Canada, making the West Coast Region. California is saturated with awesome athletes, so it could be intimidating to most, but not Kelcy. With what we thought to be a more competitive, denser and intense region, Kelcy showed her strength, poise and drive by placing 10th! Top 5 get a ticket to the CrossFit Games, so this means she is getting so close!

Day 2 of Regionals, Kelcy placed completely last in the first of two workouts. She came out on fire, dropping the jaws of all watching, proving her competitiveness placing FIRST on the second workout 2 hours later! We are so proud of you Kelcy and we are excited to train with you throughout this next year!

Northwest Regionals May 2013 & 2014----- Renton, WA

~Keri Wille - Individual~

~CrossFit Chateau Team~