Athlete of the Month: Stephanie Chavers

Congratulations to Stephanie for being named Athlete of the Month for December!

1. What made you decide to join the Riv?

• I was looking for a way to get back in shape, but I found myself at gyms and not being motivated to do it on my own. I wanted to go somewhere where there were classes and people to interact with. My first trial class, although shy, already felt like I could be a part of the community. I signed up as soon as the class was over, and haven’t turned back.

• The Riv holds me accountable. When I miss a day, I know it and they know it. Because I am not just one of many. That has made me work much harder than I ever have, and I can see it in my body. I have always wanted Angela Basset in What’s Love Got to Do with It arms…. I’m getting there… I’ve done so many things I never thought that I could do. It’s not just the fitness, it’s the confidence that comes with it.

• My favorite workout….Hmmmm…It had to be one of the Ladder Partner WODs, those are my favorites. I love Partner WODs in general. Fridays are my favorite. I think my endurance has improved the most. The first few weeks of my workouts, I didn’t finish… and now I’m excelling and it gives me a new energy because I know that I can finish. I know I can do it.

• The people. Most gyms have coaches, but not my coaches. This community is the best. They are fun and encouraging. It’s not just about the workout, but they get to know who you are.

Athlete of the Month: Megan Williams-Stewart

• All of my life I was a competitive figure skater. Once I retired due to a labral tear in my hip, I needed something “outside the box” to push me to get into shape again. One of my skating friends (an original member of the Riv) kept telling me to join. So in 2014, I finally stepped outside of my comfort zone and joined. At first, I was VERY intimated by everyone there and what they could do but I eventually got over it and have never looked back.

• Not only has the Riv helped me reach fitness goals but it’s opened my eyes to having fitness goals in general. The dedication/commitment on my part, the motivational group environment, and instruction and inspiration from the coaches has allowed to me to get stronger, faster, sharper, and more motivated each day. This has lead to consistent and progressive results, and constantly drives me to push myself further each and every workout.

• I can’t name a specific WOD that has been my favorite but in general, I have enjoyed learning and developing new skills that I never thought I was capable of achieving. 

• My endurance and upper body strength! That was definitely my weakest when I started and has improved the most.

• Other than Kirsten’s dance moves… I would have to say my favorite thing about the Riv is the community environment, the positivity of all of the coaches and partner WODs on Fridays!

Athletes of the Month: Tori and Meghan Grimm

For October, we have two Athletes of the Month: Tori and Meghan Grimm!! The sisters can’t be separated, so they both get it for the month!

Tori

• I’ve always wanted to join a CrossFit gym, but was too intimidated to join myself, so when I moved back to Delaware after school I decided to drag my sister into joining the Riv with me so it would be less intimidating.

• CrossFit Riverfront has helped me reach the goals of being mentally and physically stronger. I’ve learned to push myself harder in order to get those extra reps I wasn’t able to complete before and despite the pain and soreness to just keep going because it’s all worth it in the end.

• My favorite workout is endurance class with Coach Mike and the one move I hate, but love to see him put on the board is burpee box jumps because they never fail to exhaust me. Mike’s classes are always the most difficult to get through, but I love the challenge.
• I’ve improved most on rowing and I’m still not even good at it, but I was probably hands down the worst rower going into the Riv every day. I thank Coach Mike for teasing me and including rowing in several workouts just so I could practice and get better at it.

• My favorite part of the Riv is the community and competition. It’s a completely non-judgmental place that makes you feel confident in working out but also pushes you to go harder than you did last workout. I love competing with my sister and the friends I’ve made at the Riv because it makes us better every day.

Meghan

1. What made you decide to join the Riv?

• My sister, Tori, encouraged me to join the Riv. She had just graduated from school and I had just moved back from VA. I needed something different with my workouts and joining the Riv was just what I was looking for.

2. How has CrossFit Riverfront helped you reach some of your fitness goals?

• CrossFit Riverfront has helped me become stronger. I was never able to do push-ups before Riv, now I can. I want to continue to improve on doing more reps without going to my knees.

3. What has been your favorite workout? What have you improved on most?

• My favorite workout is endurance class with Coach Mike. I love that coach Mike intertwines cardio and strength in the workouts. I find it challenging and exhausting. I have improved on my box jumps despite getting injured a week ago. I went from a 20 to 24. Coach Mike would like to see me get to 30 (not so sure about that anymore). Also, my running time has improved!

4. What is your favorite part of the Riv?

• My favorite part of the Riv is the feeling of being a part of a community and my new friends.

Athlete of the Month: Amy Nerlinger

Congratulations to Amy for being chosen as the Athlete of the Month for September! Amy often WOD’s multiple times a day and is always present for events and competitions. Definitely well deserved!

1.       What made you decide to join the Riv?

I had recently moved back to Wilmington from graduate school and I no longer had many close friends living in the area.  I wanted to join a community where I could meet new people with whom I shared similar interests.  Being an athlete most of my life, I also wanted to find a hobby that would support a healthy and active lifestyle.  I’ve had many past teammates who fell in love with CrossFit as a means of supporting their competitive, yet social, personalities, so I decided to give it a try.  Specifically regarding CrossFit Riverfront, I heard great things about the programming and community, so after researching the wide range of class types and class times that could work with my varying work schedule, I decided to sign-up!

2.       How has CrossFit Riverfront helped you reach some of your fitness goals?

A few years ago, I began focusing on distance running as a means of stress-relief and immersing myself in the outdoors.  It soon also became a primary motivator in my life – wanting to get faster every time I went out for a run.  Succeeding here helped me focus more on work, school, and some other factors in my life.  Last year I felt I plateaued on my half marathon pace.  I signed up for another half marathon earlier this year, hoping to PR.  Going into the race, I was nervous I hadn’t trained enough… I had “only” been taking the RivFit and CrossFit classes at the gym.  I ended up finishing the race with a new PR by 11 minutes.  I was super surprised, yet super proud of myself.  This just confirmed the overall fitness training I receive at the Riv and how the programming here can help you reach many goals other than just lifting weights! 

3.       What has been your favorite workout?  What have you improved on most?

My favorite workouts are the Endurance WODs and the Turf WODs.  These classes remind me most of the soccer and basketball practices I took part in most of my life. 

My primary area of improvement has definitely been my upper body strength.  I’ve always played sports that require mostly lower body and core strength, so tackling arm and shoulder strength has been tough.  Slowly but surely I’m continuing to improve the upper body technique and strength involved in many movements! 

4.       What is your favorite part of the Riv?  

My favorite part of the Riv is two-fold.  First, the community of members and coaches creates an environment that’s conducive to healthy competition, knowledgeable training, and positive support no matter your skill level.  I’ve learned how strong I can be and I’m motivated to push myself each day.  Second, the Riv supports a “work hard, play hard” lifestyle.  Each member works hard by pushing themselves to their limit each day, but we have so much fun doing it.  The events held by the Riv also help us remember it’s not just about work, but it’s also about gaining the confidence and happiness to enjoy the rest of our lives.

Athlete of the Month: Noel Smith

Congratulations to one of the hardest working guys at the Riv, Noel Smith, for being Athlete of the Month for August!!
1. What made you decide to join the Riv?

• I decided to join the Riv after months of unhappiness with my appearance. A friend from King of Prussia told me about CrossFit and sent me some links on what it was about & what to expect. I reached out to Justine & she told me to come in & give it a shot, I’ve been LOVE ever since!

2. How has CrossFit Riverfront helped you reach some of your fitness goals?

• For me, CrossFit Riverfront has given me the motivation to get up & get after it, the workouts are tough, some easier than others but the fact that all the coaches are willing to help out & give you advice on form or even cheer you on when you’re ready to give up, you definitely don’t get that anywhere else! Not to mention the awesome people that have offered advice & gave me the extra motivation to push to finish a round.

3. What has been your favorite workout? What have you improved on most?

• My favorite workout has to be anything that Coach Mike thinks of for his endurance classes. Running isn’t my strong point but the fact that he makes it challenging & fun at the same time keeps me coming back for more!

4. What is your favorite part of the Riv?

• My favorite part of the Riv hands down is the community atmosphere that you feel as soon as you walk through those doors. I was very intimidated when I walked in 2 months ago, but the second I saw how quick everyone was to take me by the hand & help me through those first few workouts, I could see why the the Riv was so popular. The Riv for me is my escape. It’s truly a judgement free zone!

Athlete of the Month: Shari Rattray

Congratulations to Shari for being named our Athlete of the Month for July!! Read below to find out a little more about her time here at the Riv.

1. What made you decide to join the Riv?

• I had just moved to DE from Miami for work and I decided to give CrossFit a try after a friend suggested it.  I visited a couple boxes in the area and attended a few free classes, but the vibe of those boxes didn’t sync with my personality.  I decided to drive to the Riv after work one day to check it out and immediately as I entered through the door I felt at home and I hadn’t even taken the tour yet.  The gym was spacious and the positive energy was inescapable.  Additionally, the class schedule was super convenient.  I loved the fact that there were several class offered in the mornings and evenings or even if I wanted to take a long lunch and come in the middle of the day.

2. How has CrossFit Riverfront helped you reach some of your fitness goals?

• Like most people at the box, my fitness goals are always evolving.  But, I’ve lost several inches and gained a lot of stamina, both mentally and physically.  I’ve stopped stressing over the scale because even though I haven’t lost much in terms of pounds, my body composition has certainly improved.

3. What has been your favorite workout? What have you improved on most?

• I can certainly tell you my least favorite off the bat….any WOD requiring me to run greater than 200m.  But, I really like doing any workout with cleans and I love rowing.  Since I started doing the OLY class with Mik, my strength and form has improved significantly.  I’ve also improved significantly on my 500m row time.

4. What is your favorite part of the Riv?

• The community.  I’m an introvert and the community has actually helped me to open up more.  It was unavoidable, we partner up, we spend a lot of time here, we are all like-minded people going through similar struggles, mentally and physically and that in itself makes you bond.  I love the fact that everyone is genuinely encouraging and supportive of each other.  It makes you try harder because everyone is trying harder too.

Athlete of the Month: Phillip Gatlin

Congratulations to Phillip Gatlin for being the Athlete of the Month for June!! Such a hard worker and talented athlete!

1. What made you decide to join the Riv?

-I decided to join the Riv to challenge myself and become a better athlete. CrossFit Riverfront was the best decision I’ve made in my fitness journey.

2. How has CrossFit Riverfront helped you reach some of your fitness goals?

-CrossFit helped with my fitness goals a lot with my endurance, pushing myself more mentally, and opening up to trying new things.

3. What has been your favorite workout? What have you improved on most?

-Deadlifts and muscle ups are definitely my favorite movements!!! My squat snatches are definitely my biggest improvement!

4. What is your favorite part of the Riv?

-My favorite part is the community and how everyone pushes you to become the best athlete you can be.

Athlete of the Month: Hope Cochran

Congratulations to Hope for being Athlete of the Month for May. Hope has been killing it ever since she started back in January and is now pulling double sessions most days with RivFit and CrossFit!!

1. What made you decide to join the Riv?

-Deciding to join the Riv was a combo of being super uncomfortable in my own skin and passing all of the athletes on a daily basis on my way to work.  I was too curious not to come in and try it out!

2. How has CrossFit Riverfront helped you reach some of your fitness goals?

-Originally my only goal was to lose weight, but that quickly fell to the back burner.  I’ve lost over 20 lbs in the last 5 months at the Riv; however, more importantly my endurance has increased a ton and so has my confidence level with my body and with my abilities.  My goal now is to do the Open in 2017!

3. What has been your favorite workout? What have you improved on most?

-Partner WODs on Friday are my favorite because having someone to cheer on is more fun than talking to myself the whole time!  Everything has improved in the past 5 months, but most of all my depth on squats, speed on burpees and whining during running drills.

4. What is your favorite part of the Riv?

-Just one favorite part of the Riv??  My favorite part of the Riv is the atmosphere.  I’m super shy by nature so it means a lot to me that everyone is so friendly and willing to high five and fist bump and cheer you on.

Athlete of the Month: Matthew Jufer

Athlete of the Month: Erik Gary

It has taken a long time, but Erik has finally found himself as Athlete of the Month! Erik gets a lot of flak, but he seriously is one of the most committed and hardest working guys in the gym.

What made you decide to join the Riv?

1. I used to go to the gym a lot in college with my friends, but when I moved to Delaware I didn’t know anyone. I tried going to the Y when I could, but it just wasn’t the same. My sister had been doing CrossFit for about a year at this point, and she suggested I try it out. I used to bash CrossFit on a regular basis, but decided to give it a shot. I looked up gyms near me and the Riv came up. I remember the first person I saw was Chris Johnson. I never saw a man so large able to move so well (at least I thought so back then…j/k Chris). I wasn’t all about it at first, but then there was a WOD with overhead squats involved. I couldn’t even do the bar, which was extremely humbling. After that I was determined to break parallel for an OHS. Thus began the never ending journey to master the myriad amounts of movements that are CrossFit.

How has CrossFit Riverfront helped you reach some of your fitness goals?

2. CrossFit helped me actually create fitness goals. I never really had any when I first started. After becoming some what proficient in most of the movements I started writing down my goals and looking at them everyday. Month by month I started chipping away at the weights or the skills, and by the end of my second year in CrossFit I had accomplished almost everyone that I wrote down. That mindset has translated into my professional and personal life as well. I’ve never been more focused in my life than I am now with CrossFit as a large part of it.

What has been your favorite workout? What have you improved on most?

3. My favorite workout would be anything with ring MU’s, snatches, and heavy deadlifts (mainly because I can dominate Josh Reed in those movements). In all seriousness, ring MU’s are really fun. I remember seeing them for my first time and thought I’d never be able to do them. Snatches are the most technically difficult movement out there, so being able to move decently heavy weight for reps in that skill is satisfying.

What is your favorite part of the Riv?

4. The community is definitely my favorite part. I look forward to coming here almost everyday. This is the one place I can be myself and not be judged…for the most part. This place has really helped me become myself, and I don’t think I could be anymore grateful for it.