My story starts off a little differently than everyone else.  I discovered and fell in love with Crossfit on the enchanted island of Guam.  Yes, Guam! The same Guam on the other side of the world, literally.  I am active duty United States Navy, so I was transferred there for a two year tour back in 2009. It was one of the first few weeks on there and I found myself at the gym on base after work.  During my normal routine of pullups and some bicep curls, I ran into a coworker during some interesting movements.  I didn’t know at the time but he was in the middle of a  hero WOD named “DT.”  My friend was training to go to special forces aka BUDS for the Navy and had been using this “crossfit” method for training.  So there he was, 145lb and 5’6, throwing around 155lb deadlifts, cleans and push press and making it look moderately easy.  So the next day, I promised I would swallow the Kool-aid and try a WOD or Workout of the Day.  To this day, ANGIE will forever be engraved into my head, my first crossfit workout.  And boy did she leave an impression.

There i was thinking I was “in-shape” because I could do a set of non-locked out pull ups for 10.  Never had I attempted doing 100 and then still have more movements to do.  CRUSHED was the only way to describe how I felt after.  I was determined at this point to be able to keep up and get better.  Little did I know this would start a journey that would lead me to a life changing path.  As my friend “E” and I would constantly work out, we were unable to do WOD’s with weight since we had no bumper plates and miltary base gym’s hated us because we caused too much noise and racket and running around.  We had plenty of kettlebells and medicine balls to throw around but never really touched the weights.  To my fortune, E and I were from the same area in Jersey.  On my first trip hope to visit my family and then girlfriend (now wife), we decided to go to our first official Crossfit box together.  I will let you know right now, this is a very well known box but i will not reveal the name of it.  As we entered the box, I remember it was freezing, no one said a word to us,  and had no idea what to expect.  The owner and coach told us the WOD, stretched us out and then before you know it, 3-2-1 GO!  I remember it being such a miserable experience.  No guidance, no inspiration, and just pain.  I thought, “Is this what crossfit is all about? Was I missing something?”  As we left the box, I vowed to never go to another box and continue to crossfit on my own.

We Continued to WOD be eventually E transferred to special forces.  I guess this Crossfit stuff worked.  I kept WOD’ing on my own and eventually a few people caught on and I found myself leading these small groups of crossfitters in Guam.  I would study the workouts and then we would attempt to do them the next day at the gym as long as it didn’t involve weights. Crossfit was more than just a workout regimen to me.  It helped me keep my sanity, it helped me pass the time until I returned home, it gave me new friends, it helped me through the toughest 2 years of my life.  Being alone essentially on a small island and restricted to whom you can be friends with and when you can contact your loved ones was very difficult to handle, but spending my time researching and WOD’ing and helping others WOD kept me going.  It gave me a purpose outside of just work and I don’t know how I would have functioned without it. Time would pass again, and there I was coming home again to Jersey.  I would be home during the day since everyone worked so I said I would give going to a crossfit box another try.  I looked up local crossfit gyms, I refused to go back to that last box.  I found Crossfit ACT nearest to me, so I thought I would try this.  I came by for a 5pm class and met Bill.  He was a prior marine, stern and poised.  Oozed confidence and charisma.  I read up on his credentials, the man was well trained.  So I was anxious to see what would happen at this box vice the other.  I was instantly greeted and welcomed by the other members, this was a new concept.  As we stretched, I read the WOD programmed by Bill.  It was a metcon consisting of pullups, pushups, dips and squats.  All movements i was familiar and good at by this point.  3-2-1 GO!  I went thru this one with enthusiasm and a fire in my belly, I had something to prove.  There firebreathers all around me, so I was determined not to look weak or give up.  Then I heard voices. “Good Job!” “Keep Going!” “Don’t Give Up!” “Your pushups suck, do them correctly and start over!” WOW! someone pushing me, critiquing me, challenging me! This was finally the crossfit community I had heard so much about.  As I laid there, crushed by this homegrown WOD, I thought “This is awesome!”  I came back the next day, push jerks were on the white board.  I was somewhat strong, but had no form to speak of.  One of the other coaches and owners Rob took me thru this.  I was ego checked hard.  I was at a weight inferior to my strength.  But they explained, with no weight training before and many errors in my lifts, this was ideal.  I completely agreed but it was hard to swallow.  I continued to show up every day of my vacation and keep learning and getting my ass kicked. One of my last WOD’s there before  I returned back to Guam, was a Saturday WOD.  I remember there being two Joe’s in the Class.  His nickname was 5-0 Joe, so naturally I needed a nickname to distinguish mine from his. The nickname Guam Joe was born.

I left to go back to Guam once again, I was excited to share with everyone what I had learned and to continue to grow in the hopes of doing a WOD as RX’d(I had to scale everything at this point in my journey).   Six more months would pass, I continued to crossfit in between and learn more and share more.  I returned home, anxious to go back to this place where people knew and remembered me and I enjoyed being.  I was greeted, but this time, like a long lost cousin walking through the door.  I felt at home here, ready to destroy any WOD in my way. The same thing went on again, I got my ass handed to me, I learned, I returned to Guam, and I shared.  Shortly after my return, a crossfit box opened up in Guam, Crossfit 671.  This was a military affiliate.  I was quick to jump on board and ask to train there .  Once again, I was greeted and welcomed to the Guam National Guard’s Crossfit box.  It was here for the next 9 months I trained, studied and breathed crossfit.  It was my sanctuary and my way of giving back.  I enjoyed going there and helping out in anyway I could, training, fund-raising, donating or just sharing a smile with the other men and women on the same fitness quest as I am.  I was blessed to have them and Crossfit in my life.

Finally in the summer of 2011, I returned home to the continental United States, to be stationed in Connecticut again on submarine duty.  I chose this to be close to my fiancee(again, now wife) and my family and friends. I came back a new man than I had left before.  I hadn’t touched a cigarette in over 2 years, I was eating Paleo and feeling healthier inside and out.  I was able to do workouts as prescribed and then some.  I had no fear of anything and was stress free. Walking through the doors of Crossfit ACT again, I saw all my friends and fellow grinders.  I couldn’t have been happier to know I would see them all the time now without having to say good bye.  I found myself at the box for hours, staying to help motivate and help people with the work outs but not step on any of the coach’s toes.  It was a few days later I was given the amazing offer to intern for a coaching spot at the box.  I piddled a little bit.  What better job could you ask for, to help people, get your own workout on and help people change their lives as it had already done for me.

My Goal as an intern, hopefully soon coach, is simple:  To give you the best crossfit experience possible, so you don’t have to go through what I went through at first.  No one should walk into a new place and not feel welcomed.  Not feel at home and not want to be there.  I want everyone to feel how I feel and see what I see through all this, Awesomeness.  I get no better joy than watching someone give it their all, fail or succeed, and leave it all on the gym mat.  I get super excited helping and watching someone get their first pull-up or muscle up or handstand pushup or first workout as Rx’d!  These are the things that make it worthwhile to me and make me excited to come in every chance I get.  I have had the opportunity to travel and visit many Crossfit boxes in the past 2 years since I started and I can truly tell you that there is no better box when it comes to coaches and it’s members.  I have the pleasure of working alongside the best and WOD’ing next to people I call firebreathers but most importantly, friends!