Our very first Athlete of the Month is none other than Jim Welch! If you don’t know Jim, you should. He is a regular at the evening classes and ALWAYS gives 100% in each workout, and manages to do so with a great attitude. Jim is the first one to ask how he can work on weaknesses to get better, and I still love him even though he strongly dislikes my taste in music. Jim, we love you here at CFB and are pumped for everyone to get to learn more about you!
CFB: Tell us about yourself (family, job, sports, interests etc)
JW: I was born and raised in St. Louis, Webster Groves to be specific, and graduated from Washington University with a degree in Psychology. My first job was in computer programming and I’ve never spent a minute doing anything else for a living. I co-founded a software consulting company about 10 years ago and spend my days working with customers and developers. I’ve been married to my wife Kim for 34 years and we have two grown kids.
CFB: When did you start CrossFit?
JW: I started a year ago, mid-January.
CFB: What were you thinking/feeling after your first CrossFit WOD?
JW: I had done some research about CrossFit so I had some idea of what I was getting into, but man, was it hard. I remember thinking that I might be over my head but the coaches were very supportive and let me know it was normal and it would get better. I was so out of it after one WOD I almost hit a car on Manchester Road.
CFB: What is your favorite WOD?
JW: The partner WODs are fun and it is a good way to get to meet new people or to get to know them better. I also enjoy WODs with wall balls because it helps with my poor hip mobility.
CFB: Least favorite WOD?
JW: So many to choose from ☺… anything that involves overhead squats because I suck at them.
CFB: What is your favorite WOD song?
JW: My taste in music is so far away from gym music in general and Meg’s music in particular (sorry Meg!). It works for the gym but definitely not my style. I mostly listen to newer bands like ALT-J, James Blake and odd stuff like Fat Freddy’s Drop (electronic, reggae, jazz, funk – check it out, it is great stuff). I also like to listen to classical music when working.
CFB: What is your favorite quote?
JW: Too many to choose from. Here is a short one:
“If you keep doing what you are doing you will get what you get.”
I’m a complete book nerd and Shakespeare is a favorite so here is one. For some this might sound depressing but for me it is a reminder to enjoy life fully while you can and ignore advice from fools:
To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.
~Macbeth Act 5, scene 5, 19–28
CFB: What is something about you that your fellow members wouldn’t know?
JW: I love poetry. I read it almost every day.
CFB: How has CrossFit affected your life outside the gym?
JW: It has helped put me on a much healthier path. When signed up I had a physical and my doctor told me that my cholesterol and blood pressure were high. We agreed to try exercise and diet for 3 months. When I went back I was 100% normal. It also helps me mentally because it feels so good to accomplish things.
CFB: If you could write a WOD tailored to you, what would it be?
JW: The long grind WODs with lots of different movements are so damn hard, but I always feel great afterwards. So that would be it.
CFB: What is your favorite thing about CFB?
JW: This is easy to answer, it is the community of people. From the coaches to the athletes it is such a friendly and welcoming environment regardless of your age or physical situation. The camaraderie is a big motivation factor and it comes from all levels and ages of the CFB community