Athlete of the Month

Each month Overland Park CrossFit recognizes a member who exemplifies our values and motivates others in the gym to push themselves with encouraging words. June’s Athlete of the Month is Moses Nganga. He was chosen because he has really embraced a hard-working mentality. He consistently shows up to class, he is conscious about his nutrition habits, and he is determined to perform the movements correctly and with good form. He has made some really good progress since he’s been here and that can all be attributed to his dedication and perseverance. His hard work is paying off and we love having Moses as a part of our OPCF community!

How long have you been working out at Overland Park CrossFit? 3 months and 15 days

What were your thoughts after your first CrossFit workout? Do you remember what it was? It was very new with movements I had never done before. It was exciting because I knew I was going to get the right workouts moving forward.

What has been your favorite workout so far? Every workout has been great so far, but I really enjoy snatches and all forms of cleans.

What is your favorite cheat meal? Burgers with fries.

What did you want to be when you grew up and where do you work now? I wanted to be a professional piano player but that never happened. I now work for MERCK.

What do you like to do outside of work? I enjoy spending time with family.

What advice would you give a newbie just starting at OPCF? Be patient with yourself in regards to seeing results; be consistent and eat healthy.

What is your favorite/least favorite movement? I wouldn’t say I have a favorite or least favorite movement because they all work to help each body part develop and give me the overall results I want with time.

What’s one CrossFit goal you have set for yourself to accomplish this next year? I want to be ripped, strong, increase muscle mass, and be between the Train and Compete level.

What changes have you seen in yourself since starting at OPCF? My belly has gotten flatter; I’m starting to see definition around my upper/lower body and I have become stronger.

What is your biggest improvement or proudest accomplishment thus far? Being consistent and building up my endurance.

How do you fit working out into your weekly schedule? I wake up very early in the morning to get my 5:30am workout session in before doing anything else. This aligns with my family duties and work schedule.

What is something you have always wanted to do but haven’t yet? Travel more with my wife and our daughter.

Each month Overland Park CrossFit recognizes a member who exemplifies our values and motivates others in the gym to push themselves with encouraging words. April’s Athlete of the Month is Wes Sewell. Wes was chosen because since he started at OPCF, he has always been really good about asking questions if there’s a movement or portion of a workout that he doesn’t understand. He also prioritizes doing the movement correctly with good technique versus focusing on putting more weight on the bar. He listens to his body and is not afraid to take a rest day or active recovery day if he is feeling extra run down. His positive attitude radiates throughout the gym and he is always very encouraging and helpful to the other members. His hard work is paying off and we love having Wes as a part of our OPCF community.

How long have you been working out at Overland Park CrossFit? I have been working out at OPCF since October of 2021.

What were your thoughts after your first CrossFit workout? Do you remember what it was? I remember the workout had air squats, front squats, and some wall balls.  I actually thought the warm-up WAS the workout so that’s what I remember the most.

What has been your favorite workout so far? I like any of the deadlifting and squatting because those are the movements that I mess up the least.

What is your favorite cheat meal? Pizza by a landslide.

What did you want to be when you grew up and where do you work now? I had ZERO idea what I wanted to be. I ended up in the transportation and logistics industry and now own my business.

What do you like to do outside of work? Camping, fishing, and riding UTV’s; but anything outdoors really.

What advice would you give a newbie just starting at OPCF?  Don’t try to do too much too soon. Listen to your body and don’t workout if you feel like you’re hurt or going to get hurt because sometimes in the beginning, you’re so sore you might do movements incorrectly and get injured.

What is your favorite/least favorite movement?  My favorite movement is deadlifting and my least favorite movement is the snatch – by a long shot!

What’s one CrossFit goal you have set for yourself to accomplish this next year? I would love to do a bar muscle-up.

What changes have you seen in yourself since starting at OPCF? I’ve gotten much stronger. Lifting items around my property has gotten much easier. Who would have thought all those KB farmer’s carries would come in handy!?!?  My clothes are starting to fit differently too.

What is your biggest improvement or proudest accomplishment thus far? It is definitely that I was able to do my first strict pull-up a couple of weeks ago!

How do you fit working out into your weekly schedule? I try to make it in 4 days per week, but if I slip a little, or have to rest more, I don’t beat myself up over it; I just get back in there as soon as I can. I will also put together a work-out at home with things I’ve learned at OPCF if I can’t make it to the gym.

What is something you have always wanted to do but haven’t yet? I am super competitive so I’m ready to get to a point in my CrossFit journey that I can do some competitions!

Each month Overland Park CrossFit recognizes a member who exemplifies our values and motivates others in the gym to push themselves with encouraging words. January’s Athlete of the Month is Tessa Holland. Tessa was chosen because of the way she prioritizes coming to class regardless of her work schedule, and because of this consistency, we have been able to witness tremendous growth in her as an athlete. She always welcomes a more challenging version of the workout when it is suggested and always gives it her all. She is very attentive to the coach’s cues and does her best to make corrections to movements. Her hard work is paying off and we love having Tessa as a part of our OPCF community!

What were your thoughts after your first CrossFit workout? Do you remember what it was? I thought, ‘Holy cow, I have a lot of work to do.’ The workout was something with box jumps and running.

What has been your favorite workout so far? I love the workouts where I absolutely die, but feel like I accomplished a lot.

What is your favorite cheat meal? Donuts, for sure.

What did you want to be when you grew up and where do you work now? I wanted to be a hair stylist, but I am a Credit Analyst.

What do you like to do outside of work? I enjoy riding horses and checking cattle with my husband. Also, I love spending time with our niece and nephews! We are always busy at the farm!

What advice would you give a newbie just starting at OPCF? Don’t be afraid to scale workouts – everyone starts somewhere. Show up and put in the work!

What is your favorite/least favorite movement? I love cleans, but I hate thrusters!

What’s one CrossFit goal you have set for yourself to accomplish this next year? Keep consistently coming to classes. I would also like to dive more into nutrition and how to fuel my body correctly.

What changes have you seen in yourself since starting at OPCF? Overall, my confidence has gone up. I am able to fit into my clothes better. Mentally, it has helped me in many aspects of my life.

What is your biggest improvement or proudest accomplishment thus far? My proudest accomplishment is signing up and finishing The Open last year. I enjoyed pushing myself and was pleasantly surprised with what I could do! Also, just trying to improve every day and build on the hard work that’s already been done.

How do you fit working out into your weekly schedule? I try to prioritize making the 4:30 class. I think by making this a routine it’s easier to come regularly (no matter how bad the workout looks). My husband works late and is usually off by the time I get home. If I didn’t workout I’d probably be bored at home!

Each month Overland Park CrossFit recognizes a member who exemplifies our values and motivates others in the gym to push themselves with encouraging words. December’s Athlete of the Month is Spencer Wasman. Spencer was chosen because of his consistency at the gym, his dedication to moving well, and his ‘go hard’ attitude, which all reflect his commitment to improving his fitness and living a healthier life. He has made huge improvements with his gymnastics movements, double-unders, cardio, and strength, which is a testament to his hard work. It is all paying off and we love having Spencer as a part of our OPCF community!

How long have you been working out at Overland Park CrossFit? 1.5 years

What were your thoughts after your first CrossFit workout? Do you
remember what it was? I thought it was the hardest workout I had ever done in my life, but I survived. I definitely scaled everything, but I remember doing lots of wall balls.

What has been your favorite workout so far? I don’t know if I have a specific workout, but if I did, it probably
had toes-to-bar and/or power cleans in it.

What is your favorite cheat meal? Pizza

What did you want to be when you grew up and where do you work now? As a kid, I always wanted to become a professional athlete. As I got older, I had no idea what I wanted to do, and honestly still don’t. I currently work for Johnson County Government doing commercial real estate appraisal.

What do you like to do outside of work? I enjoy taking my dog Sadie for walks, traveling, and watching Football.

What advice would you give a newbie just starting at OPCF? Be patient when learning all the movements and have fun!

What is your favorite/least favorite movement? My favorite movement is probably toes-to-bar; my least favorite is OH Squats since I struggle with anything overhead.

What’s one CrossFit goal you have set for yourself to accomplish this next year? I would love to be able to do muscle-ups, even just one would be cool.

What changes have you seen in yourself since starting at OPCF? I have seen huge changes both physically and mentally. CrossFit was exactly what I needed to maintain consistency in exercising. Before coming to OPCF, I never would have imagined that I would be addicted to working out. The amazing coaches and great community of people certainly help make it a place that I enjoy being at.

What is your biggest improvement or proudest accomplishment thus far? My proudest accomplishment has been learning double-unders, which was a goal I had set for myself this last year. I got frustrated at times thinking I would never be able to do them, but I kept practicing and I was really happy once I finally got them down.

How do you fit working out into your weekly schedule? Working out has become a priority and something I look forward to so I just try to plan everything around it. It helps that my wife also attends, so it is something fun that we get to do together.

What is something you have always wanted to do but haven’t yet? I would love to go to Germany and Italy someday.

Each month Overland Park CrossFit recognizes a member who exemplifies our values and motivates others in the gym to push themselves with encouraging words. November’s Athlete of the Month is Victoria Fanning. Victoria was chosen because in her time here at OPCF, there have been several different positive changes we’ve seen in her as an athlete and as a person. She has grown to be a lot more confident; she has started to attack WODs with intensity; she has put an emphasis on moving with perfect form over heavier weights; and she is always looking for feedback so she can continue to improve. 

Victoria possesses a desire to get better every single day and shows up to put in the work. No matter the challenge of the workout, she always gives it her best. Her hard work is paying off and we love having Victoria as a part of our OPCF community! Learn more about Victoria below!

How long have you been working out at Overland Park CrossFit? 5 months (and counting).

What were your thoughts after your first CrossFit workout? Do you remember what it was? I don’t remember what the workout was, but I remember thinking, “I can’t wait until I’m actually good at this.”

What has been your favorite workout so far? Anything with power cleans or snatches.

What is your favorite cheat meal? Not gonna lie, most, if not all, of my meals would be considered cheat meals; but if I had to choose something specific it would be an overflowing Chipotle bowl.

What did you want to be when you grew up and where do you work now? I was an outdoorsy kid, so I wanted to do anything that involved working with animals/nature. Right now I work part-time with my family’s cleaning company which allows me to focus mainly on school.

What do you like to do outside of work? I’ve been getting into reading lately. My favorite author is Haruki Murakami.

What advice would you give a newbie just starting at OPCF? The days when you really don’t feel like going to the gym are the days when it’s most important to go.

What is your favorite/least favorite movement? I really really really don’t like toes to bar, but that’s mostly because I’m not very good at them, or any gymnastics movement for that matter. My favorite would have to be the power clean, with power snatch being a close second.

What’s one CrossFit goal you have set for yourself to accomplish this next year? I would love to improve my gymnastics abilities and spend more time in the gym in general. Also, a muscle-up would be pretty cool.

What changes have you seen in yourself since starting at OPCF? Slowly but surely, my cardiovascular endurance is improving as well as my overall strength. I feel better in almost every way, and look forward to workouts more often than I dread them.

What is your biggest improvement or proudest accomplishment thus far? Since I started, I’ve done my best to actually show up and work out 5 days a week and give it my all. I haven’t been perfect and I have my off days, but I haven’t given up, and I don’t intend to stop anytime soon.

How do you fit working out into your weekly schedule? Working out always leaves me feeling good and in the mood to work more, so I try to go before I have to buckle down and do schoolwork.

What is something you have always wanted to do but haven’t yet? I really want to start going to the gym twice a day so I can spend some time working on skill, mobility, and technique.

Each month Overland Park CrossFit recognizes a member who exemplifies our values and motivates others in the gym to push themselves with encouraging words. October’s Athlete of the Month is Abe Eller. Abe was chosen because since he joined the gym in April, he has made a ton of progress, which has been really cool to watch! He possesses the willingness to learn and take cues from his coaches which has helped him improve his weightlifting movements. He has patiently worked on developing his gymnastics skills and has greatly improved his toes-to-bar and kipping pull-ups. He also brings a positive attitude to every single class and is very encouraging to the other members he works out with. His hard work is paying off and we love having Abe as a part of our OPCF community! Learn more about Abe below!

How long have you been working out at Overland Park CrossFit? 4 or 5 months.
What were your thoughts after your first CrossFit workout? Do you remember what it was? I know I was extremely nervous going in. It was a Foundations class and Jeremy and Jesse were the coaches. I think ‘relieved’ was my first thought. I felt like, “I can do this.” I remember texting Tony immediately after – I was hooked.
What has been your favorite workout so far? Believe it or not, I loved the 100 burpee workout we did several weeks ago.
What is your favorite cheat meal? Ice cream (if that’s considered a meal)!
What did you want to be when you grew up and where do you work now? I always wanted to be a sports agent until I realized I wasn’t cut out for law school:) I am now the owner and president of ETEK.

What do you like to do outside of work? I love love love playing with and helping coach my kiddos. Driveway drinks are also usually on my list of things to do on weekends 😉
What advice would you give a newbie just starting at OPCF? If you’re new, don’t be intimidated. Literally, the members/coaches at OPCF are the best group of people you will meet.
What is your favorite/least favorite movement? I love me some burpees. My least favorite movement is the snatch.
What’s one CrossFit goal you have set for yourself to accomplish this next year? Currently, my 3-month goal is to do a 25′ handstand walk. After that, I’m really going to focus on muscle-ups, while also trying to get better at the Olympic movements.
What changes have you seen in yourself since starting at OPCF? I am definitely more committed to my workouts than I have been in years. I am setting goals for my fitness, which is something I haven’t done in a really long time.
What is your biggest improvement or proudest accomplishment thus far? Getting kipping pull-ups and double-unders! Also, my back is stronger than it’s been in a long time too; all thanks to Leah making me take off the belt 😉
How do you fit working out into your weekly schedule? It’s really a juggling act. My first choice is the noon class because there seems to be a dead spot in my day. If that doesn’t work, then I usually go to 4:30. If that’s not available, then I do my own variation of something at home or at the track. Regardless, I try to do something 6 days per week.

What is something you have always wanted to do but haven’t yet? I really want to go to Scotland. (I love scotch!)

Each month Overland Park CrossFit recognizes a member who exemplifies our values and motivates others in the gym to push themselves with encouraging words. September’s Athlete of the Month is Ashlyn Carruth. Ashlyn was chosen because since day 1, she has been hungry to learn, she is always asking for extra accessory work to improve her weaknesses, and she is very enthusiastic and encouraging towards other members! Her hard work is paying off and we love having Ashlyn as a part of our OPCF community! Learn more about Ashlyn below

What were your thoughts after your first Crossfit workout? Do you remember what it was? Driving to the gym, I was initially freaking out. However, right when I walked in, everyone was extremely kind and very welcoming! The workout was a run/front squat amrap. It was KILLER, but I absolutely loved it. From that first day at OPCF, I knew that CrossFit was my new passion and I was extremely excited to come back for workout #2!

What advice would you give a newbie just starting at OPCF? First of all, my advice is to show up, and have a good time!! Once you walk in the door, everyone WANTS you there! You are going to get so much more out of this journey than just working out. Everyone starts somewhere, and you will only grow and become stronger, so really, ENJOY the process!!