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. May’s Athlete of the Month is Ramakrishna Vaitla. Ram was chosen because of his hard work and daily dedication at the gym (and now at home as well)! We have been impressed by his willingness to embrace this at-home period and still make his fitness a priority, the way he has interacted and embraced the community via the FB Community page, and his positive attitude about tackling the at-home workouts and making the most of this current situation. Ram’s hard work is paying off and we love having him as a part of our OPCF community! Learn more about Ram below.

How long have you been working out at Overland Park CrossFit? It’s been just over 5 months that I started doing CrossFit and I love it.

What were your thoughts after your first CrossFit workout? Do you remember what it was? I will never forget the day that I almost passed out after doing a workout. I came out and said that I wasn’t going to come back ever again, but later realized that that’s what I’m here for. I remember it had snatch or hang snatch in it and I was using my arms instead of my whole body – how stupid I was back then.

What has been your favorite workout so far? I love burpees and box jumps. It might be because I’m good at them and a light-weighted person. I especially love short interval metcons – it’s less time for a burn.

What is your favorite cheat meal? Hot chocolate brownie cake + Chocolate fudge ice cream + chocolate syrup ?. I finish one complete cake in a single day alone most times. I should really stop doing that.

What did you want to be when you grew up and where do you work now? I always wanted to travel for my job no matter what the job was. That sounded fun, but not anymore. It’s hard to move from one apartment to another house now ?. I currently work at Great-West Financial in Overland Park.

What do you like to do outside of work? I love playing cricket with friends and caroms (similar to pool).

 What advice would you give a newbie just starting at OPCF? From my personal experience, if you try CrossFit only once then you might not want to come back. I tried CrossFit two years ago and thought that it wasn’t for me. After my second time, I realized I regretted not choosing CrossFit over a regular gym. OPCF is another great reason to workout because the coaches and your group (especially ZDT – they rock) who you workout with are just awesome. They keep pushing you and help you in figuring out how to improve; in no time you will hit PRs and you don’t even realize it. The biggest struggle with CrossFit is actually pulling yourself to the door of OPCF and then the rest is a cake walk. Even in these unprecedented times, OPCF helps keep us moving with virtual workouts and allowing us to rent out equipment.

What is your favorite/least favorite movement? Thrusters combined with Assault bike is a killer. Be prepared for the worst when you see this as a WOD.

What’s one CrossFit goal you have set for yourself to accomplish this next year? I wanted to learn double-unders and bar muscle-ups this year. It took me almost 4 months to learn double-unders, but bar muscle-ups might take me longer than that. However, with this quarantine, it might be faster because I’m working on them on a regular basis.

What changes have you seen in yourself since starting at OPCF? Increased mobility and using my whole body in most of the workouts. This has improved my overall workout performance and I hit PRs frequently now.

What is your biggest improvement or proudest accomplishment thus far? I couldn’t believe it when I squatted 255 lbs for 3 reps non-stop. I will never forget that.

How do you fit working out into your weekly schedule? One simple rule I follow is to start the day with it. It keeps me running throughout the day.

What is something you have always wanted to do but haven’t yet? I know what I lack in CrossFit – Mobility. I should work on my mobility more often.

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 Klaudia Rossol. Klaudia was chosen because of her positive attitude, the intensity she brings to her workouts, the extra hours she spends before and after class working on different skills and lifts, and her commitment to helping others improve their nutrition. You can find Klaudia lifting heavy and pushing the pace at the 4:30pm class, making her one to chase on the OPCF leader board. However, even more impressive than her CrossFit stats, is her willingness to encourage and pour into other members at OPCF. Klaudia is such an inspiration to new and experienced athletes alike and we love having her as part of the OPCF community! Learn more about Klaudia below.

How long have you been working out at Overland Park CrossFit? My husband (Mark) and I joined OPCF the first Monday after we moved to Kansas City. It’s been about 12 months!

What were your thoughts after your first CrossFit workout? Do you remember what it was? My first workout was in April of 2015. I remember that there were wall balls and box jumps and that afterward I felt “defeated” by the workout! You know that feeling of shaky legs when you go to pick up the ball?! I had joined a friend for a “Bring a Friend” WOD with no expectations…but I couldn’t stop thinking about the experience ALL weekend and signed up for a CrossFit membership 2 days later.

What has been your favorite workout so far? There is no single workout that stands out as my favorite…but I love the ones where you’re gasping for air at the end. Those are typically the shorter, sprint workouts for me.

What is your favorite cheat meal? I love chocolate. However, I do better incorporating a little bit into my diet each day rather than saving for a cheat “meal”. You might have heard me say that every day I eat three chocolate covered nuts and three mini Cadbury eggs.

What did you want to be when you grew up and where do you work now? Growing up, I wanted to be everything! An actress, singer, psychologist, chef, dentist… Today I work in HR on the Talent Acquisition team.

What do you like to do outside of work? Outside of work I love to be at OPCF with all the friends I’ve made over the last year! I also really enjoy cooking, meal prep, and anything food related. I also love spending time with my husband and dogs.

What advice would you give a newbie just starting at OPCF? One thing I wish I could tell anyone hesitant or nervous about starting CrossFit is that it is for everyone! It is infinitely scalable, whether your goal is to make it more manageable or more challenging. If you’re a human, CrossFit is for you. You don’t need to be a certain body type/shape, size, age, color to participate in CrossFit.

What is your favorite/least favorite movement? My favorite movement is a clean, especially a solid power clean. My “least favorite” movements aren’t ones I necessarily dislike, but are the ones I struggle with, which are a lot of gymnastics movements. It’s exciting to work on those movements though because improvements are so noticeable!

What’s one Crossfit goal you have set for yourself to accomplish this next year? Oh I have so many goals! It’s hard to pick just one!
I recently achieved my first goal I had set for 2020, so I’m on to the next one, which is really improving on those gymnastics movements! A goal that is very important to me (and really trumps all other goals) is to remain pain and injury free. Soreness is welcome. ? I’m working hard on listening to my body! Finally, I really want to improve my aerobic capacity and increase my lactate threshold.
What I love about CrossFit is that goals are so fluid. Once you get 1 (insert movement) the goal becomes 2. Once you hit X pounds on a lift the goal becomes X+10. Same goes for metcons!

What changes have you seen in yourself since starting at OPCF? The biggest change I’ve experienced since joining OPCF hasn’t been within myself, but rather in the number and quality of amazing friendships I have developed through the community at our gym.

What is your biggest improvement or proudest accomplishment thus far? My proudest accomplishment has been competing in my first (team) competition earlier this year. I never thought I would ever participate in a competition (hello nerves!), but thanks to the encouragement of my OPCF friends, I committed to the experience and it was a BLAST.

How do you fit working out into your weekly schedule? Working out is a non-negotiable for me. I realized during busy/crazy times that there are things in my life that I can put “on hold” or on the back burner. Going to the gym is not one of those things. Just like I must eat, sleep, and go to work…I must get movement. Exercise helps make me stay healthy and sane so I can handle all the craziness of life!

What is something you have always wanted to do but haven’t yet? I struggle with getting in mobility work, so one thing I wish I did was more yoga or stretching…but haven’t been able to get that into my routine.

Each month Overland Park CrossFit recognizes a member who exemplifies our values and motivates others in the gym to push themselves with encouraging words. March’s Athlete of the Month is Matt Merritt. Matt was chosen because of his hard work and daily dedication at the gym. You can find him not only spending extra hours refining his gymnastics skills or completing the daily accessory work, but he is also a staple participant at many of OPCF’s non-fitness functions as well. He always comes to the gym with a smile on his face and the determination to give his best effort in every workout. His positive attitude and the encouraging words he offers to his fellow members has made the gym a better place and we love having him as part of the OPCF community! Learn more about Matt below.

1. How long have you been working out at Overland Park CrossFit? My first day attending classes was July 22, 2019. So by my count, I will have been working out at the gym for 223 days by the time this is posted.

2. What were your thoughts after your first CrossFit workout? Do you remember what it was? I remember exactly what it was… James was leading us through bench press (3×5) and Z press (3×5). The metcon was 21-15-9 Push Press (135/95) and pull ups. I didn’t finish. Afterwards, I hurt physically and I was surprised at my lack of conditioning. However, I knew I had to get back in the next day so I could start improving.

3. What has been your favorite workout so far? I think my favorite workout so far was on Jan. 21, 2020 when we did E3MO3M for 21 min of 12/10 cal row, 10 DB S2O (50/35), and 8 burpees over DB. Overall, I think I could have gone a bit faster on the row and my DB transition between arms, but I was completing each set around the 1:18 mark which let me have plenty of rest for the next round. That workout was one of the first where I felt in control the entire time, where my heart rate wasn’t redlining and I didn’t have to pause to breathe.

4. What is your favorite cheat meal? So, I love ice cream and I’m a self-proclaimed connoisseur. I’ll give pretty much any flavor a try, except for mint. Mint has no place in ice cream. Some of my favorites include cookies and cream or extreme moose tracks. I think the best ice cream I’ve ever had, though, was a honey flavor with actual honeycomb from Van Leeuwen’s in NYC.

5. What did you want to be when you grew up and where do you work now? In high school we had a social studies class that introduced us to the power of compounding interest. After that I became fascinated with the idea of investing. I was able to work on the debt side in the capital markets for five years prior to moving to KC, but the hours and work/life balance was not enjoyable. Nowadays, I work out defaulted real estate loans packaged within Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities and Asset Backed Securities to prevent bondholders from losing money on their investments.

6. What do you like to do outside of work? I’ll try to keep this one brief. I enjoy reading a lot, but struggle with dedicating the time, so I do lots of audio books and podcasts. I do lots of fantasy, sci-fi, and classic literature. I’m a huge fan of board games, and I tend to get fairly competitive over a game of Catan. To get out of the house I like to go hiking which is tough in KS. This spring I’d like to start gardening and visiting the local farmers’ market. I’m also currently planning a trip over to Japan in early May. So, if anyone has any travel tips or suggestions, I’m all ears.

7. What advice would you give a newbie just starting at OPCF? Consistency is key. It’s hard to get better when you’re not attending the gym on a regular basis. The trick to maintaining consistency for me has been engaging with my fellow classmates. It’s a lot more fun to go to class when you’re working out with people you know and like.

8. What is your favorite/least favorite movement? Least favorite? Wall balls. I hate having to throw that ball so high in the air to just to watch it come back down and smash me in the face. Most favorite? Definitely the deadlift. Picking up heavy weight and putting it back down is so simple, it’s refreshing.

9. What’s one Crossfit goal you have set for yourself to accomplish this next year? I have a list of these written down, so picking one is really tough. But, I would say my primary goal is to maintain consistency. That’s measured by days working out at the gym and the goal is to workout 71.4% of days (or 5 days a week) in 2020. So far, I’ve managed to hit 76.2% days at the gym which feels great.

10. What changes have you seen in yourself since starting at OPCF? This is a tougher one. I haven’t noticed a ton physically yet, but at this point we’re only four weeks into the nutrition challenge. I’m learning a lot from that in terms of how many veggies I can and should be eating. Right now I think I’m going to continue with the program post challenge to see what long term changes could occur. Mentally, I’ve found that I feel energized about exercising again now that I’m not going to a globo gym and doing the same routine week after week.

11. What is your biggest improvement or proudest accomplishment thus far? Biggest accomplishment so far has definitely been getting my first bar muscle up. For the longest time I kept slamming my chest into the bar, which wasn’t very effective. And like many things in Crossfit, it all came down to technique. Coach Jeremy was able to point out some things I was doing wrong in my pull and after 5 minutes of coaching it clicked and I was able to get one. Now it’s all about practicing the kip to start stringing them together in time for the next WOD.

12. How do you fit working out into your weekly schedule? On weekdays, it’s the thing I look forward to after a day at the office. I typically get in to work early so I don’t have to feel guilty about leaving at five to make it to class by 5:30. Traffic also makes it easier to get to the gym in the evenings vs driving straight home so that helps too. On the weekends, I’ve changed my Friday/Saturday night activities so I can be in a position to wake up and feel energized about going to the gym.

13. What is something you have always wanted to do but haven’t yet? Handstand walk. I’ve never been able to get the balance down. Getting handstand walks down are another goal of mine for the year. Maybe I should start working on them now that I’ve gotten a bar muscle up…

Each month Overland Park CrossFit recognizes a member who exemplifies our values and motivates others in the gym to push themselves with encouraging words. February’s Athlete of the Month is Ashwini Kamat. Ashwini was chosen because of her hard work and daily dedication (sometimes twice a day!) at the gym. She has devoted numerous extra hours a week trying to learn new skills and improve her barbell movements, as well as taking the next steps in trying to better her nutrition habits! Her tremendous work ethic is inspiring to those around her and we love having her as part of the OPCF community! Learn more about Ashwini below.

Each month Overland Park CrossFit recognizes a member who exemplifies our values and motivates others in the gym to push themselves with encouraging words. February’s Athlete of the Month is Ashwini Kamat. Ashwini was chosen because of her hard work and daily dedication (sometimes twice a day!) at the gym. She has devoted numerous extra hours a week trying to learn new skills and improve her barbell movements, as well as taking the next steps in trying to better her nutrition habits! Her tremendous work ethic is inspiring to those around her and we love having her as part of the OPCF community! Learn more about Ashwini below.

1. How long have you been working out at Overland Park CrossFit? I became a member on August 31, 2019.
2. What were your thoughts after your first CrossFit workout? Do you remember what it was? My first workout was a Saturday morning Bootcamp class (100m run, 15 wall balls on repeat for ten minutes). It was a difficult workout, but being around motivated and friendly people sparked a desire for me to sign up and keep coming.
3. What has been your favorite workout so far? 100 Pull-ups – 80 KB Push Press – 60 Sit-Ups – 40 Power Snatch – 20 burpee box overs. (Minus the 100 pull-ups… that didn’t happen)
4. What is your favorite cheat meal? Spring rolls
5. What did you want to be when you grew up and where do you work now? In elementary school, my goal was to become an archaeologist. I don’t really remember when that dream fizzled out, but now I am involved in brain health research at the KU Alzheimer’s Disease Center.
6. What do you like to do outside of work? I enjoy tutoring and being a hospice volunteer.
7. What advice would you give a newbie just starting at OPCF? A piece of advice I would give to someone just starting out would be to try to be more self-assured. Showing up and being consistent is an accomplishment in itself. Though I tend to still struggle with taking my own advice, both the patience of the coaches and the positivity from the community are very powerful. So my advice to anyone just starting out with minimal experience is to have confidence, stay persistent, and know that there is support all around.
8. What is your favorite/least favorite movement? Least favorite: Skierg Favorite: anything else
9. What’s one CrossFit goal you have set for yourself to accomplish this next year? Since starting the Nutrition Challenge, I am paying more attention to my lifestyle choices and hope to forge a more sustainable balance between nutrition and fitness. Also, double-unders. I would like to be able to do those.
10. What changes have you seen in yourself since starting at OPCF? Joining Overland Park CrossFit was my first real foray back into the world of fitness after high school and has profoundly changed my life. I started with the goal of just working out more often. Now, my goal of wanting to get more exercise has evolved into much more. Working out at OPCF has posed emotional, mental, and physical challenges, but the coaches and my peers have helped me push beyond the limits I set for myself and see the culmination of my daily efforts so far. I realize that I have built muscle and become more of a fitness person. I am not as weak as before and hope to keep making more positive changes over time.
11. What is your biggest improvement or proudest accomplishment thus far? I still consider myself a beginner so I don’t have any major accomplishments, but I am proud of myself for showing up to the workouts almost every day.
12. What is something you have always wanted to do but haven’t yet?CrossFit-wise…everything. Outside of working out…I have always wanted to work as a medical interpreter.

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 Laura Loeffert.  Laura was chosen because of her energy and hard work she puts in each class! Laura is also so supportive of other OPCF athletes which we love! Learn more about Laura below.

1. How long have you been working out at Overland Park CrossFit?

I started in March of 2019.

2. What were your thoughts after your first CrossFit workout?

I started with boot camp classes. They were a great way to get to know people and get a feel for the movements. One day I was the only bootcamper and so I was lucky enough to do a Crossfit class. I wasn’t sure I was going to make it but once it was over I wanted to do it again!

3. What is your favorite cheat meal?

BBQ and French fries

4. What did you want to be when you grew up and where do you work now?  

Growing up I thought I wanted to be an interior designer. In my previous life before kids, I was an elementary school teacher. Now I’m a stay at home mom with three kids. 

5. What do you like to do outside of work?

In my free time I love to hang out with my sisters and working out.

6. What advice would you give a newbie just starting at OPCF?

You have to go in with an open mind and know that the coaches are there to help you. The boot camp classes are an amazing way to get started so you have the confidence when moving into a CrossFit class. Any movement can be changed to work for you! OPCF is a welcoming community and everyone wants you to succeed. 

7. What is your favorite lift?

 I love to deadlift. It makes me feel invincible! 

8. What’s your biggest “GOAT”?

My biggest GOAT is a muscle up. I will get there someday!!! 

9. What is your biggest improvement or proudest accomplishment thus far?

My biggest improvement is my kipping. I can string together a few kipping pull-ups and I can do toes to bar which I couldn’t do when I started. My proudest accomplishment would be completing the open and RXing every workout.

10. How do you fit working out into your weekly schedule?

I usually plan my week around my workouts. I get in 3-4 workouts a week.  Thankfully the 9:30am crew is amazing and so helpful with my 2 1/2 yr old son. I am able to get my workouts in while the big kids are at school. Which is great because our evenings are full of activities. 

11. What is something you have always wanted to do but haven’t yet?

I would love to do more traveling. Italy, France, Greece, are all on the bucket list. 

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 Nag Arjuna.  Nag was chosen because of his work ethic and drive in the gym. Nag has seen big changes since starting at OPCF and his hard work does not go unnoticed by us! Learn more about Nag below.

1. How long have you been working out at Overland Park CrossFit?

14 months

2. What were your thoughts after your first CrossFit workout?

Exhausted , but I understood these workouts gonna help me achieve my goals

3. What is your favorite cheat meal?

Ice cream and cookies

4. What did you want to be when you grew up and where do you work now?  

During my childhood, I used to think of becoming a police officer or some sought of investigation officer, LoL. Now I’m working as a software employee at a Bank.

5. What do you like to do outside of work?

Hanging out with friends. Playing board games like Catan,Risk.

6. What advice would you give a newbie just starting at OPCF?

Be sincere and just listen to our coaches. You will get what you want.

7. What is your favorite lift?

  I love squat clean and Thruster 

8. What is your biggest improvement or proudest accomplishment thus far?

Hmm.. I improved my fitness levels. I ran 2001 meters (our 9/11 memorial workout) just under 10 mins. I’m so happy about that. 

9. What changes have you seen in yourself since starting at OPCF?  

Improved fitness levels, lost around 25 pounds of weight and last but not the least I improved my confidence levels.

10. How do you fit working out into your weekly schedule?

I try to attend atleast 5 days a week. I come to home from work at around 6PM and I don’t think of taking rest. I just burn out my stress in CrossFit workouts.

11. What is something you have always wanted to do but haven’t yet?

Handstand walks 

Each month Overland Park CrossFit recognizes a member who exemplifies our values and motivates others in the gym to push themselves with encouraging words.  August’s Athlete of the Month is Chase Bryan.  Chase was chosen because of his work ethic and willingness to learn! Chase is a strong presence at our 5:30am class and we really appreciate his dedication to your fitness/health. Learn more about Chase below.

1. How long have you been working out at Overland Park CrossFit?

I’ve been at OPCF for about one year.

2. What were your thoughts after your first CrossFit workout?

I liked that it was something new and challenging. I knew I was going to be hooked right away.

3. What has been your favorite workout?

Anything with the rower or assault bike.       

4. What is your favorite cheat meal?

BBQ.

5. What did you want to be when you grew up and where do you work now?  

Growing up, I wanted to be a police officer. Now I work for BNSF Railway as well as the Army Reserves.

6. What do you like to do outside of work?

I like to golf and spend time with my wife and dogs.  If there’s time at the end of the day I like to play video games.   

7. What advice would you give a newbie just starting at OPCF?

Keep showing up!

8. What is your favorite lift?

Front squats.   

9. What’s your biggest “GOAT”?

Pistols and Muscle ups

10. What changes have you seen in yourself since starting at OPCF?  

I feel way better and I know that I can push myself harder than I think I can.

11. What is your biggest improvement or proudest accomplishment thus far?

Seeing my all around progress in the last 12 months and using it as motivation to keep going.

12. How do you fit working out into your weekly schedule?

It’s a priority and I look forward to seeing the ZDT crew every morning.  I get everything ready the night before so it’s quicker to get out the door for 5:30am class.  

13. What is something you have always wanted to do but haven’t yet?

At some point, I’d like to hike the Appalachian Trail.

Each month Overland Park CrossFit recognizes a member who exemplifies our values and motivates others in the gym to push themselves with encouraging words.  July’s Athlete of the Month is Gwynette Butler.  Gwyn was chosen because of all her hard work pay in her short time at OPCF (coming up on a year YAY). We enjoy having Gwyn’s energy in the gym! Learn more about Gwyn below.

1. How long have you been working out at Overland Park CrossFit?

10 months

2. What were your thoughts after your first CrossFit workout?

I was shocked that I made it through the workout and pleasantly surprised at how supportive all of the elite athletes were.       

3. What has been your favorite workout?

2000m row

4. What is your favorite cheat meal?

Chinese

5. What did you want to be when you grew up and where do you work now?  

I wanted to be a Cinematographer and now I’m a Supply Chain Analyst at Vestcom.

6. What do you like to do outside of work?

Garden, cook, hangout with friends, and go to the spa.

7. What advice would you give a newbie just starting at OPCF?

Stick with it! The results are worth the work. 

8. What is your favorite lift?

Front squat   

9. What’s your biggest “GOAT”?

Box jump   

10. What changes have you seen in yourself since starting at OPCF?  

Besides the physical changes, I had no idea how hard I could push myself in a workout before I started CrossFit.              

11. What is your biggest improvement or proudest accomplishment thus far?

I don’t think I can pick one thing. I’m proud of everything I’ve done so far. I’ve improved so much across the board. It’s been amazing!

12. How do you fit working out into your weekly schedule?

My biggest obstacle is getting out of work on time, so I set an alarm on my phone on really busy days!

13. What is something you have always wanted to do but haven’t yet?

Rope climb