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 Cameron Osburn. Cameron was chosen because of his willingness to prioritize good movement patterns and technique over lifting heavier weights. His work ethic is very evident in the way that he continues to push through workouts even when it gets really hard. He never gives up and always tries his best. His hard work is paying off and we love having Cameron as a part of our OPCF community! Learn more about Cameron below.
How long have you been working out at Overland Park CrossFit? Since October 2019, I believe. I’d been talking to my former coworker/now boss about CrossFit for a few months before coming in. He used to coach at a CrossFit gym in Olathe. He spoke very highly of his experiences and so I finally decided to jump in.
What were your thoughts after your first CrossFit workout? Do you remember what it was? My first class was a Saturday bootcamp class. I’m fairly sure it was Leah and Cody coaching. I thought the first workout was tough, but it was what I was looking for as far as getting into CrossFit.
What has been your favorite workout so far? I enjoy any workout that has heavy lifting in it. Building to a 1RM, especially when I’ve been working on that particular lift for a few weeks, and then seeing the progress is usually a mental boost. Plus, I honestly like those lifts.
What is your favorite cheat meal? I don’t really have a cheat meal; more like cheat snacks. Graham Crackers or Nutty Bars are currently the cheat snacks of choice and I don’t keep those in the house unless I’ve done something good.
What did you want to be when you grew up and where do you work now? At one point, I really wanted to be a pharmacist. Then I got to college and figured out I didn’t like Chemistry that much. I work at Garmin in Olathe as an Industrial Engineer, supporting improvement projects and the warehouse systems in the Distribution Center.
What do you like to do outside of work? I’m a homebody (especially right now) so I spend most of my time outside work with my wife and children. I enjoy watching sports, cooking shows, and any bingeable streaming shows. Recently I’ve been into cooking Thai and Indian style food and always love a good cup of coffee and the occasional gaming session (Roonskie on Xbox and PSN).
What advice would you give a newbie just starting at OPCF? There are actually a lot of little things that helped me. I think my main bit of advice would be to just go to classes and trust the coaches. Don’t stress about times or max weight (but do track them so you can show where you started). Find the best class times for you, make a schedule you can commit to, then come in and do the workouts. Once you get into a good rhythm, you can start stacking things like nutrition and setting new goals, but building the base starts with getting in the door first. The coaches are there to help with form and every OPCF coach has been great with constructive criticism and motivation.
What is your favorite/least favorite movement? Favorite: Deadlift – I’ve always felt once I started deadlifts seriously that they were the best for multiple reasons. Lease Favorite – Any and all versions of Snatch lifts. They are the only lifts that I’ve done in CrossFit that scare me. I’ve been going lighter on those for this reason and also to make sure that I hammer home form to gain confidence. I want these to become a favorite instead of a least favorite.
What’s one CrossFit goal you have set for yourself to accomplish this next year? My goals: Bench/Deadlift/Squat 1RM total over 1000 again, and 1 strict pull-up with near perfect form.
What changes have you seen in yourself since starting at OPCF? Generally lifting and working out help me mentally and with everything going on, which has been the biggest change.
What is your biggest improvement or proudest accomplishment thus far? I feel like I’ve seen the biggest improvements in my conditioning and endurance when lifting and going into the metcon. I’ve gotten more confidence to go a bit heavier during the workout to where I’m not as worried about being gassed during the metcon.
How do you fit working out into your weekly schedule? For me, I had to shift my personal schedule to include the 5:30 AM class (Shoutout to the Zero Dark Thirty group!). This provided me with the best way to fit working out into my schedule while not negatively impacting how my wife and I balance our lives at home. Plus, working out first thing in the morning helps me feel more energetic through the rest of the day.
What is something you have always wanted to do but haven’t yet? I’ll answer this in 2 ways: for a long time I’ve wished I had some kind of higher level artistic skill like playing piano or painting. Otherwise, I haven’t traveled to England/Europe or Japan, and both of these are trips I’d like to take.