Meet Our New Ambassadors!
Back in December, we ran a competition to find our next brand ambassadors. We wanted to find people, from within the community, that represented our brand values.
Thank you to everyone who entered. We were overwhelmed by the response, and really enjoyed reading all the entries. It is an amazing community to be part of, and we certainly had our work cut out picking the winners!
Here they are:
Rhian Pearson
Our first new ambassador is Rhian Pearson. A self-confessed competition-addict, you might recognise her face from one of the many events she attended last year!
When she's not in the box, you're likely to find her outdoors - surfing, SUP, swimming or playing hockey.
We love Rhian's enthusiasm for sport, and we're super happy to have her on the team. Here's what she had to say when we caught up with her:
Where do you train?
Bullpen Fitness - home of CrossFit West Mids and my Garage!
How did you get into the sport?
I started 6 and a half years ago at CrossFit Wyre Forest. 4 months after having my first child, my 65 year old Father in Law said he had found this new 'fitness class' that we would love, and we should give it a go... I went along not knowing what to expect and that was it, I was hooked! My first ever workout was 'Fran' !
What are your proudest achievements?
Recovering from shoulder surgery in June last year to be able compete with my amazing team mates in Tribal Clash, Masters At War, Box Rocks, Super Team Cup and DWF, to name a few.
Inspiring others that injury, age, time, children or work do not have to stop you from being active and taking part in the sports you love.
What are your goals for 2016?
To stay injury free! ;-) To qualify for my first individual competitions; Battle Of Britain and Athens Throwdown.
To continue having fun and inspiring others to do the same!
What's your favourite WOD/movement?
Gymnastics movements! Toes to bar, Pull ups, Strict Muscle Ups, double unders.
Helen is my favourite WOD.
Least favourite WOD/movement?
Squats! Although my coach David Shorunke programs me them twice a week so maybe one day I will get better at them!
Best piece of advice?
Surround yourself with a great bunch of friends/support network who you like to workout and compete with. Having fun and celebrating each other's achievements is what it is all about.
Any competitions coming up this year?
Wild West Winter Slam, Wild West Fitness, Wild West Fusion, Athens Throwdown Qualifiers, Battle of Britain Qualifiers, SuperHuman Quattro, hopefully Masters At War.
Paul Mellors
Our second new ambassador is Paul Mellors. When we read his entry, we knew he represented everything the KITBOX brand stands for. He's determined, hardworking, and doesn't play by the rules!
Paul was left in a wheelchair after being hit by a car, and was told he would never be able to bear heavy weight on his left leg again. Instead of giving up, he used that to fuel his training. He now owns his own box, and competes at some of the biggest competitions in the UK. If that isn't inspirational, we don't know what is! Find out more about Paul below:
Where do you train?
I train at my own box, CrossFit Hexis, which we opened in May. I also travel to CrossFit Worksop every other Wednesday. Here, I train with my old coach and friend Llara Munn (formerly Romanowski). I like to train with people who will push me in different areas... I also happen to hate training alone!
How did you get into the sport?
I started watching CrossFit on YouTube in 2011. One video in particular, which was Rich Froning and Graham Holmberg training for the 2011 Games. I was boxing at the time and I stumbled across this video and thought "How on earth are these guys doing all of this.. its incredible". In boxing, the general thought is that 'weights slow you down', so I didn't try it straight away but I did show my best friend and future business partner Oliver Sobczynski. The day after my last boxing match we went and started prep at CrossFit Worksop.. The rest is history!
What are your proudest achievements?
That's a hard one. Everything I do I was told I wouldn't be able to, after I was hit by a car. My single proudest achievement is CrossFit Hexis and our members. They are simply the best bunch of people I have ever met, without question. Also, representing CF Hexis at the Battle of the Beasts final, with around 20 of our members there supporting me, was a very happy moment for me.
What are your goals for 2016?
My goals are to make it to the CrossFit Regionals, along with getting on top of the podium at a large competition such as Battle of the Beasts.
What's your favourite WOD/movement?
My favourite movement without question is the snatch. When I first started, my mobility/movement was awful, so movements such as the snatch and overhead squat weren't good for me. After several WOD's which really took their toll on me I decided to work on my weaknesses. I spent the next year drilling basic movements, such as the high-hang snatch, snatch from the block, e.t.c to stop me pulling with my arms too much, I then worked religiously on my mobility almost everyday. Over the next 2 years, I have increased from 67.5kg to 102.5kg on the snatch.
My favourite WOD has to be Cindy. It was the first WOD me and Oli ever did (before we did prep), and it ruined us! that started the obsession for me. Cindy is a 20 Minute AMRAP of 5 pull ups, 10 push ups, 15 air squats. I managed 33 rounds and 3 pull ups, Oliver managed 30 rounds.
Least favourite WOD/movement?
My least favourite movement is the deadlift, I'm not sure why because I'm not bad at it.. who knows! My least favourite WOD is without question DT. 5 Rounds of 12 Deadlifts, 9 Hang Power Cleans and 3 Push Jerk at 72.5kg. There's nowhere to hide, nothing to pace, just you and the barbell and it sucks.. bad!
Best piece of advice?
My best piece of advice is ALWAYS believe in yourself.. No matter what is in front of you, you need to believe in you. You're stronger, fitter, better than you think. Alongside that, work hard at your weaknesses because they are the obstacles that are stopping you achieving your goals.
Any competitions coming up this year?
Yeah, I sure do! I've just entered the Battle of Britain throwdown, which I'm currently doing the qualifiers for! I've also entered the ICON online competition and the Battle of the Boxes, which is a team competition. I'll also be entering the Battle of the Beasts again and of course, The Open!
