Ben Lunak
Like others in the military, Ben Lunak joined the Marines in 2004 because of his family's military history. "I always wanted to go to war," noted Ben and he became part of the glorious Corps 3rd Battalion 7th Marines India Company, eventually deploying to Ramadi, Iraq in November 2005. Only a few months later, on February 25, 2006, his Humvee was hit by a roadside bomb killing two Marines and seriously wounding several others, including Ben. Reflecting on the initial trauma he recalled a conversation he had with his mother before enlisting that went something like, "what is the worst thing that can happen, Mom? I could lose a leg. Sure enough," he goes on to say, "about 6 months later my leg was gone and after roughly 17 surgeries, including removal of my spleen, repairing my broken pelvis and a myriad of other wounds, I began the lengthy journey to both physical and mental rehabilitation. This is where Crossfit came into my life and it changed everything for me." While some of his fellow Wounded Warriors suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and other life challenges, Ben is fortunate and proud to say that he found Crosssfit. "CrossFit is my therapy, my treatment, it is what keeps me going." He goes on to say, "I go in to the gym sometimes when my morale is low and by the time I'm done doing the WOD I feel like I'm on top of the world." When questioned about the rigors of Crossfit workouts and his missing leg Ben is quick to dismiss the issue "it will never slow me down, Crossfit has proven to me that with hard work, focus and determination no challenge is insurmountable".
The Estey's
Is it possible to be in the best shape of your life at 60? According to Steve Estey it is. This former logger and father to Angie and Nicole and son-in-law Bob (seen pictured), is on track to be fitter than he has ever been by his 60th birthday. You may know his daughter Angie Estey from the Greenlake gym. Angie is a CrossFit devotee and a Certified Level 1 trainer, and has been smitten with CrossFit for over two years. That's Angie on the shoulders of her father.
The Estey family has always put fitness at the top of their list -Angie and Nicole remember trips to the gym with their Dad when they were 7 - but it wasn't until they all experienced Northwest CrossFit that they feel like they've found something truly special. Now Bob and Nicole, newlyweds, are picking up the torch and have made Crossfit a big part of their new life together. Steve, a one-time professional logger and body builder, never misses a workout and according to Jake "is totally ripped!" For Steve, CrossFit has reintroduced him to the pleasures and rewards of hard physical work. The WODs capacity to utilize his whole body to push, pull, run, squat and lift is unmatched in the fitness industry and reminds him of the hard work he endured logging for so many years. Today he is 59 years old and sees CrossFit as a way to stay young and agile - he even goes further to say, "CrossFit is my Fountain of Youth". Through CrossFit his body has become more defined and his strength has reached levels he hasn't seen in years. Nicole says, "CrossFit has become a healthy addiction for our family; where else can you get an incredible workout in less than 30 minutes and have fun doing it?" For the Estey's, it's a family affair.
The Trower Family
"Our family's introduction to Crossfit started with taking our daughter Beth to Kids Crossfit about a year ago. A few months of cheering her on and seeing her work so hard, yet absolutely love it, really encouraged my husband Eric and I to join. So, Kids Crossfit became Family Crossfit, and it has changed our lives for the better and become part of our everyday routine. I may have given Beth the "Gift of Life", but she has given us the "Gift of Health". Crossfit workouts build our confidence as we encourage each other to reach for the next level. It is a true joy to see Beth set goals and meet them all while having fun. She inspires us every day and now we can even do pull-ups together! The family that plays together stays together, and that's the Gift that Northwest Crossfit has given us!"-Susan Trower
The Hinson Family
At CrossFit we can plow through a workout alongside our kids 9, 10 and 13. They love it because they get to do something we are doing. We love it because we get to see our kids excel at the workouts (always outperforming us!), getting in shape, becoming stronger, increasing their flexibility and most importantly building confidence. It is a great day when your kids gather around and watch with encouragement on your 95th...96th...97th burpee. There is nothing that can compare to weekly workouts when you are all together. We continue to look forward to sharing in the success of our hard work - we love CrossFit!