My History
People ask me all the time why I have dedicated so much of my life to Derby City CrossFit, and more particularly, CrossFit in general. The simple answer: CrossFit literally changed my life by giving me the opportunity and knowledge to help others change their life in a way I never could have imagined. I started practicing CrossFit at my globo gym and within a month of my first WOD I had opened my own private box. I selfishly invited anyone that would train with me because I knew I could not train at the required intensity without people to compete against.
I even went so far as to join forces with a popular boot camp to try to get the word out about CrossFit. I trained my kids and their unsuspecting friends and family, appeared on a few TV shows and preached CrossFit like a young Mormon preaches his religion!
A friend that belonged to a Local globo gym called me and said you have to meet this kid that’s getting kicked out of my gym for training a few guys in CrossFit. Intro Ben Carter; Ben taught me what he knew about CrossFit and showed me what INTENSITY meant! I taught him the business end and we opened to the public in May of 2009. The rest is history.
Although Derby City CrossFit has gone through many changes over the years it continues to thrive with simple word of mouth marketing. Why has it thrived? Because the level of dedication our coaches put into our clients is unmatched and our system or lack of it works!
My Belief in regards to Training Clients
I have had friends tell me that I, at times, can be hard on people who I think are continually sandbagging workouts or not hitting their max intensity. Well I see it like this: I am here for you and I get paid for my time by watching our clients hit their goals! I don’t want to hear “I can’t” because the truth of the matter is you can! If you don’t want to pay me by getting better at life then maybe this isn’t for you! I have a hard time excepting a person telling me I don’t have time to make it in on a consistent basis or eat healthy! I have two businesses and am the single parent of four daughters and I rarely ever miss my own training sessions and neither do my coaches! We practice what we preach (depending on what our individual training goals are and we expect
the same from our clients).
My Qualifications
Well, I don’t have a wall full of certifications because I don’t buy into whom is doing the certifying and I don’t particularly care to pay a yearly fee to keep those certifications. I am a CrossFit Certified Level One instructor because I found value in it. I know people that hold many certifications that couldn’t properly teach a boot camp. I also know people that have many certifications that understand fitness more than I ever will. Due to the large sense of community and sharing that is CrossFit, I have had the opportunity of training – side by side as well as spending time with some of the best nutritionist, Olympic lifting coaches and strength coaches around. Their lessons and my own experience in training are what I draw on to train my clients.
In Closing
I am always amazed and honored when I see someone enter the gym with their eyes cast down and intimidated by the intense happenings going on around them. I love that despite this overwhelming atmosphere of music blaring and coaches pushing people to their limits they still make the decision to change their life in a place I had a hand in building.
Derby City CrossFit is a way of life and a community! It is NOT YOUR NORMAL GYM it is a place filled with people that have the desire to live life to its fullest!
Train not to suck at life,
Coach Sean