If you’ve been reading our blog for a while, you might remember that in May of 2017 we had our 5-year anniversary as a business! We took that as an opportunity to take a look back at where we came from, and to reinforce the direction we’re going. Now that 2017 has come to a close, let’s look back at the year in pictures as well as some of your great results!
As 2017 started, we celebrated a state championship in fundraising for Barbells for Boobs! Coach Jason’s leadership in getting us organized and motivated was a key driver in our success, as well as all of your persistence in requesting cash money from your family and friends for this great cause. As 2017 came to a close, with even more donations rolling in in the last few days, we are currently on top again in Maryland with a total of more than $8,300! It’s too early to declare victory, as any checks that are mailed in or final corporate matching gifts need to be included, but it’s looking good for a second straight state title! Back to back!
Last winter we also started working with one of our local Kent Island travel baseball teams. They came in once a week to work on their conditioning for the season and hopefully to also gel as a team. They and we had a blast coaching them through some tough workouts, and building their skillset to include rope climbs and sled pushes! Thanks to Lori and Denee for the help wrangling these youngsters and maintaining their focus on constantly getting better! We are back in session with these guys now, having just completed our first workout of the 2018 season this week.
In March, as always, the CrossFit Open arrived and wrecked us all for several days at a time. This year we played with dumbbells for the first time in the Open, including 17.1’s wicked combination of DB Snatches and Burpee Box Jumps. Ugh. Can’t wait for the Open to start up again in a couple months!!
In early spring we also implemented our new Wodify membership and workout management system. There have been bumps in the road, as with all new software, but overall I am very pleased with the increased functionality and seamlessness of having all of our information in one spot. Many of you love the ability to view each other’s workout results and “like” them too!
On Monday, July 24th at 1:30am, a tornado tore through the center of Kent Island, displacing many people including several of our members and coaches. We banded together with True Core CrossFit and BayDog CrossFit in Annapolis for a fundraising workout and cookout, and raised $4K+ to be distributed among families on Kent Island that needed it. This was just one more great example of our members coming together to help those in need, an AWESOME theme of our community.
Those special events were huge milestones in our year, but there were amazingly special things happening every day in the gym as well! Our community grew in an unprecedented way, and the results that you guys were putting up on our new e-whiteboard were incredible!! Here are some of those results gleaned from our shiny new Wodify reporting tool:
– Our membership grew from 84 athletes in the beginning of the year to 111 in December, an awesome 32% growth rate that we haven’t seen since 2013!
– You all attended 5.6K classes, with Rich Bruce (170 classes) and Sam Roberts (157 classes) leading the league!
– There were 416 personal records (PRs) shattered – and remember that means you have to have had a previous PR listed in Wodify to break it! Matt Smith had 27 new PRs, and Cathie Weishaar had 25!
I hope you are all as proud of these accomplishments in 2017 as I am, and ready to keep this momentum going into 2018! Here’s to a great time challenging our nutrition and lifestyle habits with the Whole Life Challenge this winter, going right into an awesome performance in the CrossFit Open!
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