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Meet Tim, one of our members who has been around the world and back as a soldier in the Army National Guard since graduating college; we thank you for your service. Since meeting Tim a year ago as I began my coaching job at the Machine Shed, I’ve come to admire him. He has such spirit and resilience with a smile to match. In class, he’s focused and coachable plus easy to make conversation with. Thus without further a due, meet Tim.
I am 30 years old and have been very active physically since I was 17. I was pretty chunky and out of shape in high school and then I discovered running. I ran for UW Stout in college and was fortunate enough to have a 4.5-year career participating in cross country and indoor and outdoor track and field. I think I still have many of the UW Stout records for 3K-10K distances! After college, I joined the Army and continued to work out quite a bit. I completed Army Ranger School and then participated in the Best Ranger Competition twice. My partner and I did very well both years (5th in 2016) and this is where I was introduced to CrossFit. The CrossFit workouts and regimens were a perfect combination with the long runs and ruck marches we did to prepare and I realized then that I needed to add in some strength and agility training to my routine! It was really effective and this was when I was in the best shape I’ve ever been in. I got out of the active-duty army at the end of 2017 and became a full-time Realtor in Menomonie and Eau Claire, working for RE/MAX Affiliates. I also joined the Minnesota Army National Guard, where I am a Captain and a company commander of a Reconnaissance Troop. I have a wife, Rachel, we have been married for 4 years and a new baby in 2020! Her name is Sage and she is perfect! We also have a 3-year-old German Shepard named Luna! When I’m not working, I love to run, read, travel with Rachel, backpack/camp, and hunt/fish!
After I left the Army I started focusing on Real Estate and really lost my focus on personal fitness. After gaining about 10 pounds and realizing that I just didn’t feel or look as good I tried to get back into running. It wasn’t enough though, and I decided I needed something else to get me excited about working out again. Luckily I had met Tom in Young Professionals at the Menomonie Chamber and I knew that CrossFit was something I enjoy. I decided to join Machine Shed in 2019 and I’ve loved it. I never see myself joining a different gym!
CrossFit has helped me in the Military by getting me back in the fitness mindset. Being physically strong and mentally tough is such a benefit in the military and life. It makes you happier and more focused and teaches discipline by helping you develop good habits. I still can “Max” my PT test and that is definitely a direct reflection of CrossFit. I am looking forward to getting back into the gym now that I am done with my annual training for 2020!
What I love the most about The Shed is the fact that you have great workouts planned for us, and all I need to do is show up and execute to the best of my ability. I love the family that you and Tom have created and I enjoy seeing familiar faces and meeting new people! It doesn’t matter if each athlete is extremely fit, or just getting started at the Shed, everyone works so hard! So, when you show up for a workout, you can’t help but push yourself extremely hard!
My future goals at the Shed are to get back into attending regularly now that my daughter is born and I’m done with my crazy National Guard Schedule for 2020. The army is implementing a new Physical Fitness test over the next year and it is very CrossFit focused, which is great. Grinding out workouts at the Shed will ensure that I am ready and will set a great example for my Soldiers to follow! My main goal is to just stay in great shape. I still have lots of work to do to improve, but I am 30 years old and I still feel 25. That makes me happy.
Thank you for being awesome Tim. Congratulations on the new baby. Keep rocking life and that stash. See you in class, soon!
~Coach Karina, BS-Kinesiology, CF L1 Trainer, USAW Sports Performance Coach