To me, a coach is can is one who exhibits passion towards what they are teaching and to those they are coaching. They lead. They bring out the best in others. They fuel off the success of others. They’re approachable. And they will do whatever it takes to help an athlete reach their goals. These are all traits that Jeff exemplifies at 431. He gained my respect from day one. He not only made me a better athlete, but a better person. I have been coached by hundreds of coaches of all levels throughout Canada, USA, and Europe, and I can truly say that I found my fit with Jeff at 431. What makes him extraordinary is that he connects with each member, knowing exactly what each person needs in order to succeed. He goes above and beyond and will do whatever it takes to make you better. This is what happens at 431 – you get known as a person and as an athlete. Each and every coach at Crossfit 431 has a unique coaching style than the next, but they all have a commonality: passion. They want to make you better even if it’s in the smallest of ways – whether it’s getting that big PR number you’ve been waiting for, getting that first muscle up, or mentally overcoming a fear for certain movements.
My story for stepping foot into Crossfit 431 isn’t one from a couch. I have been revolved around sport my entire life with a focus on hockey – 22 years and counting to be exact. From playing college hockey in Boston, professional women’s hockey in Toronto, being a member of the Canadian National Women’s hockey team for 8 years, and now playing professional hockey in Sweden, it shows that I am shaped around sport and fitness. Even with this background, I still got it handed to me each and every workout – often wondering how the heck I am going to make it through some of the WODs. I attended Crossfit 431 for 5 months prior to heading off for hockey season in Sweden, and I have never felt stronger, more powerful, faster, and energized than I do now. My recovery time between shifts is quicker than ever, as is my recovery between games. I have remained injury free, simply because I am stronger than ever both mentally and physically. It still blows my mind how 5 months of training at this gym can have such a large impact on my game and towards my fitness goals. I left for hockey season way beyond prepared than I have ever been before. If I have any regrets, it’s that I didn’t start training at Crossfit 431 sooner.
I have become a better version of myself here, and it fuels from the drive of those either coaching or competing to be the best version of themselves around me. The saying “you are what you attract” is one that hits home at 431. Everyone is human here. There’s no ego, no self-absorbed better-than-you type person, none of that. It’s respect across each person, it’s friendships, it’s simply being the best version of you. Yes, I became stronger physically, but better yet, I mentally became stronger. I am beyond excited to continue my journey here in growing friendships, becoming a better person, and becoming the best Crossfit athlete that I can be.
-Jenelle Kohanchuk
“My experience at Crossfit 431 is friendships, fun and challenges. Coaches and members, you are so genuine in wanting to know each other. From goofy questions and fun challenges to supporting each other in the realm of physically wanting to be better than before. It feels good to come, just be here, unload, joke around while still getting into the grunt challenges of the workout. There is a satisfaction for me when I leave exhausted from the physical push knowing I get to come back tomorrow to do it all over again different.”
-Sharon Touchette
“When people think about crossfit, most think about a group of people doing extreme and hardcore things. When they think about that, they get intimidated and start doubting their capabilities. They say things like “oh, I’ll get hurt. I see so many people hurt” or “that looks too intense”. While being active in any type of sports, the risk of injury is always there. And the biggest keys for prevention is checking your ego and having knowledgeable coaches who are diligent and experienced to know how the human body should be moving. At crossfit 431, the coaches here are phenomenal. They motivate and inspire, but they also know when to hold you back to prevent you from injuring yourself. They know how to modify workouts and work with injured athletes or those who are starting out. It is important to find the right coaches and also the class size and crossfit 431 endorses small class sizes to facilitate this. This is important. And last but not least, the atmosphere and camaraderie at crossfit 431 squashes the intimidating factor! Positivity and fun has always been the style here and this is what makes this box a great place to train and make friends!”
-Summer Pham
At age 40, I came dangerously close to accepting being overweight, physically broken and unable to run, jump or play with my kids as the way it would be for the rest of my life. Fortunately, I quickly caught that lie and decided to get back to the gym to get in shape. I did what I’d always done, and after a few years, realized that though I was stronger, my range of motion was getting shorter and shorter. My shoulders didn’t work like they used to, I could barely squat and I still couldn’t run worth a damn.
I eventually quit the gym in search of something better. I came across a series of CrossFit videos, watched them all, then watch the 2015 CrossFit Games. Finally I walked into CrossFit 431 and met Jeff. Jeff immediately made me feel comfortable as we talked about my experience and what I wanted to do, so I signed up the next day.
My first workout was a very humbling experience. I absolutely got my ass kicked by a plump, older lady. I was hooked. Since then, I’ve lost extra pounds, gotten stronger, increased my endurance, regained much mobility in ALL my joints (who knew) and can finally squat to 90 degrees. The atmosphere and the community drive me to work harder and the coaches kick my ass when I slack off. I love that my wife and some of my kids now do CrossFit as well.
Great thanks to Jeff and all the coaches.
-Mike Lauze
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-Irene Thiessen
River City Strength and Conditioning 