Testimonials: CrossFit Athletes

• Two 45 minute workouts a day. One of which must be outside. Rain or shine. Warm or Cold. Outside of training at UAA Eric uses running, fast paced walking, and biking to fill in for the second workout.
• Following a diet: Eric has been following a keto/carb cycling diet that is working really well for him.
• Take a progress photo every day.
• Drink 1 gallon of water: Eric sets himself up for success by getting his gallon jug full the night before so he is ready to tackle the morning with his best foot forward.
• No alcohol or cheat meals.
• Read 10 pages. Eric has been reading “Atomic Habits”. One of his takeaways he shared was the idea of structure and habit stacking. Setting yourself up for success by associating one action with another. Creating successful, sustainable habits.

Eric admitted that this challenge could not have come at a better time for him. He struggles like many during winter in Indiana, and this forced him to get outside, keep moving and be even more intentional with his time and habits.

If you don’t know him, after reading this, it is evident that Eric exemplifies many of our core values at Unbreakable. Discipline. Teamwork. Enjoyment. Integrity. Kaizen. Always improving. Always working. Eric, you are a wonderful teammate. You are an inspiration to many.

Traci has been an incredible asset to our Unbreakable community for the past 8 years. She lives in Plainfield with her husband Paul and three boys Hunter, Harrison and Hayden, all of whom participate in the sports performance program. She is a Plainfield High School alum and a graduate of Purdue University.  She worked at Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital for 18 years as a Child Life Specialist. While in school, Traci played softball and swam. Once she graduated, her focus shifted towards cardio, cardio and more cardio! She has always included running into her training and previously took group cardio-focused classes and competed in triathlons. It wasn’t until she started attending class at UAA that she became involved in strength training. Traci was introduced to UAA by friends and neighbors.  They talked her into giving it a try, and she hasn’t looked back since. When she started, she was self admittedly nervous.  She was unsure what the movements were, the rep schemes seemed confusing. It was all foreign to her.  Her first workout with us was “Filthy Fifty”. It didn’t scare her away. If you have trained with Traci, you know she doesn’t shy away from a challenge. Traci makes training a priority. Not only is she committed to the time in the gym, she uses every minute and often completes the Fitness, Strength, Metcon, Accessories, and more often than not can be found running with friends before she is finished. She is an excellent team mate and sets an exceptional example of hardwork, determination, integrity, teamwork, and enjoyment. She always has a positive attitude, is helpful, and amiable to everyone. During her time training at UAA, Traci has seen great success with barbell movements. While that aspect of training was difficult for her in the beginning of her journey here, she now finds that she is able to RX the weight for most wods and complete the movements much faster than several years ago. Her favorite movement is hand stand push ups. While upper body strength is Traci’s favorite, she has seen the most improvement in her deadlift. Her favorite WODs are  Annie, Unbreakable Wod and Murph, which she proudly completed with a 20# vest. If you know Traci, you should not be surprised by that. She just doesn’t stop. With that being said, Traci is always working and striving to improve.  In the near future she hopes to get better at some gymnastic movements. Getting a muscle up and handstand walks are on her list of goals. She also wouldn’t mind trying another sprint triathlon- anyone want to join in?!? When asked how the UAA community has helped her, Traci emphasized the connections she has made.  She looks forward to training with like minded individuals, everyone cheering each other on, and wanting each other to succeed. Traci says because of our community she has grown so much as an athlete in her 8 years at Unbreakable. There is no doubt that she has also left an imprint on others. Thank you, for being you, Traci!

Aaryn Finch has been an active member of UAA since September 2020. He played football and rugby in high school, and still plays Rugby now! To stay in shape before joining our community he did some power lifting and calisthenics for a year. He was looking for something more and his brother Anthony introduced him to UAA. In the short time Aaryn has spent training with us he is down 30 pounds and stronger than ever! He often comes to train straight from working over night, but he consistently shows up and works hard. He has seen great improvement in his dead lift, back squat (400#s) and bench press (300#s). He pulled 480 for Sumo DL this quarter and his strength is consistently increasing. He says he loves UAA because “at the gym I challenge and push myself to get better with each work out. My Favorite thing about UAA is the people in the classes. The energy they bring to each work out and the help and encouragement they give to help you get that last rep or go a little heavier on the weight.”

Steve is 37 and is originally from Portage, Indiana. He went to IU (go hoosiers!) for his undergrad and his MBA. He now works for Cummins as the Director of Accounting Research and Policy. He lives with his wife Ashley and his two sons Ben (9) and Sebastian (6). Steve’s son Ben was participating in the sports performance training sessions during his baseball team’s off season. Steve would often bring Ben to UAA and stuck around to watch. He instantly thought, “This is great! I really should be doing this!” Steve joined before the shutdown, but became consistent in October 2020. Before coming to UAA, Steve solely focused on running as his means of training, and as a way to stay in shape. Steve ran cross country and track in high school and walked onto the track team at IU. If you’ve ever trained with Steve when there was a running WOD then you know, he is quick! Over the next 10 years or so, Steve would run regularly for fun and enter a local race here or there.  Then, he got the itch and signed up for a marathon and started seriously training again. During training for his first marathon, he started having Achilles issues.  During the third (and final) marathon training, he had a disc issue in his back, which then led to hip issues and months of PT and not running.  That final marathon was THE goal for Steve. Boston. It had been his training focus for two solid years.  Steve eventually did end up “jogging” it for the experience with the thought that he would be able to get back and race at a later time. That was four years ago, and Steve still can’t put together more than a few weeks of solid mileage without some type of injury popping up.  He then knew something needed to change. At first, Steve was apprehensive. He was afraid of injuring himself. Given his past training/injury history he was nervous about getting hurt. He had never really done much strength work before, so it was all new to him. He credits our phenomenal coaches for easing his fears with their constant support, feedback and cues. “When I joined UAA, I knew I was weak, inflexible, and imbalanced, but I didn’t know how bad until I started getting into it.  There were a lot of frustrating days.  Mentally, I thought I could power through it, but I didn’t have any base to rely on to actually do that and that was a struggle for me.  Once I realized the similarities with running and there is a progression/certain building blocks you need to hit, the gains really started.” Since joining UAA Steve has seen significant improvement across the board in his strength, mobility and endurance.  Lately he has spent a lot of time ringing the PR Bell. His favorite strength movement is box squats, and he recently split a pair of running shorts up the back while training. He found the humor in the moment, but it was also confirmation of the progress he was making. Steve is consistently getting stronger, he works to have good form in his movements, and he has a great attitude.  You can find him after class doing the accessories as well as extra work before and after class. Steve is committed to becoming stronger and healthier. Do you want to know the best part of it all? Steve has been injury free in 2021. That is definitely something to celebrate and be proud of.

Anthony Finch is 26 and has been training with us at Unbreakable Athletics Academy for ten months now. He began training with us to be better prepared for his upcoming rugby seasons where he plays as a winger. Wingers are usually the fastest players on the team, and are elusive runners. Anthony is a dedicated and disciplined athlete, and he works on being explosive at all movements. You can often find him after class doing accessory work, working on his speed and power. Anthony has been very happy with how his training at UAA has positively impacted his results on the field. While he has always been athletic and involved with sports, when he joined us Anthony was nervous about performing new strength movements that he wasn’t familiar with. He credits the coaching and welcoming family atmosphere with his successes thus far. “Everyone has shown me endless amounts of support.” Anthony has found that he has improved in many areas physically, but the most improvement can be seen in his endurance and cardio. He is able to complete most wods RX and even RX+ which motivates Anthony to continue training and working hard. “I am enjoying seeing how far I’ve come in my time with UAA and imagining how far I can go if I stick with it.” When asked what his proudest accomplishment is this far at UAA, Anthony responded that coming out of his comfort zone and trying new workouts and strength movements has been major for him. For example, today was Anthony’s first time climbing the rope. It’s not a lack of strength that held him back, it was the uncertainty. With additional help from a coach today, he has now accomplished a new skill. Anthony has said days like today keep him consistent. The love and addiction of positive results will keep him coming back and working hard. “The work won’t be easy, but the results are well worth it as long as you give all you got!”

Lauren Yekel is a three year member of our Unbreakable Community. She is a graduate of ISU and is a Registered Nurse. She is currently in school to become a Family Nurse Practitioner. Before joining UAA, Lauren trained by herself with a focus on yoga and less strength training. She became frustrated not seeing the results she desired, and didn’t enjoy training solo. Lauren’s husband is also a member here and she liked the programming he was following and decided to join! When Lauren first came to Unbreakable she was intimated and afraid she wouldn’t be able to keep up with the workouts. She could not do a pull up without the help of a resistance band, and could not run a mile without stopping. Lauren was afraid this would hold her back. Now, Lauren can do multiple kipping pull ups and run better than ever (even though she HATES running). Recently Lauren and her husband Broderick partnered up for their second Murph. Not only did Lauren run both miles without stopping, they beat their 2019 time by 3 minutes! Lauren feels that during her time with UAA she has seen all around improvement, but especially with presses. She recently hit a 205# PR for her sumo deadlift! Lauren plans to participate in the 2022 CrossFit Open. She would like to master double unders and eventually get a muscle up. Lauren stays consistent in her training by making a plan. Her work schedule varies so it is important that she dedicates time to training. “UAA has become a vital part of my life and I always feel better both physically and mentally when I make training a priority.” Lauren finds training and hitting PRs motivating. It boosts her confidence and she loves seeing improvement! When asked how the UAA community has helped her Lauren responded: “We have the best community by far, just walking into the gym is motivating. I wouldn’t have made it through some of the WODs without the encouragement of our community.”

Zach Gadawski has been training with us since October 2020. Originally from Ontario, Canada, now Zach works as a Sergeant with the Plainfield Police Department. Before joining our UAA community Zach was growing tired of the “Bro Split” routine he had been following for 17 years. He realized he had been neglecting the most important muscle in the body – the heart. When he joined he had absolutely no experience with Olympic lifts and was apprehensive about it. Zach has shown incredible discipline and has improved in strength, cardiovascular endurance and has seen quite a few PRs . One thing amongst many that stands out about Zach is his movement standards. He works incredibly hard to perform all movements as intended. His reps are solid and he doesn’t cheat a movement just to move a big number. This past Memorial weekend Zach experienced his favorite moment so far at UAA. Completing Murph, vested, and he absolutely rocked it. He has shown great improvement since starting with us on his 1RM in his back squat (#315) shoulder press (#175) and his close grip bench press (#275). You would never guess by watching this video, but Zach’s least favorite movement is the thruster. This is another example of his commitment to being the best he can be. Willingly choosing to complete a hero WOD full of a movement he dislikes, and still training with integrity. In the near future Zach hopes to get an adequate amount of sleep. He believes it is the most underrated skill in health and wellness. “Training is only 1 hour a day. Growth happens during the other 23.” A desire for longevity and being around for his family motivates Zach to continue training. When asked about our Unbreakable community he replied, “This community won’t hand you anything. You have to earn everything you want at this gym. They hold you accountable, but they won’t leave you behind.

Mike Morris, just celebrated his 49th birthday and is originally from Plainfield.  He has been a member of our UAA community since January 25, 2021.  He is a Ball State and Purdue alum with a BS in chemistry and a MS in Analytical Chemistry. He works as a consultant for clinical trial capabilities at Eli Lily. He has a wife, Brenda and together they have three kids; Logan, Will and Dailey.  Outside of the gym Mike enjoys golf, fishing, woodworking, bourbon collecting and audio. Mike joined UAA after running into Erin Stansifer. He was at Kroger trying to buy healthier food and they got to talking about health, nutrition and working out. She suggested Mike look into Unbreakable and all that we offer. He consulted his physician at his annual check up and his physician was supportive. He has been attending 6AM sessions consistently 4x a week since then. Mike is motivated to train by his family genetics. He has lost two Uncles, an Aunt, and a cousin to heart related issues.  His parents both have been fighting cardiac issues for  a number of years and Mike is willing to work hard and do whatever he can to stay healthy.  “I want to be there to walk my daughter down the aisle at her wedding. I would also like to shoot my age (in golf) at some point in my life.” When first joining Mike was apprehensive about injuries. He had never seriously lifted weights before, but was surprised by the weight he was initially able to move. In just ten months Mike has seen great improvement all around. His strength has increased in squatting as well as bench/floor press. His back squat to a box PR is 3X5 @ 315. His bench and floor press max is #235. His endurance is self-admittedly a life long work in progress, and he is starting to be able to perform some movements in WODs at Rx weight. Mike attributes much of his strength improvement to his training partner Steve Jones. They train together, and encourage each other to work hard and push to be consistent. So far, Mike’s proudest moment at Unbreakable was being able to perform box jumps. At the age of 48 and overweight it just wasn’t a skill Mike thought he would be able to complete and be able to move the next day. Now he is crushing them! His favorite strength movement is the power clean and dislikes thrusters and burpees! Mike is also a client of Unbreakable Lifestyle & Nutrition. He joined in April as he was hoping to accelerate his weight loss.  “My goal in starting at Unbreakable was to lose weight, get and stay healthy, and be around to see my kids get married and God willing have kids themselves.  From the end of January to early April, I had only lost about 5 lbs.  Getting stronger, but not losing weight.  I met with Jim responding to a survey he sent and he said I should try UL&N.  His words, “It’ll change your life”. I thought how much can it really change?  I talked with Jen and chatted with a few other athletes to get some perspective and insight before making a decision.  After taking a couple of weeks to think about it, I decided to give it a try despite my doubts. As of 9/9, I have lost 39lbs since starting UL&N bringing my total to 44lbs! The encouragement from the community has been the greatest help.  There is no judgement if I do a WOD modified (I judge myself too much here), and the fact that we are all working to better ourselves and encourage each other in our journey is motivational.  I have to give a special shout out to Jen Beebe who has coached and encouraged me in this nutrition journey that I was frankly very skeptical about at the start.”Mike has been with us a short period of time, but has shown tremendous discipline and consistency. Small changes over time, and committing to them yields big results!