February Athlete of the Month: Matt Anderson
Congratulations Coach Matt, you’re our February Athlete of the Month!
Coach Matt has been a big part of our community and from the beginning, he’s always been willing to lend a hand. When we were short on coaches a few years ago he stepped up and has been a coach and leader in our community ever since. We appreciate Matt’s hard work and dedication in the gym and he’s a great example of someone who embraces everything about NoCoast from the workouts, to the community, and even the challenges. We appreciate you, Matt; thank you for everything you do for NoCoast!
Quotes from Matt:
“I have told most who care to listen that CrossFit truly saved my life. I was in a bad place physically and emotionally in 2010 and CrossFit lifted me out of that dark spot and has kept me out. Not only the exercise and nutrition but the community. Some of my closest friends have come from CrossFit and I also would’ve never met Sarah without CrossFit :)”
“When I initially started CrossFit, I lost nearly 20 pounds fairly quickly just through the workouts. I kind of plateaued until I changed up my diet of boxed TV dinners and diet Mountain Dew’s. Yes, those were seriously my staple foods as a single father of 2. Once I learned the importance of what went into my body, it changed the playing field yet again and I lost another 25 pounds by watching how I eat and continuing to exercise.”
Age: 46
Athletic/Sports history/highlights:
Played three sports in High School (Football, Basketball, Baseball). Earned All-State honors in both Football and Baseball. Held high school (Eaton) single season rushing and TD record until Austin Ekeler (of LA Chargers fame) broke them. Also held single season HR and RBI records until they were broken by Walker Martin (1st round draft pick of SF Giants). Played JUCO baseball at Seward County and then D1 College baseball at UT-Arlington. Held the team record for most back squats at 225# repping out 72 squats my senior year. Being a catcher I was always good at “squatting”.
How long have you been CrossFitting?
14 years now. Started CrossFit in late 2010 after ballooning to almost 250 lbs.
How did you get into CrossFit?
A good friend of mine had recently found this new gym doing something called “CrossFit” and he thought I’d like it. With the shape I was in, round being the shape, I decided to give it a try. I instantly fell in love with it because it brought back some of that competitive spirit that had disappeared over the years and I’ve been hooked ever since.
What is your favorite WOD/CrossFit movement?
I love the Olympic lifts. Snatch and Clean & Jerk being my favorites and if I had to pick only one it would be the Clean.
What is your least favorite WOD/CrossFit movement?
Deadlifts and Thrusters. HATE them...
What is your most memorable CrossFit moment?
After losing nearly 50 lbs in a little over a year from 2011 to 2012, our gym qualified for the 2012 CrossFit regionals as a team and I was selected to participate on the team.
How does nutrition play a role in your fitness and recovery?
While it has been an up and down journey, nutrition has been a very key component to my CrossFit success and life over the years. When I initially started CrossFit, I lost nearly 20 pounds fairly quickly just through the workouts. I kind of plateaued until I changed up my diet of boxed TV dinners and diet Mountain Dew’s. Yes, those were seriously my staple foods as a single father of 2. Once I learned the importance of what went into my body, it changed the playing field yet again and I lost another 25 pounds by watching how I eat and continuing to exercise. I followed a fairly strict “Paleo” diet for many years and have learned to incorporate some of my favorite foods while maintaining my lifestyle choices. Now, don’t kid yourself as I am one that loves ALL the deserts and especially anything Reece’s, so I have had to find ways to satisfy those urges. Recently I joined NoCoast's new year challenge to clean up some of those old habits that have slowly crept back in. Sarah and I chose to do Whole 30(ish) for January. It was a good reminder that what you put in your body truly does make an impact and almost immediately it had that impact. Feeling less tired and having more energy by eating real foods and eliminating the sugars and breads which are my kryptonite has been a key take away.
How has CrossFit improved your overall wellness?
I have told most who care to listen that CrossFit truly saved my life. I was in a bad place physically and emotionally in 2010 and CrossFit lifted me out of that dark spot and has kept me out. Not only the exercise and nutrition but the community. Some of my closest friends have come from CrossFit and I also would’ve never met Sarah without CrossFit :)
How has CrossFit changed your family/relationships?
As I mentioned above, CrossFit is truly family and community to me. My closest friends are from CrossFit and meeting Sarah has been one of the best things to happen to me and none of that would’ve taken place without CrossFit and specifically NoCoast.
What do you like most about coaching?
Making a difference in someone’s life. After I participated in CrossFit for a number of years and saw the tremendous impact it had made on my life, I decided to get my L1 and give back to the community that truly saved my life. I started coaching in 2013 and have been trying to teach others around me the basics of lifestyle choices and fundamentals of CrossFit ever since. If you really think about what CrossFit was intended to accomplish, constantly varied FUNCTIONAL movements performed at high intensity, then you see that EVERYONE can do it. We don’t have to be the <1% that we all love to watch on TV, but we can strive to be the best version of ourselves on a daily basis and make those around us better. Not only just as athletes in the gym, but as people in our community. Watching someone make progress in the gym whether it is eliminating a band for pull-ups, adding weight to a clean or back squat, working their way up a rope for the first time, or simply completing a workout faster than they ever have, it makes me smile because that is what we all want. Doing things we never thought possible or accomplishing tasks and goals that we make and being able to set the bar even higher.
Advice to new people:
Find what works for YOU. CrossFit is intended to meet you where you are at and then push you little by little. The amazing part about CrossFit is that we all participate and complete the same basic movements, tasks, lifts, exercises, etc.. We just need to remember to attack them where WE are at and not compare ourselves to others. When I began I could not complete one single pull-up nor could I barely lift the damn barbell with any weight on it. I listened to my coaches, continued to come to the gym regularly with my friends, and strived to be better than I was yesterday, not anyone else, Just ME. I was competing against myself both mentally and physically and for me that was key. I urge everyone to look in the mirror and remember that is who you are up against. Not anyone else here. A better version of YOU is what you should strive to become and it is amazingly possible with hard work and dedication. As someone once told me, “it’s not going to be easy, but it's definitely going to be worth it”.