It was a risky move. At the time we signed our lease there was no CrossFit west of Burrard Street. Would there even be a market in this little neighbourhood for CrossFit? Every box in Vancouver was chasing the trendy 25-35 year old market but no one was really interested in serving the folks 35+.
But we’re 35+ and so are our friends and we all want to be fit and have fun doing it. Dunbar is a neighbourhood filled with people like us. But could we get them in the door?
There’s a lot of resistance to be sure. People have heard of CrossFit. They’ve heard it is extreme, they’ve heard it is dangerous, they have heard it is a cult.
From the day we opened our doors we knew we had made the right choice. We didn’t blow up like the younger, hipper boxes tend to (CrossFit 604 went from 0 to 100 in a couple months) but we never ran at a deficit either. We had a modest positive cash flow throughout year 1 of operations!
And the community we have built is a more settled crew. Home owners, professionals, folks with kids in school. It is the kind of community where everyone knows each other. Where couples come to train together. Not much of a single’s scene. No meat market. Just families.
We love the Dunbar neighbourhood. We’ve been living at the other end of Dunbar Street at 41st. But September 1st we will be taking over the rental unit above the gym. That’s right, we are moving from Dunbar up Dunbar to put us closer to our community. It is a move in the right direction. A move toward the realization of a dream.
In the early 2000’s living in Surrey Sunghee & I sat dreaming and writing out life goals. This was still a few years before I had heard of CrossFit. At the time I was working behind a desk in the staffing industry. I was nearly crippled by chronic injuries and ill-health. My body was broken and I was in suffering everyday. But my dream life saw us owning our own gym and Sunghee, Kaelin & I would live right above that gym.
It was a ridiculous fantasy for a guy like me who was so out-of-shape and demoralized with my fitness. A guy working a desk job. There was no obvious logical path from where I was to where I wanted to be. There was never any plan of how to get from dream to reality. Life occurred as it did, successes and failures ensued and at every juncture I just chose the path that lit me up the most, that made me inspired. I embraced the opportunities that really brought me to life. And I forgot all about that long ago goal that I wrote down.
Until August 3rd. The day we signed the lease to rent the apartment above the gym. It dawned on me belatedly that I had just, quite unintentionally, achieved that long ago dream!
September 1st we are moving to Dunbar.
Moving to the realization of a dream.
Moving toward a greater contribution to the wonderful community of people who have supported us.
Big things are afoot. Dreams are coming to pass and since those days long ago my dreams have grown.
And I hope to see those bigger dreams to fruition too.
And I hope that you will be right here with me to enjoy the moment because you figure prominently in those dreams!
Dream yourself a part that inspires you and lights you up.
Dreams DO come true and the next dream is a dream that we will build together:)
Today`s WOD: HeroWOD Rene
7 rounds
400m Run
21 Walking Lunges
15 Pull Ups
9 Burpees
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