Hi,

Savitar here. For our monthly profile I recently caught up with one of our newest members, Rascal.

What brought you to CrossFit?

My sister, Rockstar! She’s always talked about how welcoming and supportive the environment is at Empower so I thought I should try it.

What was your first impression of Empower?

Everyone was very friendly, it’s not too hardcore unlike some other gyms. Leon was my first coach at Empower and he immediately welcomed me, there was a lot of joking!

How has your impression changed?

 It’s still the same really. The coaches are so friendly and much more attentive than other gyms that I’ve worked out at.

What was your first bright spot/win/positive experience?

Leon was my first bright spot! We did a lot of joking around but he really helped with my lifting.

I came in thinking I knew a lot about it (I’ve lifted for about 10 years) but he looked at my form and fine-tuned a lot of the movements. I’m also enjoying learning new skills that aren’t as natural for me, I recently got my first toes to bar and double unders.

What are you working on now?

I’m only one month in so I’m just enjoying CrossFit in general. My goal is to work on my cardio and improve my gymnastic movements. Particularly pull ups, so it’s worked well that pull ups are the skill of the month. Really, I want to work on my general fitness. I have to stay fit for my job, I’m a plumber on construction sites so it’s physical work. I like that CrossFit is so varied that you have to work on things that you don’t necessarily enjoy as much as others, like burpees!

What is your favourite Empower memory so far?

I’m really enjoying working out with my sister. We have a routine where I finish work, go to her place and I get something to eat then we head to the gym together. She says with me being here she has to be more competitive, I’m pretty competitive. We did a workout recently where we were paired up and she beat me by one rep! That was fun!

Do you have a CrossFit or life goal that you are currently working on?

My CrossFit goal is to be able to do all of the movements. I’m working on rope climbs and kipping pull ups. Another goal is to get to Italy at least once a year to visit my family. I’m also working towards completing my Red Seal certification for plumbing.

What is the greatest obstacle that you have surmounted or are in the process of surmounting?

I’m pretty lucky that I haven’t had to get over too many big obstacles in my life. I used to be a professional rugby player in Italy but I had to retire in my early 20’s after three concussions. That was a very hard time for me and I was depressed. My whole life until then had been taken up with rugby, I finished my education at the end of high school to become a rugby player. It was my job and my passion and all my friends were rugby players and then I suddenly wasn’t playing any more. I came over here and did 2 yrs of a Kinesthesiology course at Langara and found new sports and a new path in life.

What are you passionate about?

I’m passionate about staying active, my work and my family.

I’ve done Jiu Jitsu for a few years and enjoy that, I also love to watch it. I spend quite a lot of time watching TV, I love crime shows and dumb comedies!

What is one thing that not many people know about you in the gym?

Most people think I’m Rockstar’s older brother but she is older than me. When we were little she used to dress me up as a girl, in a little skirt and everything!