The Squad Gets Deeper

Meg - swag sleddin'
Meg – swag sleddin’

As you may have noticed, we have some new faces that will be helping out with classes going forward. After helping out for the past year as a part time coach, Haley Byrnes recently became our newest full time addition. Haley is a two times CrossFit Games competitor and has coached previously at CrossFit Fenway and also worked at the highly successful CrossFit equipment company, Again Faster. Haley is an experienced coach and a extraordinary person, we are thrilled to have her as a part of our team.

More on Haley…Born & raised in Medford, MA, Haley graduated from Emmanuel College in 2010 with a degree in English and Sociology. While training for the 2010 Boston Marathon, Haley found CrossFit. Bored with logging countless miles each day, she loved CrossFit’s constantly varied programming and competitive nature and quickly replaced her running shoes with oly shoes. Haley is a true example of the progress that can be achieved through CrossFit– going from being unable to do one pushup to competing on a team at the 2011 CrossFit Games in just over a year. As a coach, she loves to help new athletes begin their own CrossFit journeys and exceed their expectations.

We also recently had a select group of incredible athletes that went through and graduated our intensive 10 week/20+ hour intern program and were excited to get them all involved helping out during our busier classes. You may find a few of their fresh faces encouraging you during your next WOD!

HAM Rope Climb

Chris “HAM” Cunningham was originally introduced to CrossFit in 2006 and has been an active member of CrossFit Southie since it’s doors were opened. As a member of the Massachusetts Army National Guard, physical fitness is the difference between life and death. HAM has used CrossFit as that “X” factor to maintain a high level of fitness and ability to always accomplish the mission. HAM has competed in the CrossFit Open in the last 3 years as well as The CrossFit First Responder Challenge who took first place the past two years. He loves a good team workout and the camaraderie built throughout CrossFit. Chris received his CrossFit Level 1 Trainer Certificate in April 2012 and is extremely excited to play a more integral part in the CrossFit Southie community.

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Brian Schurko was born and raised in Everett, MA and is currently a 3rd year medical student at Tufts Medical School. “Schurk” earned a B.A. in Economics and a M.S. in Biomedical Sciences from Tufts as well. He played football on the Offensive Line during college and post college he struggled to find a workout routine that kept him interested in working out while also keeping the weight off. This is where CrossFit has succeeded for him and as a coach and future physician, he hopes to use CrossFit in order to make healthier, happier humans. You can find Schurk in the gym (or really, anywhere) dancing and wearing short shorts.

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Andrea graduated from the University of Connecticut in 2010 with a B.A. in Psychology. Shortly after undergrad, Andrea moved to Boston to work as a counselor at a residential treatment center for adolescent girls with behavioral and emotional issues. She is currently a student in the Masters of Social Work program at Boston College. Before she began CrossFit you could find Andrea in the gym furiously racking her brain for intense workouts that would leave her feeling both accomplished and exhausted. Andrea is extremely thankful that her parents introduced her to CrossFit, for it allowed her to maintain her sanity after long hours at work. She is grateful for the competitive nature of CrossFit and the community that pushes and supports one another. Andrea is excited to be part of the coaching staff, helping others reach their optimal level of fitness while having fun. You can often find Andrea lounging in the parking lot- tanning, mobilizing, and chatting.

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After finding CrossFit in a friends garage in 2010 Melberg traded in a steady diet of beers and burritos for barbells and never looked back. A football and lacrosse player in college Melberg found that the nature of CrossFit satisfied his hunger for competition. As someone who attended high school down the street, and who now works in local law enforcement Melberg hopes to help continue Southie’s mission to positively affect the neighborhood it calls home. Melberg has competed in the CrossFit Open in the last 3 years as well as The CrossFit First Responder Challenge who took first place the past two years. When not in the gym you can find Melberg hanging with his fiancée Loretta, his best friend Megatron, and his hotdog Pumpkin.

There are a few other interns that will be helping out with classes soon and will introduce them in a future post…

Strength – Paleo Challenge Benchmark #2
Spend 40 minutes work up to a 1 RM Clean and jerk

Ca$h Out
1 minute L-sit
2 minute plank hold
3 minutes of sit-ups