I am not a member of Crossfit Rise, nor have I ever had the privilege of training at their facility. Despite this, I have had such an amazing experience with Rise's community that it would be a shame not to publically express my admiration and appreciation.
Participating in the Roger DeGarmo Mid-American Weightlifting Championship as my first competition, I had a natural anxiety and many nerve-racking moments. Regardless of my level of stress, professional Rise coaches provided reassurance and patient volunteers echoed my excitement with smiles. The overall environment at CrossFit Rise during my competition was phenomenal and I would encourage anyone to participate in a competition held at their facility. My experience as a lifter alone is cause for a stellar review of the Rise community, but it was truly my role as a volunteer the following day that only deepened my initial impressions.
Upon my arrival as a volunteer, I was met with an informed staff and patient instructions. As a bar loader with no prior experience with weights in kilograms, nor an understanding of the efficient strategy of loading bars, I was given adequate modeling and opportunities to learn the skill in a time restricted environment. Justin Ehrhardt was a proficient instructor, maintaining a professional demeanor despite juggling multiple responsibilities. He had an infectious smile that calmed my nerves while I made many mistakes, including dropping or forgetting plates. Mike Porters displayed an incredible level of patience as I was constantly seeking mathematical affirmation of the next plates to be loaded. He also had a wonderful nature, laughing while exchanging funny jokes or stories. Jessica Schulz was lovely, providing a comfortable environment and informing me when I had opportunities to eat or for breaks. She also assisted as needed for loading and instruction, while maintaining her task of monitoring the clock for the lifters.
They all engaged in genuine conversation, yet nothing could parallel their passionate dedication to efficiently loading a bar, ensuring a flawless competition and a great experience for the competitors. The experience with Justin, Mike and Jessica was incredible and I thoroughly enjoyed my time spent with all of them. With all of their talents combined, I was taught by their knowledge, encouraged by their smiles and inspired by their passion. It was apparent that they were not only passionate about their role as a volunteer and support system for the weight lifting competition, but they were incredibly dedicated to making everyone's experience a fantastic one.
As I received only a small snapshot of the Rise community as a participant and a volunteer, I can only imagine that that snapshot just skims the surface of the entire body of talented professionals at CrossFit Rise. I observed countless other amazing coaches and staff at the competition who were contributing their individual talents as an MC, DJ, weigh-in monitor, gear salesperson, etc.
Overall, I am greatly impressed by the passionate professionalism of the coaches and staff. I am not a member of Crossfit Rise, nor have I ever had the privilege of training at their facility, but based on my experience at the competition, I would be incredibly lucky to be surrounded by such inspiring people. Thank you very much for your kindness, patience and continued efforts to make the world a happier and stronger place! read more