MEMBER OF THE MONTH
The SEO coaches are delighted to announce that November’s Member of the Month is Drew Smart.
Drew has been an off-and-on SEO-er since the very beginning, and his attendance recently has been becoming much more consistent—which is a feat commendable in itself, given that Drew has to juggle three kids, a wife who also attends morning classes at the gym, and a regular job to keep him running around. In the past, Drew would cycle his SEO mornings with periods of working out on his own in his garage, doing bicep curls and leg curls (those muscles won’t build themselves). You’d always know when Drew was coming off of one of these stints, because he’d take nice rest periods into the middle of any lengthier wods, enjoying a refreshing drink from the water bottle stationed beside his weights. The man definitely likes to work at his own pace.
NOVEMBER 2015
Lately, however, Drew’s pace has been accelerating (it seems to have started when he began trying to chase down Alison’s times), and he’s become a whole different beast. (Cue: “Eye of the Tiger.”) We think Drew is motivated for the Throwdown! It’s been wonderful for us to watch the climb in both the regularity of his attendance and the caliber of his performance. For a very strong guy, he still doesn't know his own strength. We appreciate that, even as his motivation grows, he remains cautious about adding weight to the bar, since he wants to work on technique first. The coaches find it exciting to watch him lift, because we know that he has more in the tank, especially since he is building on a strong foundation. And his strict press is already one of the highest in the gym! His gymnastics, too, have come a long way. Gymnastics don’t come easily for such a big guy—we call him “Daddy-long-legs" for a reason—yet he’s showing great improvement in this domain as well. With a good, strong kip, he’s becoming efficient on pull-ups and ttb. And he recently checked the muscle-up off his to-do list!
Most of all, we’re so pleased that Drew is coming around more regularly because he brings such a wonderful energy to the gym. He walks in the door smiling (sure, a few minutes late, but who can blame him) and the good cheer just doesn’t stop. Warm-up time is always full of jokes and easy laughter, and he approaches every wod with a happy-go-lucky energy. Jolene swears that, in twelve years, she’s never once seen Drew in a bad mood. He’s always ready to spread the good vibe by sharing a quiet word of encouragement with fellows athletes, making events like the Open and the Throwdown more vibrant with cheers from the sidelines.
We’re so pleased you won’t be on the sidelines this year, Drew, and we can’t wait to see what you accomplish—in the Throwdown and beyond!
Written by: Kristin LeMay