Special Populations

CrossFit can be an incredibly competitive sport where others drive your performance to new heights, but Mary Hieb focuses on the importance of competing with herself and improving every day. After overcoming a host of medical problems including breast cancer, Mary has different fitness goals that are no less important than a 2:45 Fran or a spot at the CrossFit Games. To Mary, finishing a workout is a truly great… Continue Reading

Cancer and an autoimmune disease in her lungs forced Mary Hieb into retirement, and fear of the colds and flus that could end her life made her a shut-in. At that point she knew she could either wait to die or fight to live, so she chose the latter.

And then she decided to try CrossFit.

Brought to Rainier CrossFit by her daughter, Sandy Castillo, Mary worked with Kurtis and Laurie Bowler, who slowly eased… Continue Reading

In December 2009, Chris Spealler traveled from Utah to India to visit Sri Ram Ashram. Rashmi Cole talks about the trip and explains how Speal traded CrossFit coaching for cricket instruction and inspired many young athletes along the way.

After spending one year training with Jim Baker at Crossfit Santa Cruz Central, I returned to India full of Crossfit gusto only to face the realities of training… Continue Reading

Dr. Allison Belger turns 40 and finds that masters events provide a new outlet for her competitive spirit.

Throughout the past year leading up to my 40th birthday, I had been reflecting on many things, as one often does in the face of such a milestone. Beyond the typical musings, I had thought a lot about my life as an aging athlete and how I would continue to challenge myself physically given the… Continue Reading

Josh Wagner, co-owner of CrossFit Apex and HQ Trainer Adrian Bozman both appeared on episode 86 of CrossFit Radio, webcast live at 6:00 p.m. PDT on Wednesday, September 23, 2009.

2:40 Josh Wagner, who owns CrossFit Apex with his wife Tanya, is a high school P.E. teacher in Pennsylvania. Josh and Justin spoke about the epidemic of obesity that our nation's youth are up against. Josh talked about… Continue Reading

Jim Baker, co-owner of CrossFit Santa Cruz Central and HQ Trainer Chuck Carswell both appeared on episode 85 of CrossFit Radio, webcast live at 6:00 p.m. PDT on Wednesday, September 16, 2009.

2:14 Jim Baker, is a 62 year old trainer and co-owner of CrossFit Santa Cruz Central, who has specialized in training people that are between the ages of 55 and 87. He talked about his own training as an… Continue Reading

“CrossFit is really the way to go for someone who comes back from cancer,” Joe Izzo says in the second and final part of our series. Joe’s trainer is Jimmy Baker of CrossFit Santa Cruz Central. The two men had worked together at a school for foster and homeless children. Joe was a teacher and Jimmy was the principal.

After a brush with death from transitional cell carcinoma that left him all skin and… Continue Reading

Jimmy Baker of CrossFit Santa Cruz Central was trained personally by Coach Greg Glassman for six years. He is a retired school principal who now specializes in training older athletes, many of whom are de-conditioned or have medical issues.

This video, the first of two parts, tells the story of Joe Izzo. Joe is one of Jimmy’s former teachers at a school for foster and homeless children. Joe… Continue Reading