December 11, 2018

December 2018 Athlete of the Month – Ian Kaisner

Congratulations to Ian Kaisner, our Athlete of the Month for December!  Ian, a sophomore at Springfield High School, has a unbelievable work ethic that you don’t often see in anyone, let alone with a sixteen year old.  For starters, Ian can often be found at the 5am class before the sun is up.  He is also at the gym in the afternoons and on the weekends, completing extra work to better himself as an athlete.  It is apparent that Ian is very goal oriented.  While others may avoid their weaknesses, Ian attacks them.  He has worked hard over the past year to sharpen his high level gymnastics skills, such as the muscle-up and handstand walks.  He is often doing extra strength and accessory work in the afternoons as well.  This hard work has translated well outside of the gym, as Ian had a fantastic Track and Cross Country season this past year.  Ian also competed in his first CrossFit competition this summer with his dad, Daton, and his Uncle, Jim Preckwinkle, at the Summer Knights Showdown at Knights Action Park.  Congratulations Ian on your accomplishment, we at C3 are excited to see where your fitness takes you in the future!

1. In general, what is your background?

I am a sophomore student at Springfield High School. In school I run Cross Country and Track. I’ve been doing CrossFit for just over a year now and I’ve grown to love it. It’s made me stronger and a better athlete in many ways.

2.Age, Occupation?

I am 16 years old and I am a student. Outside of school, I like playing sports and coming to the gym.

3. How did you get to know about CrossFit and why did you start?

I got to know about CrossFit through my uncle, Jim Preckwinkle. He’s been doing it for a long time and he was always so strong. I’d always wondered what he did to stay so fit and he told my dad and I to check out CrossFit. My dad and I decided to join C3 around the same time last year. He joined in May of 2017 and I joined the following June. I will say that at first I was a little intimidated by all the super strong guys in the gym, but I’ve quickly learned that everyone is there to support each other and no one is there to bring anyone down because of their strength level.

4. How has CrossFit changed your life, lifestyle, level of fitness?

CrossFit has changed my life for the better in many ways. It’s made me stronger and more capable athlete, especially in track. This past track season, I PR’d my mile time by over a minute and I can’t say I could have done that without CrossFit. I think CrossFit has also taught me a tremendous amount of respect for all the people that put in extra work to really stand out and be the best they can possibly be.

5. Name one goal and/or personal record you would like to accomplish through CrossFit.

Some goals I would like to accomplish within CrossFit for the time being include: completing MURPH with a weight vest on, learn how to handstand walk better, and improving my strength overall. However, my lifelong goal would definitely be to someday make it to the CrossFit Games.

6. Favorite CrossFit moment so far?

My favorite CrossFit moment so far is probably the Summer Knights Action Park competition in which I completed with my dad and my uncle Bub. It was very challenging and we definitely didn’t win, but we finished and it was super fun! I can’t wait to do it again next year and see how much we all improve. Another fantastic moment was the the 2018 Open. This year was my first time ever competing in the CrossFit Open and I feel like I did fairly well considering my level of fitness at the time. I also can’t wait to do that again.

7. What is your least favorite WOD to date?

I don’t think that I have a least favorite WOD to date, but some WODs are more challenging than others. One of the hardest I’ve done was 18.3 in this past year’s Open. At that point I also wasn’t very good at some of the movements in the WOD, which included double unders, overhead squats, and ring muscle ups. Although, I do feel like I  have gotten better at those movements in the past few months.

8. What do you like most about Capital City CrossFit?

The community by far! Everyone at the gym is always so encouraging and helpful. Everyone is always willing to share the knowledge they’ve learned through their CrossFit experience. Special thanks to anyone who’s ever given me tips on anything! Also, everyone at C3 makes me strive to better myself. There’s always some friendly competition, which is super fun.

9. Favorite exercise?

Running, double unders, and box jumps/box jump overs have got to be my favorites, but any bodyweight or cardio movement I usually enjoy.

10. Least favorite exercise?

Thrusters are always a common answer to this question, but I actually don’t hate them. My least favorite movement is definitely dumbbell box step overs/step ups onto a 24 inch box. Maybe just because I’m kind of short though.

Brian Chandler No Comments