We are very excited to introduce to you our November Member in the Spotlight, Troy! Troy is a staple at the 5 am class, which he will tell you is the coolest class of all, and so we know many of you may not have the privilege of knowing this kind, hard-working, goal-getting Port member! What we love about Troy is his work ethic. He is always one to stay after class for a little more skill work, has been working hard at Oly Class on Sundays to improve his lifting, and is always on the hunt to learn. You can find out more about Troy below!
1. How did you end up becoming a member at the Port?
I had moved to Portsmouth in early 2011 and had been attempting to follow some of the Crossfit workouts that they post online. It was a change from the powerlifting & strength training I had done for a lot of years. Admittedly, I didn’t think the membership cost would be worth it at first (so wrong). After a few years, I wasn’t achieving what I wanted from working out alone and I wanted to get better at a lot of movements that were new to me, so I came in for a 1:1 with Jason who owned The Port at the time. I had a great experience through on-boarding, quickly met a few of the coaches, and was so impressed with their engagement with all the members in the class. I was hooked! As I met more members (5:00AM regulars, Oly Class participants, the Saturday crowd) the combination of competitiveness and fun felt right.
2. What has changed for you since joining? What change are you most proud of?
I remember the first year I started, my mobility greatly improved and I immediately noticed it while I was skiing. Before, it would take me a few runs to “loosen up” and I immediately noticed the first year of training that I was much more fluid and the first run didn’t hurt! I’ve also learned that I enjoy attempting to master things. Olympic Lifting and gymnastics movements were all new to me. Having a great coaching staff has really kept me interested in trying to refine technique and different parts of these movements.
3. What are a few things you love to do outside of the gym?
Outdoor activities: skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, mountain biking (I don’t do nearly enough!). I’m trying to self-learn guitar for the 2nd time (I should know better and get a coach!). We are lucky enough to have a place a few hours away in Maine and I really enjoy being there near the mountains.
4. If you were shipwrecked on a deserted island and all of your human needs were met- food and water and shelter- what are two things you would want to have with you?
A fully-fueled helicopter and a pilot!
5. Since many of our members who don’t attend the 5 am don’t have the pleasure of getting to know you on a more personal level, tell us one interesting fact about yourself or something else we just might not know!
Well, the 5:00 am is the coolest class, and now one of the busiest! Since graduating High School, Portsmouth has been the place I’ve lived the longest by far. My wife Elizabeth always finds awesome experiences for gifts. She found me a design/build class at the Yestermorrow School in VT. For a week, I slept in a legit treehouse with a wood stove and learned about architecture and home building techniques.
