member of the month

Where are you from? I’ve lived in the Philadelphia area since 2013, but have lived in quite a few places before that. I grew up in East Lansing, MI, went to undergrad at Purdue in Indiana, and then worked for a few years in Fort Wayne, IN and in Binghamton, NY before moving to Philadelphia.

What do you do for work? I create and deliver enterprise-focused cyber security classes. My area of expertise is training the teams that watch corporate networks for advanced cyber attacks, teach them how to reverse engineer viruses and malware, phishing pages, and more, and investigate and stop attacks before they become headline generating data breaches or destructive ransomware scenarios. It’s a super fun job that takes me to places all over the world! I also help manage the larger curriculum of cyber defense courses my company (the SANS Institute) offers, and I also host and produce a podcast on the same topic called Blueprint. 

What’s your favorite potato? Sweet potato fries!

What show or series are you currently bingeing? Right now we’re watching The Bear, great show!

What movie, series, or TV show do you quote way too often? This one is a bit of a deep cut, but the movie “Wet Hot American Summer” - a cult comedy from 2001 that me and my wife both are infinitely entertained by.

What’s the most random thing in your fridge or pantry right now? The materials for making mozzarella cheese from scratch - it was a COVID era hobby my wife and I picked up that was actually shockingly easy and delicious.

If you could do a partner WOD with anyone famous – who would it be? Rocky! ;)

How did you end up at CrossFit 2 Street? I started Crossfit at Fearless Athletics when I first moved into the area in 2018 and made the jump over when they closed in 2024.

Advice for new CrossFit / BootCamp athletes…. What matters most is just repetitively showing up. To stay motivated, be sure to take note of progress compared to where you were, not where others are. Eventually you’ll start realizing you’re always able to hit a certain percentage of the Rx weights and eventually find yourself bumping those up until you hit that first Rx workout and it feels great! Stick with it and the gains will come, and soon you’ll be in the best shape of your life! :)

What’s your proudest 2St accomplishment Continuing to make it to the gym on a regular schedule through the newborn stage of having our first child early last year. No matter how tired I was from sleep loss, I was determined to not let the habit slip.

Where are you from? Bethlehem, PA

What do you do for work? I work for a company called Automatiq, which is a ticket resale automation company and provides ticket resellers with pricing, fulfillment, and consignment of their tickets. We work with people ranging from professional brokers, to season ticket holders, or even first time resellers that couldn't attend an event they purchased tickets for. I also am a NCAA women's basketball official, so I referee games for colleges at the D1, D2, and D3 levels.

What’s your favorite potato? (sweet, French fry, mashed, etc) Potato salad (does that count? 😁)

What show or series are you currently bingeing? Well, with Tytan, I am watching a ton of Curious George lately, so I know way more than I should about the cartoon

What movie, series, or TV show do you quote way too often? I guess I would say The Three Stooges, as I'm a huge fan and grew up watching them with my Dad, brother, and cousin. We could have a whole conversation based on quotes from the episodes. My mom says we have our own language.

What’s the most random thing in your fridge or pantry right now? Breast milk 🤭

If you could do a partner WOD with anyone famous – who would it be? Tough one! It's either Arnold Schwarzenegger or Triple H (WWE wrestler), but I'll go with Triple H!

How did you end up at CrossFit 2 Street? I was a member at Fearless Athletics for about 10 years which unfortunately closed. I tried to do Planet Fitness for a year, but it just wasn't the same as going to a CrossFit gym. When I found out the owner of Fearless Athletics had unfortunately passed away (who was my primary coach for years & friend), I was rejuvenated & motivated to get back to a box, so I decided to give CrossFit 2 Street a try.

Advice for new CrossFit / BootCamp athletes….IT WORKS! Do not get discouraged and keep building your skills and strength as it takes time. If you show up and do the work, you will feel and see the results! I also think the key is to stay consistent. Once you get on a routine, it makes it more difficult to miss a workout. And the best part is, you just have to show up and do the work! No more, what should I do for a workout today and no more skipping leg day! 😆

What’s your proudest 2St accomplishment? I think finding a new gym after being comfortable at my previous gym for 10 years. I definitely had to leave my comfort zone by finding a new gym, but I didn't have a choice due to it closing. But, I am glad I did and everyone has been very welcoming so I appreciate that! It's a great environment and I felt like I fit in easily.