09/28/2026
Member of the month Don Russell
BF: What do you remember about your first CF class?
My
DR: I have the memory of a goldfish and can barely remember breakfast, let alone 7 years ago, but I was looking to try a CrossFit gym closer to my house. I found CFCB online and ended up circling the building to find the entrance. I was convinced the equipment from the other gym next door didn’t look like CrossFit (rigs, barbells, etc.). I found the door and sheepishly stuck my head in. Christi was there and told me to come back when a class running. There was a handful of regular indoor classes until we were mandated to not congregate that way. So I distinctly remember dragging barbells outside in winter, doing burpees in snowsuits, and hunting down old work gloves to do cleans at -5C. Wild times. I really appreciated the Barbers going to those lengths to keep folks exercise racing.
BF: What’s your favourite thing about Barracks?
DR: It scratches a lot of itches for me (ew). I can shoot the breeze with some great people, gets the blood pumping, and I get to see how my score stacks up against some very strong and fit people.
BF: What’s one thing you can do today that you never thought you could before?
DR: Pretty much all the movements. When I started I couldn’t kip a pullup or double an under. What is a muscle up? and how are those people doing them?!
It’s cool to look back at where I was and see how much fitter I am now than I was at that tender age.
BF: What’s next on your goal list?
DR: I’ve still got a lot to improve on: some shaky RMUs, a few wobbly handstand steps at a time, pistols on right leg only.
