Two and a half years ago, Anthony Winfield walked into the 5:30am class at Blackbird…that class has has never been the same. He’s strong and fast and his name is at the top of our leaderboards, but he’s best known for bringing the fun! He’s easily identifiable because he’s the guy randomly yelling “CrossFit day,” asking the coach “Is this a partner WOD?” just before 3,2,1…GO, and always encouraging other 5:30am-ers to “Red Line” any and all workouts. If you’re still confused as to which athlete we are referring to, he can also be identified by his impeccably groomed thick mane of red hair. The rest of our community that doesn’t wake up at the crack of dawn for a workout know Anthony for his bursts of levity throughout the day on our Members Only Facebook page. He’ll “have a meme for that” or a witty response within seconds of a post.
But in all seriousness, the 5:30am crew knows him for his dedication and work ethic. As a lifelong athlete, Anthony understands the benefits of smart training. Some days he walks in and knows it’s a good day to test his limits and other days he understands that he just needs to move so that he’s ready for tomorrow. On the rare occasion that Anthony misses a day, the 5:30am crew are quick to track him down (and give him a hard time). But like clockwork, he’s the first one in the door every Saturday for Open Gym. Over the years Anthony has continued steady strength gains, but more notably is the huge improvement in his CrossFit benchmark workouts. Here are a few: Fran went from 4:42 to 3:28, Helen went from 9:35 to 7:45 and his DT went from 15:40 to a 9:37.
Not always a joker, Anthony continues to give back to the South Carroll High School wrestling community that provided him with a lifelong love of fitness and a hard work ethic. He is also heavily involved in supporting the Cool Kids Campaign, a foundation dedicated to helping pediatric cancer patients and their families.
This month we chose Anthony Winfield as Athlete of the Month for taking his training seriously and inspiring our members with his dedication. We also truly appreciate his help during the 5:30am class with our goal to make the hour spent at Blackbird the best part of each of our members days. He’s a special guy and we’re honored to call him a Blackbird! MEET ANTHONY…
1.TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF. 
My name is Anthony Winfield and I am 29 years old. I graduated from WVU for undergrad and Frostburg for my MBA. I work for a biodefense company doing Mergers & Acquisitions in addition I am the founder of country music Fridays at Blackbird. A few months ago, I married my beautiful wife, Crossfit Katie and we live together in New Windsor. In my free time I enjoy fishing, skiing, and traveling.
2. WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO START CROSSFIT?
I wrestled from age three all the way through high school so I was always used to challenging myself physically. When I hit the real world I started to miss the challenge that wrestling brought and the globo gym atmosphere was not pushing me and would easily lose motivation. A friend introduced me to CrossFit and I was instantly hooked as it was everything that I missed about wrestling and competing.
3. WHAT WERE YOUR THOUGHTS AFTER YOUR 1st WOD AT BLACKBIRD? HOW DID IT DIFFER FROM YOUR OTHER EXPERIENCES?
I had been CrossFitting for several years prior to joining Blackbird but had begun searching for a new gym as the gym I was at was becoming more of a powerlifting gym, which was good but not what I was looking. After doing a free trial at Blackbird, I switched gyms immediately as Blackbird was exactly what I was searching for with tough challenging WODs and knowledgeable coaches.
“5:30am is for the boys”
4. WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT CROSSFIT?
I enjoy the community atmosphere because it really helps motivate you and makes you want to go to the gym (accountabili-a-buddies).
5. WHAT IS YOUR PROUDEST CROSSFIT MOMENT?
My proudest moment was doing a muscle up for the first time. I had been working on those for a long time so when I was able to do my first one it was extremely rewarding.
6. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MOVEMENT/LIFT? LEAST FAVORITE?
My favorite CrossFit lift is the Power Clean but I enjoy any WOD with a heavy barbell. My least favorite movement would be burpees, aka fall down and get back ups.
7. WHAT ARE YOUR CROSSFIT GOALS? HOW CLOSE ARE YOU TO REACHING THEM?
My goal is to continue to improve and be better than I was yesterday.
8. WHAT IMPACT HAS BLACKBIRD CROSSFIT HAD ON YOU IN AND OUT OF THE GYM?
Blackbird has given me the chance to meet a lot of great people that I would not have met otherwise. In addition, Blackbird has helped me live a healthier, more active lifestyle.
9. WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR OTHERS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF?
Working in the corporate world, I witness firsthand how sedentary our society is with people sitting at a desk all day hardly moving. I cannot stress enough how it important it is to dedicate time every day to get up and move.
10. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO SOMEONE NEW TO CROSSFIT OR THINKING OF GIVING IT A TRY?
Push yourself every day. Do not compare yourself to others, compare yourself to what you were yesterday and improve upon that.
11. YOU’VE BEEN AT THIS CROSSFIT STUFF FOR AWHILE AND HAVE EXPERIENCED MANY OTHER CROSSFIT GYMS AND TYPES OF TRAINING. IN YOUR OWN WORDS, WHAT MAKES CROSSFIT DIFFERENT FROM OTHER FITNESS PROGRAMS THAT YOU’VE TRIED IN THE PAST?
CrossFit was life changing for me because like most I had been doing the globo gym thing but was not seeing the results that I wanted. CrossFit has become a lifestyle and not just something I do an hour a day. It has helped clean up my diet and become more active in my everyday life.
12. WHAT IS YOUR DIET LIKE? HOW HAS IT CHANGED SINCE YOU STARTED CROSSFIT?
I do not stick to a specific diet, I just try to eat as clean as possible (I even try to skip Donut Friday….sometimes) and avoid eating fast food.
14. THE CROSSFIT OPEN IS QUICKLY APPROACHING. HOW MANY OPENS HAVE YOU PARTICIPATED IN? WHAT DO YOU LOOK FORWARD TO MOST ABOUT THE OPEN?
This will be fifth open that I have participated in and I really look forward to challenging myself. It is typical for Dave Castro to repeat a WOD from previous years so it is always interesting to see how much you have improved and worked on your weaknesses.
15. IF YOU COULD CREATE A WOD, WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE?
If I could create a WOD it would heavy barbell cycling and running because those are my favorite movements!
I want to thank all of the coaches at Blackbird for teaching me and always motivating me (and I guess dealing with my 5:30am preworkout binges). They have created an incredible environment that makes you want to get up and go to the gym every day. People always ask how I can get up and go to the gym at 5:30am every morning and my response is always the same, when you have a great group of people who makes working out fun, getting up early is simple. The coaches at Blackbird are always willing to help you and push you to be a better version of yourself. I cannot thank them enough for all they have done for me!