Congratulations to Joel Navarro our Blackbird Athlete of the Month for May!
Have you ever met someone who is super competitive and driven, but also laid back with a great coachable attitude? Self-competition is based on accepting a challenge. People who compete against themselves are more successful than those who compete against others, because they understand that being a winner doesn’t mean crossing the finish line first, but giving everything you’ve got to reach your goal.
Joel accepted the challenge of CrossFit a year ago. In that time he has made HUGE progress by giving it his all every day. He went from struggling with a basic kip to bar and ring muscle ups. He’s even walking on his hands now. He continues to crush new skills and add big weights to the bar. He’s lost 20 pounds and over 7% body fat! Joel has unflappable determination. And he is such a fun guy to have in class. Even mid-workout, he’ll have a smile for you.
Joel took action in his life at the age of 40. Being an All American baseball player and life long athlete, he knew that putting his health on the back burner for the past few years wasn’t leading him down the path he wanted for his life. He craved change. He wanted to get healthy and in shape again, so he joined Blackbird CrossFt. He got his butt handed to him in the beginning, so he showed up consistently and put the work in. He wanted to work on his early arm bend and figure out Olympic Lifts, so he joined Barbell Club. He wanted to learn healthier eating habits and lean out, so he worked with a Blackbird Nutrition Coach. Any challenge that Joel encountered, he put forth a big effort to overcome.
He is an impressive guy (who loves the color teal according to the collection of photos below) and we feel incredibly lucky to be a part of his journey. Check out his story…
TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF.
My name is Joel Navarro and I am 41 years old. I currently work as a Master Electrician, but majored in Physical Education in college.
WHAT MADE YOU START CROSSFIT? WHAT HAS KEPT YOU DOING IT?
A friend of mine (aka Marcia Andrino) had been doing CrossFit for a while and they talked me into doing a free trial at Blackbird. Seeing all of the progress and results that I and others have achieved is what has kept me there. When I first started, I was out of shape and struggling to keep up every week. But now I am so obsessed with it that I feel bad when I miss a day.
WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED SINCE JOINING BLACKBIRD CROSSFIT?
I have learned a lot about different movements that I have never done before, like thrusters, rope climbs, snatches, toes to bar, and power cleans.
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT BLACKBIRD?
What I enjoy most about Blackbird would have to be the owners and coaches. The owners are extremely caring when it comes to everyone at Blackbird, they also have a lot of patience and are very professional. All the coaches at Blackbird are awesome and I love working with them. Even though I’ve only been going for a year, I feel like I’ve known them for much longer because everyone pushes one another and it is so motivating. I can’t forget all of my Blackbird teammates/family, everyone is so supportive, caring, and respectful.
WHAT IS YOUR PROUDEST CROSSFIT MOMENT?
When I got my first bar muscle-up and ring muscle-up.
WHAT IMPACT HAS CROSSFIT HAD ON YOUR LIFE IN AND OUT OF THE GYM?
CrossFit has had a big impact on my life as a whole. Since starting my journey here, I feel stronger, healthier, and more energetic alongside many other benefits. CrossFit has motivated me to concentrate on my nutrition on a daily basis, as well as the long term.
WHAT CROSSFIT GOALS ARE YOU CURRENTLY WORKING TOWARDS?
My goal is to get better at CrossFit as a whole on a daily basis, and I am working towards this goal every time I step in the gym.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LIFT, MOVEMENT, OR WOD? LEAST FAVORITE?
I like to do toes to bars or any body-weight movements, like pull-ups or push-ups. My least favorite would have to be heavy lifts or wall-balls.
WHAT IS YOUR DIET LIKE? HAS IT CHANGED SINCE STARTING CROSSFIT?
My diet was horrible, but it has changed a lot. I had the opportunity to work with Blackbird Nutrition Coach, Steve, and he was able to teach me a lot about what exactly I needed to do in order to better my nutrition. He was able to explicitly show me what I needed to eat or stay away from as well as other tips, and I am really thankful that I was able to take away a lot of good information from this experience. Coach Steve is really a gift from God.
WHEN YOU’RE NOT CROSSFITTING WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING TO DO?
My favorite things to do would have to be playing baseball or traveling.
WHAT IS ONE TIP YOU WOULD GIVE SOMEONE CONSIDERING CROSSFIT OR NEW TO CROSSFIT?
My one tip is to be patient. It you stick with it, you will see results in due time.
WHAT IS ONE FUN THING WE MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT YOU?
I like spending time outdoors.
RESULTS! TELL US ABOUT YOUR RESULTS!
Since joining Blackbird, I have lost 20lbs and dropped 7.4% body fat. I have seen an increase in my strength and endurance, and improved my nutrition. I have been really impressed with my results so far, but I still have a long way to go and I hope to keep improving in the future.