Jason Leydon Leads the CrossFit Milford Team

March 26, 2012

CrossFit

Jason Leydon is used to competition. Leydon played semi-pro basketball overseas and dabbled in the competitive financial industry. However, it was personal training that he realized was always tapping him on the shoulder.

He decided to listen to that tap a few years ago and took a leap of faith by quitting his job, getting a bank loan and opening CrossFit Milford.

That was in November of 2008. Now, CrossFit Milford has established itself as a competitive CrossFit team. They are in 5th place as a team in the North East after Open Workout 12.5. In fact, when you ask Jason Leydon about the CrossFit Games, his first response is about his team, not his individual talents. Talents that have netted him a 12th place overall standing in the North East Region at the close of the Open.

Leydon says he loved the Open Workouts. “The first workout allowed every single participant to play. Everyone can do burpees ... you could’ve had my mother working out next to Rich Froning,” he says. “That is the whole purpose, to encourage the world to participate.”

As for his participation, Leydon has been working on pure power and high volume gymnastics, both of which have been his weaknesses in the past. Leydon recruited a gymnastics coach five months ago to help fine-tune his gymnastic moves. He is also putting a focus on his deadlifts, power cleans and snatches.

Leydon’s team made it to the CrossFit Games two years ago – a journey he hopes to repeat. “Last year we made it to Regionals, but our team experienced some injuries and that hurt us,” he recalls. “This year we are shooting for the Games again.” 

However, it will be tough. “Each region is crazy, but the athletes that come out of the North East in regards to placing at the Games are insane.”

CrossFit has changed Leydon’s life, he says. He says his views on training, competition, and running a gym evolve each and everyday because of this sport — a sport he hopes to make his mark on as an athlete, coach and affiliate owner. “The support that we have, the generosity to always be there to help out one another, and the drive to continue to improve and listen to the coaches is awesome.”

Age: 32
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 200
Hometown: Milford, Conn.
Squat: 350
Clean: 265
Snatch: 190
Deadlift: 475
Fran: 2:31
Helen: 6:59
400m: 1:00
FGB: 455
Pull-ups: 53