“I want to win. I want to look you in the eye and know I was better. I want to say, 'We played by the same rules, used the same weights, ran the same clock. And I was better.’”
This is Dan Rogers, of Reebok CrossFit FirePower. A few years ago, when George Savard, the owner of Reebok CrossFit FirePower, was describing CrossFit to Rogers’ father, he described the shorter, more intense workouts as a way for hockey players to improve. “He sold me on the vomit part,” Rogers says.
Transition from Soccer to CrossFit
A former Ontario Hockey League and Canadian Interuniversity Sport hockey player, Rogers is now entirely focused on CrossFit: the sport. Last year, his final as a hockey player, Rogers was struggling to keep up his skills and strength on three workouts per week, along with travelling to Newfoundland every weekend. This year is different.
Like many others, Rogers is following a progression plan – roughly, from strength to power to skill – and his focus has centred on one target … qualifying for the 2012 CrossFit Games.
“I know a lot of other competitive athletes who are coming out of their sport and saying, 'Now what?'” says Rogers. “CrossFit is perfect for them.”
Reebok CrossFit Firepower
After being offered, “an amazing opportunity” to train and coach at Reebok CrossFit FirePower, Rogers is eager to return the favor by representing his box to the best of his ability. “I loved the atmosphere at FirePower from the very first day,” he says. “I work here full time now. I just want to represent George and Andrea and everyone at the gym in the best possible way. I know that the more successful we are as a team, the more successful our box will be, too.”
And Rogers has been successful already. After placing 5th out of 30 teams at an Element CrossFit challenge in the spring, he won the GNC Sweat Equity competition with three other members of Reebok CrossFit FirePower. At a bodyweight of 195 pounds, the guy who once thought it wise to drink Red Bull before a met-con is cleaning and jerking 270 pounds, snatching 205, front squatting 315, running a mile in under six minutes, and crushing “Grace” in 2:11.
“It's been fun this year,” he says. “The whole gym is working together to get the individual athletes and the affiliate team ready. It's amazing.”
With a strong affiliate behind him, and a big future ahead, Rogers wants to represent Canada East at the Home Depot Center.