Sometimes it's not about finding the fittest, its about having fun and having people move better.
Affiliate Name: CrossFit Ipswich
Affiliate Owner: Shaune and Mel Irving
Affiliate Since: April 2010
Location: Ipswich, Queensland, Australia
Square Feet: 3,700
Number of Members: 80
Describe your affiliate in six or fewer words:
Determined, family-focused and fun.
How did you get your box started?
In a double-brick garage with a 7-foot roof. Started training with one friend and then another joined in, then one more. Soon, we had the local council knocking saying we were too loud. Next time I blinked, we had a box and it was filling with people.
Tell us who you were/what you did before you owned a CrossFit affiliate:
I’m an ex-military-member who now works as a full-time Paramedic (EMT), discovered CrossFit whilst in the military and used it as a training tool to gain selection as a physical training instructor. Met Matt Swift, owner of CrossFit Brisbane, and the rest is history
Do your members compete in the CrossFit Open/Games or in local competitions?
We encourage all our members to take part in local competitions and the CrossFit Open. Sometimes it's not about finding the fittest, its about having fun and having people move better. It was this philosophy that brought our affiliate closer and we became a closer family.
What do you and your members do together besides train?
Social events; endurance activities; once a month we program a three-hour session — this takes our athletes and clients well outside of normal comfort zones and provides an added challenge. We have a great community within the gym and it’s only getting bigger
Best lesson you’ve learned so far:
Even if you imitate CrossFit, your community won’t misjudge excellence. That outstanding client service and results is what makes CrossFit and brings a community together. It’s the community that makes CrossFit.
Advice you wish you had been given:
Just keep it simple. Don’t complicate things, and develop your systems early.
What question would you love to ask other affiliate owners?
When do you stop coaching the individual who just doesn’t want to be coached?
Why do you do this?
It changed my life. I lost over 30 kg with CrossFit and have never looked back. I have walked the journey and I want others to do it, too. It gives you your life back. It gives you something to achieve every day, and if I can help people achieve, I will.
Tell us something cool, unusual, or just slightly different about your affiliate.
It’s the people in the gym that make CrossFit Ipswich cool. Every day someone makes me laugh or has a story to tell. It may be someone’s weight-loss journey and they have added 1 kg to their total. Or it may just be one of the box clowns cracking a joke. I think there is something cool, unusual and slightly different in every box. Every day I open those doors, I see and hear something new. The CrossFit Ipswich lot are a little crazy sometimes.
Is there a story in your affiliate that needs to be told? Tell us!
In January 2011, our box was flooded by one of Queensland’s largest floods. Our gym took on two meters of water and everything was destroyed. To rebuild would be a huge task. When the waters cleared, I went to the box to inspect the damage. It was then [that] the Australian community came to our side. Next thing I knew, I had rubber tiles being delivered, sheets of plywood being delivered, members turning up with high-pressure cleaners and volunteering there time to rebuild their gym — It was the most amazing display of community spirit. If it was not for the help of our community, I doubt CrossFit Ipswich would still be open today. To all of those who assisted, thank you.
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