"Be in the moment and listen to people. Continue to learn as an athlete and a coach."
Affiliate Name: CrossFit Rise Up
Affiliate Owners: Ben and Logan Poon
Affiliate Since: October 1, 2012
Location: Sunshine North, Victoria
Square Feet: 3,660
Number of Members: 25
Describe your affiliate in six or fewer words:
Rise Up = PB central.
How did you get your box started?
We got started by obtaining a loan and beginning to look for locations near our home. We found a place and began ordering equipment, applying for permits, etc. It was a long wait until we were able to move in as the building is brand new and wasn’t ready yet. We therefore ended up with boxes and plates and equipment filling up the house until moving date. We were eventually able to sign papers and start creating the box.
Tell us who you were/what you did before you owned a CrossFit affiliate:
Ben has a background in Chinese medicine, but through his interest in fitness, he began working as a personal trainer at a big commercial gym. I was finishing up my degree in environmental studies and also began getting into fitness. He wasn’t happy where he was and he discovered CrossFit. I followed suit and wasn’t happy with where my future was headed. We also have two little girls ... so I gave it all up for CrossFit. We are all so much happier now that we can run the box, do something we love, have the flexibility to train hard and also give our children more of our time.
Do your members compete in the CrossFit Open/Games or in local competitions?
We have some members preparing for [the] Open and local competitions, ourselves included.
What do you and your members do together besides train?
Besides training together, we go out for coffee, take kids swimming and eat. Looking forward to many fun activities in the future.
Best lesson you’ve learned so far:
Best lesson we have learned so far is to do what you love. Be in the moment and listen to people. Continue to learn as an athlete and a coach.
Advice you wish you had been given:
Some advice that would have come in handy would be better financial planning. Budget and learn to be a bit more business savvy.
What question would you love to ask other affiliate owners?
We would love to ask other affiliate owners what is the best thing they have implemented to help their members be happier, better and more fulfilled athletes.
Why do you do this?
How could we not? We live and breathe CrossFit. We have never been happier than we are now sharing this passion with our Rise Up family and passing on these values to our children.
Tell us something cool, unusual, or just slightly different about your affiliate.
I don't know what makes us unique ... except what I find special is that we are lucky enough to have a family-friendly area. I have a kitchen and a lounge room filled with the girls' toys and games. If I wasn't able to cook and have family meals together at the box, I probably wouldn't be able to be there and coach as much as I would like.
The girls just love the gym and [they] play with equipment and practice movements in between classes. This makes me realize how blessed I am to be able to have happy little children and be able to do what I love in the evenings, also. The girls know all our members' names and make the box that extra happier place to be.
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