"I used to get freaked out about working out. After 2010, I asked myself, 'Why?' ... CrossFit is just a part of living."
Standing at 5-foot-3, and weighing in at 158 pounds, Capt. Deric Maruquin is a beast of an athlete. Watching him during competition will rewire your thinking on how much size plays into this sport.
Maruquin was introduced to CrossFit in 2005 by a few buddies in Special Forces. He continued to train in his backyard, and in 2009, helped Camp Mabry in Austin, Texas, get some equipment to get a garage gym going on base.
When he joined CrossFit Cedar Park in 2009, affiliate owner, Dave Tillman, had him go up against his top athletes in a workout. Maruquin beat them with time to spare. While he planned to join Cedar Park’s competition team, Tillman recommended he compete as an individual.
Seven months later, Maruquin was standing amongst the fittest athletes in the world, at the 2010 CrossFit Games — he finished 27th that year.
“I got the new mindset,” he says. “Slow and steady, and go unbroken.”
After the Games, he focused primarily on Olympic lifting and joined the East Alabama lifting team in Auburn, Ala. He finished ninth in the 2010 American Open Olympic Lifting competition after only a few months on the team. At that time, he was snatching 212 lb. and clean and jerking 274 lb. Today, Maruquin is putting up 274 lb. and 309 lb., respectively.
Moving around due to his work in the military, Maruquin continued to CrossFit and placed sixth in the Mid Atlantic in 2011.
As his performances continued to impress, he seemed a likely candidate for the 2012 season. However, after just two weeks of the Open, Maruquin was shipped off to begin Special Forces training. With an opportunity to pursue a lifelong goal, Maruquin packed his bags.
While his training was inconsistent, it hasn’t slowed him.
“My work ethic and technical ability is my competitiveness,” he says.
He feels that maintaining and developing strength is the most important part of his CrossFit regime.
“I’m always trying to close the gap on strength.”
In the three years Marquin has been competing, he’s learned a lot.
“I used to get freaked out about working out. After 2010, I had to ask myself, ‘Why?’’ he reflects. “I have three beautiful daughters and being a great father is what I truly value. CrossFit is just a part of living. I would do it even without competition. I will never let it control me again. It’s not about going to the Games for me. It’s about doing your best and knowing it. It’s about getting out of it what you need for your character and spirit. This is a part of my life, but not my life.”
This year, Maruquin has no plans for deployment and says he’s in the best condition he’s ever been.
