Our June 2024 Athlete of the Month is one of the most chill, down to earth, real guys you will meet. Craig Hayes has been a member for about 3 years. He may be a quiet guy but doesn’t shy away from a challenge. He signed up and took a weightlifting course we held and worked out alongside seasoned athletes in the gym. Craig did well with the Sandbag Challenge bakc in April where we sent about 6 teams to the beach. He’s game to partner with whoever needs one. This was very apparent for Casey’s hero wod this year. He just wanted to come, workout, support and give his best but needed an early time slot. There was no preferred partner. I was happy to see that attitude. 
Craig is relatable on so many levels and you will realize that when you read his Q&A. My favorite response has to be about the biggest challenge he has overcome since joining. It is the most raw, real answer that is so true for many of us. The challenges of life never stop but they differ from day to day, month to month and year to year. Whether it’s work, family, personal, social or whatever else… the challenges will be there. Craig’s approach and clarity for that is admirable. It’s honestly always great to have him in my classes. We shoot the shit, he’s very coachable and works hard. I can’t ask for more.

This write up is long overdue but the Q&A is well worth the read. Nicole Ambrosini aka Nikki Daytona is and will always be our May 2024 Athlete of the Month, even with the delay in Q&A and post. So many of you can relate to Nicole in one way or another. She is pretty quiet (unless with her girls crew). She is a hard worker, consistent, addicted to the high of fitness, loves food, wine, grew up playing sports, has a sense of humor, has a good group of friends, gets embarassed, is humble and so much more. You won’t get all of that out of just being in class with her, so I’m very happy we selected her as AOTM and get to share some stuff about her. Nicole is one of those few members I can name who will make getting to the gym such a priority that you will see her at the 4:30pm class if she misses the 5:30am. You’ll see her in a 7am Sunday class on a busy social weekend. The dedication is admirable. She is easy to talk to, coachable and we are lucky to have her in this gym community. So with that being said if you don’t know her and see her in class, embarass her by introducing yourself… She’s a good runner too.

I remember pretty vividly Alyssa’s first class at IP Fitness. Her and Danni came in to join as they moved to Long Beach and were switching gyms. They weren’t very consistent at the time and I remember we had pull-ups in the program. Those reps were a struggle and a few hands were torn that class. Fastforward to Murph this year (and even last year) and these two are thriving. It 100% helps to join a gym like ours with a friend. Accountability from someone you trust is crucial. Alyssa is a former college softball pitcher and is coach of the 2024 CHSAA Undefeated State Champs St. Anthonys. Congrats on an awesome year! When Alice was chosen for our Athlete of the Month honor, it wasnt based on just the previous month as people sometimes think. She was actually not in the previous month as much due to coaching duties. However, her consistency, work ethic and discpline over several months allowed her to get her quality workouts in when she did make it to the gym. She also looks like she hasn’t missed a beat as she is back to class more frequently. One of my favorite moments for Alyssa is seeing her handstand walk progress from January through March. Keep up with your skill maintenence and you will forever own it. If you havent been in class with Alyssa, she’s a great person to be around, very down to earth and doesn’t take herself too seriously. It’s a pleasure to acknowedge to efforts and I look forward to seeing more gains to come.