#MemberCrushMonday: Justin Dennery

Before Justin tells you his story, I want to mention that we have an RX Plus crush on him because he is one of the founding members of Chuckwalla CrossFit, along with his wife Roseann! And here is his story:

"I was born in Easton, PA but have lived in PA, CA, NJ, FL and

now AZ. My wife Roseann and I met here in Arizona on a hike in

the Superstitions. We love adventure, exploring and international

work. It’s a big part of our story and is where we feel most alive.

We have a heart to go into the hard places of the world and be the

hands and feet of Christ. Before our two little ones Redding and

Wilder entered the scene, we worked as humanitarian workers in

Haiti and have either lived or served in Africa, Latin America and

Asia. Currently I work at the Alhambra intake prison facility as a

Nurse Practitioner, caring for the medical needs of the inmates.

Going into these places is a calling, and at times can be physically,

mentally and emotionally challenging. CrossFit to me is training

for life’s adventures. It allows me to become functionally fit,

preparing me for what life throws at me which can be very chaotic

in post-disaster settings or in everyday work here. For example:

unloading a flatbed semi-truck of IV fluids in Haiti in the middle of

the night that would literally save lives of those dying of cholera

the next morning, or working around the clock, moving and lifting

victims arriving by car and ambulance into the operating room at

an Ecuadorian hospital after an earthquake… or running to

respond to a fight between inmates and quickly assessing and

treating.

I remember the first time I did a CrossFit workout before

Chuckwalla came to be during the summer of 2015, in John

Hazdovac's garage. It was me and a lot of bros, sweating and

lifting weights. Definitely my jam. After each hot and exhausting

workout, I told myself,

"Man, I'm going to be sore tomorrow!" and

Man…I was. But I loved it!

One of my favorite things about CrossFit is how measurable it is.

This year during "The Open" South West region men's masters 35-

39 y/o, scaled, I was able to pull off 15th place and 549 th in the

world. I'm proud of what I was able to accomplish and to be part of

a dedicated gym that cares about its members. Next year I hope to

be able to Rx more of the workouts during the Open.

CrossFit has changed my view of overall fitness. Most

importantly, Chuckwalla CrossFit has allowed me to become part

of a community that cares about health, fitness and most

importantly its members’ life goals. I’ve met so many incredible

people I probably wouldn’t have otherwise, and have made some

friends I know will be lifelong. It’s been awesome to watch John’s

dream for this gym and the type of experience it would offer its

members come to fruition, and I’m thankful I get to be a part of

that each time I come."

#EveryoneHasAPlace #ChuckwallaCrossFitCommunity #ChuckwallaStrong

#community #membercrush #chuckwallacrossfit #crossfit