JUNE DEDICATED MEMBER

Chris Morita

In his words…

I was in the last stretch of medical school and finding ways to start taking better care of myself again.   I’ve enjoyed group training HIIT classes before so I looked online for something near me.  There were so many class times available I knew I could fit it in my schedule so I did the free trial, loved it, and the rest is history.

I remember my first class ever had heaps of squats and KB swings and cardio.  I knew it was exactly what I wanted from a gym but I was so deconditioned from years of studying, cramming, and stress.  My heart was racing and I was so short of breath.  Even though the workouts are still challenging, I actually surprise myself sometimes with how fast I can recover and rally and how much more effort I can put into a workout.  The Med in me knows my cardiopulmonary function has significantly improved.

Goals I’ve hit: Get the AHA minimum recommendation of 150 minutes of exercise/week.  Workout 5-6x/week.  Use exercise to turn around a bad day (computer was stolen).  
Goals for the future:  Look good in scrubs

I’m stronger than I’ve ever been but I didn’t come here for strength.  I wanted to start taking care of the things I’ve neglected the past 4 years and I’m really enjoying it. I’m always trying to get people to join me on Saturdays.  I tell everybody 3 things.  The workouts are never boring, you can modify anything you need to, and I love the people.

In Coach Kristin’s words…

The first thing you need to know about Chris is that he is a leader, the second thing is Chris LOVES the gym. Chris is very much a leader in his own community of friends and he’s brought that same ability to gather to VBK. Since day one he’s loved VBK and has been a bit of an evangelical for our program. Chris is always bringing in friends to share what he loves about the gym with them. His enthusiasm for the program is inspiring, it helps me on low days to know we have members like Chris. Members with a huge amount of enthusiasm and positive energy to give out. Chris is always friendly to new faces in the gym and has a fun-loving nature about himself that radiates.

Chris is also smart in the way he works out, he’s great at knowing his body. He knows when to modify for himself and asks when he’s unsure. It is also easy to see he is also challenging himself to build more strength in areas where he knows he can. He may fight with me on "going a little heavier" but ultimately will test the waters.

And for all this I am very proud. Chris is an exceptional person who is impossible to not love. He is a big part of what makes this community so special, and we are so lucky to have him in our family.