11th January 2018
WCCF Ambassador program.
WCCF Ambassador program.
- Over the last few months we have been phoning and speaking to the entire membership about how we can improve and do things better and we’ve had some amazing and honest feedback. We identified from this that CrossFit in general can be intimidating!! Having been in this industry for over 22 years I have become quite blind to what it ever felt like to be a beginner. They say, in business, you should always walk in your customers shoes so I sought to find something I found equally as intimidating. Having been with the military, prison service, cadets, scouts, Europe wide fitness competitions, I didn’t feel that anything physical would be quite so intimidating for me so much, so instead I would ask a couple of friends that are completely sedentary to walk the customer journey and identify how it made them feel and what they felt I could do about it to make that journey better.
Introducing the ambassador program.
- White Cliffs CrossFit Ambassadors are pillars of our community. Long standing and respected people who volunteered their time to fly the flag and welcome new people into a sometimes intimidating place to be! They give up their time at various times throughout the year to meet up and discuss all that goes on in the community and how we can make things better. They can be found at various times throughout the day and will seek out the new member and welcome them in, even make sure you train next to them so you feel really welcomed and not alone! CrossFit to me is about being as inclusive as possible and never to segregate. They will be found wearing their ambassador grey t-shirt with orange writing! When I asked for volunteers and selected the five to be ambassadors, I asked them to tell me why they want to help, this is what they said.
Jamie Smith.
- I’m Jamie and I’ve been doing CrossFit for 3 years now. I mainly train at 6am because it suits my work and personal life but often ill hit weekends and pairs. I love to represent WCCF in competitions whenever I can and now I’m hitting the masters side of my body I’m finally starting to see the fruits of my long labour. I wanted to be a WCCF ambassador because it has really had a massive impact in my life. Not only in fitness and health, but confidence, mental strength and the friends I have made. WCCF has an amazing community and it really can be for everyone. I am never quite happy with where I am and I find myself being an advocate for movement, mobility and using my fitness outside of the box. So many inspired people walk through the door at WCCF, its just about taking that first step.
Vicky Corny Young.
- When Ben asked, ‘who would like to be a White Cliffs CrossFit Ambassador?’ I instantly volunteered. Now you might think that I’m one of the fastest, strongest or fittest in the box because that would be the best advert for the success of the box, Ben and the coaching team and in a way I can understand that thinking. In reality I am one of the slowest, I scale most workouts and I’m not as strong as many and there are a lot of movements I am yet to master. So why has Ben chosen me to be part of his ambassador team? It doesn’t matter that I cant achieve everything, who can? What matters is the drive, determination and the will to want to improve yourself. We all start our CrossFit journey from a different place. For me it was from a wheelchair and after a large operation to transplant two new lungs. I wanted to rehabilitate myself from all those years of not being able to move, to improve my mobility, increase my cardio to keep my new lungs as physically fit as possible and do weighted exercises, properly, to improve my bone health and reduce my risk of osteoporosis. Over the years I’ve been coming to WCCF and working with Ben and the team, my achievements have far exceeded my expectations. I still might not be able to box jump properly and might not be able to run very well but my health is the best it has ever been. My medication has been reduced and my enjoyment and drive to achieve is as hungry as ever. There is a real sense of community and family at White Cliffs and we all support and cheer each other on during the best and the toughest of time. This opportunity to help and support my CrossFit family further by becoming a WCCF Ambassador gives me the opportunity to give back to the CrossFit community all of the help and support that has been given to me.
Lucy Fuller
- I first enquired about joining WCCF 3 months before actually walking through the door. Eventually I found the courage by finding a friend that wanted to try it with me through work. We came to our first class on the 11th of November 2015. It was probably one of the scariest things I’ve ever done. We opened the door and saw loads of people working their butts off and very nearly turned around and walked straight back out again before I’d even started. Luckily for us there were so many lovely people that helped and encouraged us through those early days and despite a couple of embarrassing emotional moments when things haven’t gone so well in a class I can honestly say I’ve never looked back and cant think of anywhere else I’d rather train. WCCF is an amazing group of people and as an ambassador I want to give back to others for all the help I received and still continue to receive each and every session. I have met some fantastic people at WCCF and have made massive progress (even if I don’t always realise it myself) and want to invest my time now in helping our community grow and get even better.
Samantha Patience
- For me, CrossFit has been as much a personal progressive journey as it has been a means to keep fit. I have learnt a lot about myself since first stepping through that door at White Cliffs CrossFit, from understanding my physical strengths and weaknesses through to recognising those mental demons which have held me back, not just in terms of my physical performance but in my general confidence and in life. By identifying these weaknesses, I have been able to challenge them and have begun to overcome them. For a lot of people the challenge begins before they walk through the door with misunderstood preconceptions of what lies beyond, it can be extremely daunting as it was for most of us! I have chosen to become and ambassador for White Cliffs CrossFit because I believe in the results and I want to share them. The physique I have gained since training at WCCF is merely a side effect of the far broader rewards of being a member. I simply enjoy spending my time with likeminded individuals, each on their own journey and facing their own challenges and the support that is shown between one another and the genuine pleasure each of us get from seeing others achieve. I want to share this ethos that underpins CrossFit as a whole, and be that reassuring face that we all sought on our first session. I want to show new starters that CrossFit is far more than a few paleo dieters throwing around barbells and sweating profusely, it is a community of like minded individuals striving to be a stronger, fitter and better version of themselves. A community that I can say I am very proud to be a part of.
Lee Evans.
- Hi, I’m Lee and ive been coming to WCCF for nearly 4 years. I used to be very overweight and initially hated the gym or any kind of fitness! My friend was on and on at me about starting down the gym and eventually I started hitting the weights. I started noticing changes and that was when I really got hold of my diet. The support and encouragement I have received from WCCF and the coaches has been nothing short of amazing. They are always there willing and wanted people to get to their next level. Their knowledge is second to none. I wanted to give back to the community because I get a great deal of satisfaction knowing I’ve helped someone towards their first pullup or a new snatch PB and enjoy passing on my knowledge. I know what it was like to be the ‘out of shape’ newbie and want to help people achieve what I have too.
