According to the CrossFit website, it’s described as the principal
strength and conditioning program for many police academies and tactical
operations teams, military special operations units, champion martial artists,
and hundreds of other elite and professional athletes worldwide.
If you want to know more about CrossFit, read last week’s Farm
Office article that gives more background information on the topic.  |
| Lesha Meyer, co-owner of CrossFit Novem in Philadelphia. |
When I met with Meyer the morning after St. Patty’s Day, I had a headache the size of a kettle bell and bumping in my head that neatly matched the booming bass coming from the gym’s sound system. However, as soon as I met Meyer, I knew the interview would be worth the headache (quite literally).
Meyer got her start in high octane power lifting at her high school in Alexandria, Louisiana, where the squad had been national champions. In college at Northwestern State University, Meyer was an art student and played intramurals there, while pursuing a degree in graphic design. It was during this time that Meyer decided to transfer to Moore College of Art & Design in Philadelphia.
“At art college (Moore), there weren’t intramurals or club
teams, we tried to do a flag football team and that fell through,” said Meyer.
“I needed an outlet.”
She found what she was looking for in 2003 when upon
graduating, she stumbled into the sport of rugby. Rugby provided the community
Meyer had been craving, although admittedly it came with its’ vices. There were
drink-ups- post-game parties with the other team- where showing up showered was
frowned upon. Combine copious amounts of adult beverages with rugby rosters
that average well over 30 women each and there’s bound to be the usual team
drama.
“I realized I wasn’t fit enough for rugby, so I started doing
various forms of cross training in 2008 in Mount Airy, which was the first form
of CrossFit that I tried,” said Meyer. “I stuck with it and I saw my rugby
performance improving.”
Around the same time, Meyer got a job as a graphic
designer/production artist. She was feeling good about her job and at the same
time as she started working out at CrossFit, Meyer was promoted. With the
promotion came additional stress, which affected all facets of her life.
“Rugby wasn’t fun anymore because I was stressed out and by
then I was surrounded by high level players who I couldn’t compete with- at
that point the truth came out,” said Meyer.
“I was too small and my skill level had reached its limit.”
Things came to a screeching halt in the fall of 2008, when
Meyer got crushed on the rugby pitch- she was sent to the hospital with one
collapsed lung and a fractured a rib.
“Five minutes into the season, I was out,” Meyer winced. “It
was really depressing and I let work take over my life. I was unhappy.”
Months later after an extensive recovery, Meyer decided it
was time to hang up her rugby jersey after a six and a half year career. With a
void to fill, Meyer joined a CrossFit gym in South Philadelphia, known as Fearless Athletics in 2009. Missing her rugby buddies, she also found
fitness friends at CrossFit.
“I found a new passion there,” Meyer said.
All of a sudden, Meyer established a new level of fitness
for herself. Only a few months in, she was assisting the trainers at the gym
and got her Level 1 certification in early 2010. The L1 certification gave her
a better understanding of how to better use CrossFit methods in her own
training and provided an initial education to begin training others.
“I found inspiration
in watching people succeed,” said Meyer.
Fearless Athletics continued to grow, moving into a
newer, bigger space to accommodate all the new members. Meyer was coaching five
to seven times a week and working out the same amount herself. She was still
juggling her full-time graphic design job to boot. She was enthralled with her
newfound love for CrossFit.
“My work-life really sucked at that point,” Meyer said. “I
realized I had outgrown my place as a coach in South Philly and was ready to
move on to do my own thing.”
Wanting to grow her own business, Meyer was approached by
Joe Ling, who she had originally trained and then coached with at Fearless. Ling wanted to start up a
CrossFit gym and proposed that Meyer be his business partner.
“I said absolutely. Absolutely,” said Meyer, who turns 35
this summer. “How’s this going to work? I have no idea.”
They met over six months, making plans, which included drafting
a business agreement with a lawyer. Meyer was still working 60-70 a week during
all this, doing the nine-five and then coaching CrossFitters in the evening.
Giving credit to Ling, Meyer knows he is as much a part of this as she.
“I couldn’t have done it without Joe,” Meyer said. “Joe and
I built a community here and there’s something really inspirational about
that.”
CrossFit Novem officially opened on October 3rd,
2011 with four members. They now have 70. The maximum goal for their current
space is 120 members. The CrossFit Novem name came from nine in Latin, as Ling
and Meyer’s facility is the ninth CrossFit in Philly. Clients learn nine
fundamental movements in CrossFit as well, so the number seemed to fit on
several levels.
Sandwiched between two popular bar/restaurants in Philly
(Johnny Brenda’s and Frankford Hall), Meyer has chosen a hot spot for her
entrepreneurial debut. Running, lifting,
gymnastics, playing- whatever it is, Meyer and Ling keep their clients sweating
with smiles on their faces. They want members strengthening their movements so
when they’re old and gray they can still walk up the stairs.
“Adults don’t play enough,” said Meyer. “We try to do that
here.”
With plans to quit her office job pending, Meyer is excited
to take on CrossFit fulltime. Although her business demands much upfront, Meyer
knows that rewards lie ahead.
“By taking my steady salary, health insurance, phone plan and saying I don’t need this from somebody else,
that builds my confidence,” said Meyer. “That’s life, being able to push
yourself through things you never thought you could.”
Looking ahead, Meyer and Ling may be bringing in a third
trainer (part-time) and keeping up the status quo of their budding business. So
far, Novem has thrived without any marketing, but that may change come summer
when the gym will look to reach their membership goals.
As for what’s she’s learned through all of this, Meyer is,
as usual, quick with positive advice:
“Learn how to listen and communicate effectively- with your
business partners, clients, and the community your business resides in.”
That may be just what we needed to hear. *Sidenote- check out my 'follow by email' feature to the right, if you sign up it should send your email Farm Office updates whenever new content is added!
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