This past July, we celebrated our one-year anniversary at CrossFit South Forney. It’s hard to believe a year could go by so fast, yet here we are…older, wiser, FITTER, and blessed beyond belief. We’ve seen incredible growth in membership, folks making huge progress towards their goals, new and exciting classes like CrossFit Kids, South Forney Strong, and the Big Strong Summer Strength and Conditioning Camp. However, it’s the faces that walk through the door each and every day that have made the past 365 days as a CrossFit affiliate so special. Don’t you just love walking through that door? It’s so exciting yet terrifying all at the same time. You see sweat-covered warriors leaving with looks of victorious pride on their faces, and the nervous grins of anticipation on the faces of the members warming up for their turn at the day’s WOD. You hear the sounds of laughter and cheers mixed in with the clank of barbells being returned to their racks as music plays in the background with the purpose of keeping everyone pumped up and ready to move. You immediately feel the sense of community among the members and the pride they have for their box. It’s an experience most people could never imagine  having about a gym and one of the reasons new faces are constantly showing up to try out this fitness revolution for themselves at the place we call CrossFit South Forney.

How was the first year? Incredible…just incredible. It’s been the journey of a lifetime.

So many people ask me if I ever imagined CSF being so successful in its first year. Sure! I imagined it. I also imagined what it would be like if it failed, too. I’ll be honest with you…it was scary in the beginning! But, in the end, the fear of NOT doing it and NOT sharing CrossFit with the Forney area was a way scarier proposition. I knew we had to do it. Getting started was an adventure unto itself. So many things all came together to make it happen. I guess you could say it all started before CrossFit South Forney was even created. My friend, Cassie Crabtree, started a business called Future Fitness Extreme. FFE was the first training facility in Forney to use the cross-training methods used in CrossFit. I started training with her and my results were absolutely incredible. We eventually partnered up and our goal was to become a CrossFit affiliate. We began the process of affiliation and after we’d met all the qualifications we became CrossFit South Forney.  A dream that started in a small, upstairs room with only a few clients was about to take off!

We knew instantly that our folks were enjoying themselves, getting results, and telling their friends. Before we knew it we had to move downstairs to add the square footage…we needed more room! It was so much fun to see how we were growing. In fact, over the past year, we’ve had to expand three times. That’s the one of the most exciting things to come out of this first year…we’ve grown to the point now that we will soon begin construction on our new 5000 sq ft CrossFit facility right across the street! We are so excited! It’s going to be amazing. Shortly after we expanded downstairs, Cassie relocated to West Texas. I hated to lose my partner, but the opportunity to purchase CrossFit South Forney outright was now on the table. I had to figure out what I wanted to do. It was scary! I can still remember talking to my husband, in tears, fearful about going it alone. Again, something in my gut knew there was something special about this place and so I took a leap of faith and did it! What was this “special” thing about CSF that made me take that leap? THE PEOPLE!!! Each and every one of you reading this now! We have the greatest members anywhere. Trust me, I’ve worked out at all kinds of places in my life, but at NO PLACE have I ever met folks like we have at CSF. We are people of all ages, all skill levels, and all walks of life and before I knew it we were like my family. Everyone would show up, and as a team, conquer their fears and support each other and help each other make it through each and every WOD! It literally gives me goose bumps when I think about it! On any given day you can walk in our box and see a soccer mom yelling at the top of her lungs at a Dallas SWAT officer…COME ON! YOU GOT THIS! I love it! It’s something special to watch. I can’t even express how amazing it is to be a part of something so special…so rewarding.

It’s funny. People ask me all the time about our success. How did you do it? Honestly, I measure success on the results our clients are getting. If I see someone improve by a couple of seconds on their “Fran” time…we are successful! When I see someone climb the rope for the first time in their life and they break in to tears because they NEVER thought they could do it…we are successful! When I see folks that, a year ago were having trouble making it through a WOD, setting a goal to compete in the games next year…we are successful! Don’t get me wrong. I’m thrilled that we have over 140 members. I’m thrilled that we are the largest box in the Forney area. I’m thrilled we are the largest box in Kaufman County. That, however, doesn’t make us successful. CrossFit is about changing lives. We do that! We do that, daily! That makes us successful! The amazing thing is that the more we focused on helping others change their lives the more CrossFit and CrossFit South Forney changed my life! Oh I could say something like I’m now 40 and in the best shape of my life. That would absolutely be true! It wouldn’t, however, do justice in describing everything that CrossFit and CSF has brought me. CrossFit is about community! The community has changed my life! This past year I’ve developed so much more than better health…I’ve developed relationships with some amazing folks both here and at other CrossFit Boxes  in Forney and the surrounding areas. These people share our philosophy that CrossFit can do more for people than they could ever imagine. Our little town of Forney now has 5 affiliates! Just to give you some perspective…there are larger cities in the Metroplex that don’t have any! We’ve got five! I will tell you this. These local Boxes and the folks there have turned out to be great friends. We talk, we share, and we attend charity events together. These folks GET IT! I always hate to hear stories about cities that have a Box which doesn’t understand what the CrossFit community is all about. Those folks, however, have a way of isolating themselves and ultimately they only end up hurting themselves. The COMMUNITY of CrossFit is stronger than that and the success and growth of CrossFit South Forney is proof! No doubt! CrossFit has changed my life so much. I can’t imagine a life without it, now!

Recently, a lot of people have asked me where CrossFit South Forney goes from here. I don’t have an exact number, or building size, or member count that determines where we want to be. I, and all my coaches, just focus on helping people change their lives. One at a time, two at a time, five at a time, or fifty at a time! We just want to share CrossFit! We love it! Let there be NO DOUBT we drink the CrossFit Kool-Aid and would love to share cup with everyone we meet!

There are so many reasons our one-year anniversary is so special! Of course, like I said, our members are the reason for our growth, but I can’t train every class every day. CSF has the BEST coaches anywhere! They are so supportive to our members and they are so critical in helping CrossFit South Forney make it from day to day. I can never thank them enough for all their hard work and the fact that they take such pride in being a coach at CSF! They are amazing! I couldn’t do it without them! I must also thank my family…my husband, Scorchy and daughter, Hutty. They have supported me through it all. I am blessed to have them and love them dearly and sincerely thank them for the sacrifices they’ve made so CSF could become a reality.

Finally, I just want to say thank you, again, to everyone that has been a part of this amazing journey called CrossFit South Forney. CrossFit WORKS! It really is the most effective program I have ever experienced. Don’t get me wrong…just signing up won’t get you in shape. You have to commit to it! I will say this, though.  If you stay consistent, work hard, push yourself past your limits, listen to your coaches, and count every rep…you will achieve more than you ever imagined! You’ve all made this the journey of a lifetime…OUR journey of a lifetime…each and every one of us! We all have so much to look forward to over the NEXT 365 days!

3.2.1 Go!!!!





Brandy