has always been my thing.

When did you start doing CrossFit?
I started CrossFit in September. I had an itch for awhile. I've always felt strength training is the best form of exercise, and I'm always looking for variations of it.

What is your favorite movement and/or benchmark WOD?
I like back squat. It's one of those moves that functionally is critical for a healthy low back, and the easiest way to wreck it. Such is life.

​What has been your biggest struggle?
I struggle with most CrossFit moves. Toes to bar, muscle ups, double unders, hand stand walks, etc.  I'm scaling everything, but snatch is by far my biggest frustration. It's something I should be good at...

What has been your biggest improvement?
A couple months in my core strength has been the most noticeable difference. My calluses are also impressive.

What goals are you currently chasing?
Goals: Dmitry Klokov.

If you could design a workout what would it be?
It'd involve more bicep curls.

How often do you talk about CrossFit?
My wife says too much.

Burpees: Love ‘em or hate em?
I was indifferent on burpees until 100 of them were programmed. I think I cried at the end and tried to play it off as sweat.

Do you have a favorite story about the Coop?
I don't have any stories, but I've really been impressed with the coaching.

What advice would you give a new PCC member?
The shoes help!  Also, you should probably stretch in your free time. And, for 2 weeks learn to love an ice bath.

year) and expecting a baby girl end of February.  I work very part-time at Seubert Family Dentistry as a hygienist.

When did you start doing CrossFit?  
Started CrossFit 4 years ago. I begged Mitch to go to a free class on our 1 year anniversary and was immediately hooked! 
 
What is your favorite movement and/or benchmark workout?
I might be crazy, but I love thrusters!!!
 
What has been your biggest struggle?
Biggest struggle- being ok with not hitting pr's or lifting heavy while pregnant.
 
What goals are you currently chasing? 
Goals- just getting to the gym right now and trying to maintain, but I plan to master butterfly pull-ups and bar muscle ups after pregnancy.
 
If you could design a workout, what would it be? 
My ideal workout would be burpees and thrusters (like that one open workout!)
 
How often do you talk about CrossFit?
Probably talk about CrossFit more often than not.
 
Burpees: Love ‘em or hate ‘em?
Burpees I love when not pregnant.
 
Do you have a favorite story about the Coop?  
It is not just a place to workout, everyone kinda becomes your family. 
 
What advice would you give a new PCC member?
Advice- just keep showing up, you'll be surprised one day you'll be able to do something you couldn't before!

​daughter, Harlow Ivy who is almost a 1 year old and a mini golden doodle named Lyell. We are also expecting another baby having the due date of February 27th. As of now many of my hobbies have been pushed aside to work on our first house we bought about 1 month ago. Otherwise I enjoy golfing, fishing, hiking, and will start curling this winter on Monday nights.

When did you start doing CrossFit?
I started CrossFit about 4 years ago down in Wauwatosa at Badger CrossFit while I was in dental school. Once Hannah drug me in I was hooked.

What is your favorite movement and/or benchmark workout?
My favorite movement would have to be snatch due to the large improvement I have seen in the lift since starting CrossFit. It is a very technical and difficult movement. When I first started it was my biggest struggle but once my form improved my max increased drastically.

What has been your biggest struggle? 
Right now my biggest struggle is deadlift. Just seems like a lift that I have never really seen any improvement.

What goals are you currently chasing?
My current goals are to reach a 200# Snatch and a 300# Back Squat. Both of which I feel I am very close to attaining.

If you could design a workout, what would it be?
If I could design a workout it would involve running, rowing, AirDyne, and any movement without weights. I like the cardio workouts where you just keep moving.

How often do you talk about CrossFit?
I don't talk a ton about CrossFit in my everyday life. I mainly try to see CrossFit as a workout to stay in shape and not as a sport. I am naturally competitive but don't want to push myself too hard to the point of injury. I am always trying to think form first. Sometimes I have to hold myself back.

Burpees: Love ‘em or hate ‘em?
Love me some burpees.

Do you have a favorite story about the Coop?
I'm new to the Coop, so no crazy stories to note yet, but I have noticed how welcoming everybody is and how easy it was to step into the community.

What advice would you give a new PCC member?
For advice for someone starting CrossFit, I would tell them to not go up in weight until you feel confident in your form and it is consistent. Number one thing to do is listen to your body and if something doesn't feel right it probably doesn't look right. Once your form is solid, the weights will go up as well. If you focus on weight rather than form that's when injuries happen.

Leah: The biggest thing in my life right now is BEING ENGAGED!! My fiancé David is a herdsman at Alta Genetics in Watertown, and he does not do CrossFit (yet). I still live at the farm I grew up on, and I wouldn’t have had my childhood any other way. Just ask Cassie how much of a blessing and privilege it was growing up with me for a sister. My day job is at the front desk at The Little Potato Company in DeForest. I was first introduced to weightlifting in high school, and Cassie and I started from the very beginning making sure that our squats were bigger than the boys’. 
Cassie: I grew up on a beef farm, so working hard has been one of my constants. I am married to Zack, who does not and probably will not CrossFit, but that's okay, CrossFit is my "me" time. Zack and my story shadows the country song by Rodney Atkins, "Farmer's Daughter." We have two dogs, Max and Grace and have given the lake life a chance this summer with the purchase of our first pontoon. I can't seem to get away from my agriculture roots and work at Gumz Farms under a few hats, but I mainly take care of marketing and food safety and have already been there for almost five years; I guess time flies when you're having fun. 

When did you start doing CrossFit?
Leah: I had pretty good squat form as a toddler… I was first introduced to the idea of CrossFit in my early 20’s, and I started with PCC at the very beginning with affiliation in late 2014!
Cassie: Leah made me do it. I have always been into weightlifting since high school and through college because of sports. When I graduated, I no longer had a coach making me do workouts, so I did my own thing for a little over a year until I finally caved in to Leah begging me to give CrossFit a try. I've never looked back from that first 4:45AM workout in Tom's garage. 

What is your favorite movement and/or benchmark workout?
Leah: Not running is my favorite.
Cassie: My favorite movement is probably the clean and jerk because I have started learning how to break it down and improve my technique. Hence, Grace is definitely my favorite benchmark workout. The faster I can pick up that bar and get it overhead 30 times, the sooner I am done. 

What has been your biggest struggle?
Leah: Most of you don’t know this about me, but my biggest struggle has ALWAYS been on the inside. CrossFit has helped me through depression as well as disordered eating. Just like WODs, each day can be a challenge, but embracing it never fails to reward!
Cassie: Not comparing myself to others, but rather competing with myself. I'm getting there. 

What has been your biggest improvement?
Leah: My biggest improvements has been in my Olympic lifts. When you realize, “Hey, I could totally clean myself!” it’s a good day. 
Cassie: Pull-ups! Last summer, I decided to clean up my diet and lose some weight and I finally got my pull-ups! Not all improvements at the gym come from the gym, sometimes you have to do some work in the kitchen. 

What goals are you currently chasing?
Leah: Right now I just want more intention and consistency with my workouts. I’ve been getting better with the ‘one step back, two steps forward’ mantra. 
Cassie: I don't know if I want this written down, but here it goes. I think it would be awesome to clean 200#. I'm not too far away, but it will be a good challenge. By the time I am 30 would be cool too. So, I have a little bit over a year. It's official, you heard it here first, folks. 

If you could design a workout, what would it be?
Leah: A partner WOD where Cassie cleans and I do burpees!!!
Cassie: Leah's answer is great as she didn't know my answers, but included cleaning for me. I'd have to go along with that; she can have all of the burpees. 

How often do you talk about CrossFit?
Leah: I only talk about CrossFit when it comes up… which is usually multiple times per day… per myself… The food vending gent at The Little Potato Company is Matt Fraser’s doppelganger. He didn’t know who that was.
Cassie: All the time. Not quite as often as an EMOM, though.  

Burpees: Love ‘em or hate ‘em?
Leah: Love ‘em. SO. HARD.
Cassie: Meh. They aren't my favorite, but I know they are good for me. Kind of like taking vitamins when I was little, and Leah would hide hers all over the house. 

Do you have a favorite story about the Coop?
Leah: The story of where we have come from where we started is my absolute favorite!!!
Cassie: Leah loves to take credit for introducing me to my current employer. So, that's a pretty good story. But, an actual Coop story would have to be just loving how awesome of a community we have here; we are so blessed to have each other. 

What advice would you give a new PCC member?
Leah: The hardest thing that will be asked of you is to show up.
Cassie: If you feel like the AirDyne is broken because it is taking you a long time to acquire calories, it's not. But seriously, just take it one day at a time. Have fun meeting new people and give yourself time to learn and grow. Rome wasn't built in a day. 

Tell us about yourself (family, schooling, job, sports, military, interests, etc.) 
​My name is Daniel Kuper, and I live and work in Portage, currently employed at Frontier Communications as a Central Office Tech. My interests include working out at PCC, remodeling my house, riding my motorcycles, traveling to Iowa to see my friends, two brothers, niece, nephew, and my folks. I moved to Wisconsin 17 years ago, and yes, I’m still an Iowa fan. I have a dog, Porter, who is and 11 year old boxer puppy. Considering he’s been deaf since birth, he still listens to all my daily rants with eager anticipation with the tail nub wag and the constant butt shaking.

When did you start doing CrossFit? ​
I've been at PCC for a year, I think?

What is your favorite movement and/or benchmark workout? 
My favorite workout at PCC is attempting to get back in my car after some of the workouts, mostly opening the door and falling in. Back squats come in at a very close second. Deadlifts come in for the bronze.

What has been your biggest struggle? 
My biggest struggle at PCC is probably listening to the instructions of my coaches. Yes, I’m the first to admit I don’t always listen like I should, but we both find a happy medium. Coaches rolling their eyes, and me doing what I’m gonna do anyway. But I’ve come to the realization that we are both going for the same result, my stubbornness actually slows my progress.

What has been your biggest improvement? 
My biggest improvement is overall, I feel I’m doing better at everything than from a year ago. After a bit, you kind of get used to the soreness, then you end up missing it a little bit, but just a little. I couldn’t do a handstand for more than a few seconds without wanting to pass out, now I’m pretty relaxed when I do it.

What goals are you currently chasing? 
My current goal is to eat healthy. Unfortunately, I know how Twinkies taste compared to rice cakes so this is still a challenge. It’s true that it all starts in the kitchen, it’s easier to not eat junk food if you don’t buy it at all. This is the same reason why you find Twinkies on the end isles. Baby steps.

If you could design a workout, what would it be? 
If I could design a workout, there would be no part C, or as someone calls it, “ice cream, without the ice cream”. Just kidding, we all see part C and moan, but we know it’s for the best. 

How often do you talk about CrossFit? 
I talk about CrossFit when people ask, or if they complain about mobility issues, or both.

Burpees: Love ‘em or hate ‘em? 
I don’t mind burpees as long as they keep the reps down to a low roar or offset them with something other than back or core work.

Do you have a favorite story about the Coop?
No favorite stories offhand, every day is a story​

What advice would you give a new PCC member? 
Advice to new PCC members would be to listen to your coaches, and your body, one or the other will give direction and don’t ignore it. Don’t be intimidated by what others can do, everyone was a beginner at one time or another, today it was you, tomorrow it will be someone else, remember that as you progress.