He is a member who gives every workout more then 100%. He often finishes high on the leaderboard but not without supporting his fellow CrossFitters with loud cheers and encouragement along the way. His trust in CrossFit and appreciation for our box family was so strong that he even got his entire family to join; younger siblings Mary, Connor, his mother Laura, and father Mike. He has consistently shown progress in all the domains of fitness which made it easy for us to pick him for this month's spotlight. We introduce to you our July Spotlight Athlete of the Month,

MICHAEL "TWITCH" MCMAHON!

Soooo, if you can't catch this member in the mornings killing the Workout of the Day at Drop Box, you can find him saving lives out in our community. "Twitch" (as he likes to be called) works as a paramedic for the Chesapeake Fire Department and volunteers as a paramedic for the City of Virginia Beach. He is also a lifeguard for the Virginia Beach Lifesaving Service, a company contracted by the City to provide lifeguards at the beach. A former Virginia Tech Hokie with a degree in Biology, Twitch took his education further and recently graduated in June with his Masters Degree in Public Health. It's safe to say that our members are literally in good hands when Twitch is around!

My story:

Well this is definitely a surprise and an honor to have been chosen as the spotlight athlete! I don't really know what to included in this so I'll probably just ramble a little bit, talk about gettin' gains, then end it.

I started CrossFit roughly 5 year ago? I think? Whatever, it was a while ago. Prior to CrossFit, my only form of exercise was swimming. Its what I'd done since I was a kid and its what I was comfortable with. It's great for cardiovascular endurance and staying healthy, but it was definitely not the way to build muscle. And this bothered me. I'd never had much experience in a gym with weights so I had no idea where to start, till a buddy of mine suggested CrossFit. Now I had heard all the s**t people would say about CrossFit, but this bro swore by it and his physique made it look like he knew what he was talking about. So I took the plunge and joined the small gym down the street from me.

I'll admit that the first few weeks were rough due to the constant exhaustion and total body soreness I'd feel all day, everyday, but I loved it! I was hooked right away. So for the next couple/few years I'd be in the gym almost every day it was open. And as time progressed, I supplemented my CF/swimming routine with free weight work as well. Fast forward to the summer of 2015 and I was a totally different guy. Physically that is. I'd put on about 10 lbs of muscle (it takes a while for me to build muscle, don't judge), my lifts had gone up significantly, and my resting heart rate was lower than it had been at any point since high school swim season. When I moved home to Virginia Beach for school I wanted to find a new gym immediately so I could continue to improve.

This is where Drop Box came into my life. I initially chose DBCF because it was close to where I was living and because it was a new gym. I did not walk in that first day with the intention of joining right away, but after that first workout, I asked G to add me to the family. DBCF was, and still is, the best gym I'd been too and I knew its where I wanted to workout. The biggest reason for that is the people. Y'all rock! Everyone there my first day was so friendly and inviting that I didn't feel like the new guy or the drop in! It was great! I even got sucked into doing my first comp after only being there for a few weeks. Thanks Anna, Marissa, and Rah for being my teammates by the way!

Now on to the other reason I love DBCF: the coaches and workouts. The coaches are phenomenal and the workouts suck. But they suck in a good way! I've noticed huge improvements in not only my strength and endurance, but also my form. Y'all coaches have helped me so much in improving my form and I can't thank y'all enough! My lifts feel so much better than before. And I believe that is a major reason why my lifts have increased so much.

DBCF has also gotten me hooked on comps. I missed competitive sports so much since I stopped after high school and they seem to be a huge part of the DBCF culture. From The Open, and the shenanigans DBCF has for that, to the local comps (Team Grit, Gangs, etc.) there never seems to be a shortage. And its never hard to find teammates for those events either!

I think I'm done meow. I don't want to keep rambling and I don't know what else to include in here. I hope that covers everything. So in summation, y'all are the bomb. The cat's pajamas. The bee's knees. DBCF rocks! May gains be with y'all.

END

Twitch with some of the 0530 regulars-twitch gets handstand walks!

family is everything! with mom laura and younger siblings mary and Connor.

Bend the Bar 2015 (CTO): Rah, anna, & Marissa......Gangs of the Mid-atlantic  2015 (CF Williamsburg): Jeff, Connor, & tony — Bend the Bar 2015 (CTO): Rah, anna, & Marissa......Gangs of the Mid-atlantic 2015 (CF Williamsburg): Jeff, Connor, & tony

Team Grit 2016 (CrossFit OP): Marvin,Connor, & Jeff

Gangs of the Mid-Atlantic 2016 (CF Williamsburg), Connor, April, KC ....Team Grit 2017 (CF OP), Kaleo, Mike, Teddy — Gangs of the Mid-Atlantic 2016 (CF Williamsburg), Connor, April, KC ....Team Grit 2017 (CF OP), Kaleo, Mike, Teddy

Featured article with the Virginia Pilot, 2017- Can you find Twitch in this group pic?!! — Featured article with the Virginia Pilot, 2017- Can you find Twitch in this group pic?!!

July Spotlight Athlete of the Month- Michael "Twitch" McMahon