FitWit Decatur Member of the Month – December: Tom A.!

December 9, 2022

Alrighty, FitWit. Put your hands together for our Member of the Month – Tom A.! After joining a little over a year ago, Tom has become a consistent staple to the 7am crew and embraced the FitWit philosophy. He has put forth the efforts in the gym and is dedicated to the long term health journey and benefits. Not only does he take cues well and pay close attention to his form, Tom also continues to improve in his strength and other goals he puts his efforts towards! Tom represents what we love to see in our members: hardworking with a positive attitude and a friendly community spirit. He’s a pleasure to coach, and we’re grateful to have Tom as a member of the FitWit family and so happy to honor him with MOTM 🙂 Way to go, Tom!

Hometown: BlueField, WV

Age: 50

Occupation: Data & Process Analyst in satellite telecommunication industry

When did you first start FitWit-ing?

October 2021

Tell us about your sports & fitness background:

Do (crowd) surfing and (stage) diving count? I played football and wrestled in high school. During my 20s, I did a lot of casual rock climbing and cave exploring with friends. More recently, pre-pandemic, obstacle mud runs as part of a work-based charity team.

What sort of changes have you seen in your body, health, and fitness since starting FitWit?

Definite improvements in strength, endurance, and flexibility as well as drops in weight and blood pressure.

What sort of changes in your life have you experienced out of taking on something like FitWit that were totally unexpected?

I work in a very deadline-driven field and work related stress is ever present. Before starting FW I had a sense that a regular exercise schedule would help burn off some of that stress, but underestimated the really positive changes FW would have on my work life. I’ve noticed feeling the pressure a little less and being more focused and productive at work. I assumed there would be some work head-space benefits to joining FW, but the level of positive impact has been surprising to me.

Why do you FitWit?

Last year I was staring down turning 50 years old and was starting to feel the age a little more. We have two kids at home, both of whom are relatively young. So my ‘why’ is building a fitness foundation in order to remain physically capable for my family and especially as the kids get older.

Favorite workouts?

Workouts with a good mix of strength and conditioning, not all one or all the other.

Least favorite workouts?

Anything with running.

Any favorite FitWit moments?

The team games were a hoot, in particular flip-cup!

Three words to describe you:

Practical, decisive, reserved.

Fitness Goals?

At least five to 10 unbroken strict pull ups.

Words to live by?

“Don’t worry. Relax. Everything’s going to be fine.”
Not a quote but more of a sentiment along these lines.

Something cool we don’t know about you?

Over the past couple of years I’ve become interested in home fermentation, so things like sourdough starters, chiles, pickles, and sauerkraut. I was a home beer brewer since the mid 1990s but only recently started lactic fermentations. I like the art and the science of it. There’s a lot of satisfaction for me in producing, for example, a batch of pickles, giving them to friends and family to try, and then receiving feedback that the pickles aren’t gross…

Just wanted to share a shout-out to the fantastic FW coaches. Really great constructive feedback over the past year. The coaches are really what make coming to a gym like FW so much more beneficial and fun than elsewhere.