“I honestly didn’t realize what I was capable of until I started at CFDA. I am so much faster and stronger than I once was and I really enjoy that part.”
-Gina Caplan
I like to think that at Dark Athletics we have our own style and brand that makes us who we are. When I talk to people who haven’t checked us out, they sometimes have a preconceived notion about what we do. The reality is they have no idea until they come in and try us out for themselves.
CrossFit on social media can seem crazy. The workouts, the people, it can all seem a little bit “much”. But what most don’t understand is that those videos are not a full representation of what most CrossFit boxes do. At Dark Athletics, our mission is to help as many people improve their lives so that they can function properly in their daily activities. We are not out here to break everyone and push them past the point of exhaustion. We leave that up to Dave Castro and the rest of the CrossFit Games team.
Our goal is to help our athletes achieve their goals. We want to get them moving and feeling better than they have before. But the truth is most people have their own ideas about what they are/aren’t capable of, and that won’t always jive immediately with working on their goals. When I first met Gina Caplan, given her background and goals, I honestly wasn’t sure she would stick around.
Gina had been doing Hot yoga for almost a decade when suddenly a disagreement with the facility’s owner forced them to part ways (if you know Gina, she is not one to back down!).
Her husband, Joe, had been coming to Dark Athletics for a while already and suggested she give us a shot. We were more than ready to accept Gina into our community… The only question was: was she ready?
Fast forward almost 2 years later and Gina is still with us and has been through a ton of growth! In this short time she’s gotten way stronger & faster, won the 2021 Holiday Wars Scaled division, got bit by the competition bug and competed in a local CrossFit competition, and increased her focus on weightlifting. Unfortunately, due to a total accident Gina shattered her wrist during the CrossFit competition and has been sidelined from competition for a bit (unless it’s a leg raise competition… at this point she can probably do a million!). Despite this temporary setback, Gina’s focus on weightlifting and working towards her goals has not been sidelined by any means.
What I learned about Gina in the last year is that she is an incredibly driven person. She works hard and focuses on the basic drills to improve. She also does not back down from any challenges because even with a banged up wrist, she shows up and gets a workout in. Gina is great to Coach, takes feedback well, and she’s a huge part of the Dark Athletics community!
Our goal now is to get her back in weightlifting shape once her wrist has healed so she can compete in Masters Nationals 2023, and whatever else we can shoot for!
No matter the obstacle, we are able to work around everything at Dark Athletics to ensure you get closer and closer to your goals. We provide you the tools and resources you need to get there.
For more information schedule a no sweat intro with a Coach today!
