Hi Chris! Please tell us about yourself.
Hello FF Peeps! For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Chris. I was born in Oregon, but my birth parents were not ready for a family so they put me up for adoption. As soon as the hospital allowed me to travel, they packaged me up and shipped me off to my adoptive family in Alaska, where I’ve lived ever since.
For the last 12 years, I’ve worked at KTUU-Channel 2 (The NBC affiliate here in Anchorage). I started out as an intern during High School before taking a job a few months later. I’ve always preferred to be behind the scenes on the technical side of the news, but I received a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Public Communication from UAA to open up my possibilities. What can I say, I have a face made for radio. Haha. So if you see me on-air something has gone horribly wrong.
On my free time, I enjoy hiking, camping, hanging out with my friends and exploring new areas with my crazy dog. I’m also a big Seahawks fan.
What were a few of your reasons for choosing FF to help you achieve your fitness goals?
I owe my initial start-up at FF to Laurel, who asked me to try out a Boot Camp numerous times before I finally caved. HOORAY for Laurel’s persistence, because now I have been part of the FF family for over a year now and during that time I have accomplished a lot of my goals.
I was a member of multiple gyms before coming to FF, but none of them had the same “family” vibe. All the members at Figarelle’s are helpful, inspirational, encouraging, and friendly. This alone made me want to come back again and again. The FF Coaches are also amazing and push you to do better, making it easier to accomplish your goals.
What were some of your goals when you first started with us?
When I first joined FF one of my big goals was to conquer the rope climb. I couldn’t figure out how a relatively easy task in gym class in elementary school became so difficult for me as an adult.
After multiple failed attempts, I finally reached out to youtube videos to learn a proper technique. Proper technique changed everything, and within another attempt or two I was able to make it to the top. Some of my other goals when I first started at FF included 40+ continuous push-ups, multiple unassisted pullups, weight loss, self-restraint from things I like to eat/drink, and improving personal records for different race events.
Have you achieved the goals you set out to accomplish?
So far I have achieved most of my short-term goals I set out to do, but that just means I replace them with new goals that will continue to challenge me. As for my long-term goals, for example my ideal fitness level, I’m slowly making progress on that as well.
You’ve recently been ramping up the competitive side of your fitness goals by joining the Figarelle’s Fitness Lost Lake race team, and participating in the Eagle River Triathlon. What do you enjoy the most about these competitive events? How do they challenge you?
I am a fairly competitive person, so one of the things I enjoy about these races is seeing how I rank compared to the other competitors. I also like to challenge myself and beat my previous personal records.
For the races that I am doing for the first time, like the Lost Lake Run, I like proving to myself that I can complete the race. Knowing that I can complete a challenge or race is very empowering. I hear someone talking about running a marathon, and I think, 26 miles…yea, I’ve done that. That being said, I’ve completed one full marathon in my life and I have no interest in competing in another one. Something about running for four hours plus straight is not my idea of fun.
Who or what inspires you?
There are a lot of people who inspire me, including numerous members at FF. During Boot Camps I notice people giving it their all, pushing hard and not giving up. Seeing this makes me push myself harder. Also, it’s great to see FF members killing their goals, which helps me stay motivated and dedicated to my own goals.
What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned since working with FF?
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned since being with Figarelle’s is the power of having goals and challenges in your life. If you stay within your comfort zone, it’s nearly impossible to improve yourself. Get outside of that comfort zone with challenges and personal goals and you can make huge improvements.
What are your top 3 tips for staying healthy and fit?
My personal tips for staying healthy and fit include, being active, watching what you eat, and continuously challenging yourself. Being active can be really easy if you do things that you enjoy.
Go outside and go hiking, or biking, or even walk somewhere instead of taking a vehicle. Knowing what goes into your body is also very helpful. Minimize your consumption of processed foods is a big start. Also challenging yourself on a daily basis can have a huge effect on staying fit. Push yourself to run that extra mile, do that extra activity, or deny yourself those extra sweets. Every little bit adds up.
What new goals do you have in mind for the next 3, 6, and 12 months?
My main short term goal is focused on my last race of the season, Lost Lake. I have never attempted this race before, so my main goal is to not die, and to complete the race.
If I can make it across the finish line without being mauled by a bear, tripping and tumbling down the mountain, or any other horrible outcome, I feel like it’s a pretty good day. If I can complete that challenge, my secondary goal for this race is to finish under three hours.
For my long term goals, I want to continue to improve on my personal record times for both my triathlon and half-marathon finishes. Also I want to kick-start my weight lifting again. I have a long term goal of being able to bench my own body weight.
What keeps you motivated to continuing setting and achieving your goals?
I’m a fairly competitive person, so challenging myself to beat my PRs in races is definitely motivational. Also, I’m not at the level I want to be at for my overall fitness, so completing smaller goals that help push me closer to my long term fitness goals makes the journey more manageable.