CrossFit Fanatic: Jason Noel

If you’ve been at the gym lately, you’ve likely had the opportunity to meet the newest member of the CrossFit Westside coaching team, Jason Noel. Jason comes to us with a long history of involvement in sport. Although active throughout his teenage years in basketball, golf, and soccer, while at SFU in his early 20s, Jason devoted his fitness focus to varsity soccer.

However, after graduating from SFU in 2003, he was looking for a new athletic challenge and selected boxing. Jason’s decision to get into the ring was fuelled by his respect for the "complexity of the sport." His dad had introduced him to boxing during his childhood, so Jason had grown up watching the fights and learning from his father’s enthusiasm.

Although he’s modest about his accomplishments in the ring, it’s worth mentioning that Jason won the amateur middleweight BC Bronze Gloves Title in 2006. However, despite Jason’s passion for boxing and his win, he explains that by the time he started training, he was already past his competitive prime.

But instead of severing his love for boxing there, he realized the lessons he had learned in the ring were transferrable to the younger generation of boxers emerging at his gym. He also felt like coaching was an opportunity through which he could pay homage to the many hours of coaching assistance and mentorship he had received while growing up. As Jason became more and more involved as a boxing coach, he was increasingly impressed by "how powerful the sport was in helping with confidence and attitude" among his young charges. He explains, "I saw the most introverted people come out of their shell in a boxing gym. It is funny what happens when you put a pair of gloves on someone and tell them to hit something."

Luckily for us, Jason is now combining his love for boxing with CrossFit and offering the CrossFit Boxing Program at CFWS. In Jason’s opinion, adding a boxing component to CrossFit shakes things up a bit and in his mind "throwing punches is a lot more fun and cooler than running." And although his affection for boxing may predate his love for CrossFit, Jason explains that the CrossFit philosophy is particularly appealing to him because of its potential to change peoples’ lives and to help them do things they never thought possible. In Jason’s case, despite his heavy involvement in other sports, CrossFit has been the tool through which he has achieved the best shape of his life.

But, aside from sharing his passion for CrossFit, what can we expect from Jason as a coach? Well, he explains, there are many things. First of all, he’s not going to let you cheat yourself in a workout. Jason says he’s got a keen eye for form and he’s not afraid to use it. But don’t worry, he won’t kick you out of class for a badly executed squat,but he will work with you until he likes what he sees. Jason explains that this is where he gains satisfaction in coaching – it allows him to help people progress and find success in things they never thought possible. To be a great coach, Jason makes sure he stays on top of new developments in CrossFit workouts, methods, and philosophies. He also puts in a lot of training time to make sure he sets a good example by staying in the best shape possible.

Welcome to CFWS Jason!

To learn more about Jason, check out his bio under the CFWS "Coaches" page and find out about his coaching credentials, CrossFit successes, and previous coaching activity.

posted: 6 Jul 09   ·   Category: NewslettersNo Comments

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