It is time to announce the Athlete of the Month for February 2019. This individual has been with us for over a year. He has moved around different classes and is well known to our community. As a participant in our social events and internal competitions, he exemplifies what we look for in the IA Community. He has been promoted to a CrossFit Open Competition Team Captain this year and will be leading his team into the 2019 Open starting at the end of the month. The Athlete of the Month for February 2019 is:
BRIAN MANNAS
1. Where are you from originally? I was born and raised here in Pittsburgh, yinzer through and through.
2. If not from Pittsburgh, what brought you to Pittsburgh? N/A
3. Where do you work? I work for Pittsburgh Public Schools, I am a para, translating and interpreting for the hispanic students at South Hills Middle School.
4. What is your favorite hobby? Without a doubt my favorite hobby is gardening. I like the physical aspect and the connection with nature. Cell phones make me crazy. Sometimes you’ve gotta’ unplug.
5. How did you discover CrossFit? Honestly, I’m not entirely sure when I first heard about CrossFit, but I learned about it long before I joined. The thought of signing up was in the back of my mind for more than a year when I finally bit the bullet.
6. When did you start CrossFit? Industrial Athletics is the first CrossFit Box I experienced. I went through fundamentals back in September of 2017 and have loved coming back ever since.
7. Why did you start CrossFit? I joined CrossFit the same month I started my new job. I work at a middle school and it takes a lot of energy and patience working with tweenagers. I knew I needed a way “to sharpen the axe”, to keep the edge on these lil’ whippersnappers. Self care wasn’t something I always prioritized in the past, but I knew for the sake of my new career and mental health I needed to make a change.
8. What is your favorite thing to do in CrossFit? What I look forward to most at CrossFit are the squats; front squats, back squats, thrusters. Whatever form it takes, I love squats!!!!
9. What is your least favorite thing to do in CrossFit? No doubt, I hate pushups. They sap all of my energy and slow me down every time they are part of the WOD.
10. What is the number 1 thing you want to get better at? Since I started CrossFit my goals have been a moving target. My current goal is to learn how to position my body correctly so I can pull from the floor when we do cleans and achieve that “the bar is weightless” sensation that has eluded me so far.
11. What is your favorite part about coming to CrossFit at Industrial Athletics? I work out Monday through Friday. I try to come every weekday. The best part of going to the gym is when I get to leave. No matter how I come in I know that when I leave I’ll feel better when I walk out the door. And I love the sourpatch kids in the common area.
12. What is your favorite CrossFit WOD? IDK, Smart alec answer is any of them that I finish under the time cap 🙂
