Andy Parker founded CrossFit Stamford in February 2006 training in a tightly packed commercial gym with lots of machines. At the time there were only about 50 CrossFits worldwide, today there are more than 2000 and counting.
This Pic is from July 3, 2006 Affiliate Page- "Andy Parker shows that even a room full of selectorized equipment can't stop a CrossFit workout." - Tony Budding
Like many CrossFit owners I had played sports my whole life, been a very active person and felt like there was something missing after college. After a few years of the corporate world it didn't take long for me to figure out that this is not what I'm passionate about.
I started coaching football and ran the strength and conditioning program for Wilton High School for a couple of years. At the same time I was working as a trainer at the typical health club. Putting in hundreds of hours working with all kinds of clients and the high school kids prepared me for when I found CrossFit.
A Men's Journal article "Best Shape of Your Life in 20 min..." is how I found CrossFit. The workouts looked pretty short so I tried it out and...they destroyed me. I thought I was in decent shape back then but I clearly was not in CrossFit shape. I started trying different WODs and never looked back. Fast forward a few months later and I decided to open CrossFit Stamford.
Looking at that pic it's crazy to think how far we've come from swinging 20lb kettlebells next to the Preacher Curl Machine (Kristie swings a 45lb now, had to mention that). One year later I teamed up with Kristie and we opened up our own place, right across the street from that commercial gym.
Over the next few years our community and CrossFit the organization continued to grow. In the summer of '09 we moved again to a new facility twice the size. Finally in July 2011 we've moved into our permanent 8000 sq foot home complete with all the CrossFit bells and whistles.
It may seem a bit cheesy to someone outside of our community but at CFS it's so much more than just "going to the gym". The CFS community is supportive, encouraging, generous, dedicated, fun loving, and doesn't take itself too serious. We've made life long friends here and we can't wait to see what the future holds for CF Stamford!
Andy Parker - Co Owner
Andy holds a B.S. from Sacred Heart University
National Academy of Sports Medicine Personal Trainer Certification
CrossFit Level 1 Certification
CrossFit Olympic Lifting Certification
CrossFit Power Lifting Westside Barbell Certification
CrossFit Movement and Mobility Certification
Kristie Bickler - Co Owner
I've been a personal trainer in Stamford for seven years. I did traditional gym workouts and enjoyed introducing my clients to the world of fitness. But as time progressed I got bored, there's only so many hours that can be wiled away on an elliptical machine. I also started looking more carefully at my body. I was thin but lacked the muscle definition I thought I should have with all of the work I was putting in. In addition, most of my clients invested in personal training to lose weight but one hour of moderate intensity training a few days a week couldn't offset their poor diets.
Then Andy found CrossFit and we started doing the WODs together. I felt so out of shape! All that time spent on machines and light dumbbells had not prepared me for this program at all. I quickly fell in love with the idea of making my workouts into "games". It was more fun, I was working harder and I had measurable results. It felt a lot like playing on a sports team. It wasn't long before I brought my personal training clients on board.
Through scaling and modifications anyone can complete a CrossFit WOD. But the workouts are just the tip of the iceberg. CrossFit is the only exercise program I know of that incorporates total wellness. The knowledge I have gained regarding nutrition/flexibility/recovery is invaluable. I've made healthy eating a large part of our program because I believe that we really are what we eat. It's important to me that my clients live a long and healthy life and coming to the gym is just part of the hard work that it takes to look and feel your best.
As our program has grown so has the community. The best part about CrossFit Stamford is the friendships that are cultivated here. We encourage and motivate each other to work harder than we thought possible and we spend time together at events in and outside of the gym. CrossFit has given me a reason to train and I feel proud to say that I look and feel better than I did ten years ago.
Kristie holds a B.S. from Rutgers University
National Academy of Sports Medicine Personal Trainer Certification
CrossFit Level 1 Certification
CrossFit Olympic Lifting Certification
CrossFit Movement and Mobility Certification
Felipe Polanco - Manager / Coach
Fitness has always revolved around my life. I played football and ran track in high school but I made education my main focus in college. After graduation, like everyone else, I went into the business world, going to the gym either before or after work, performing the same routines as everyone else. No real changes or progress but I carried on.
After 6 years of mundane workouts, a co-worker introduced me to CrossFit. From then on, I was hooked! We tried to follow the daily WOD’s as best we could without meeting Pukie the Clown. I was laid off in 2008 (a blessing in disguise) and was able to make my life revolve around fitness: I became a Personal Trainer. I now have the best job in the world: I get to assist my clients in achieving their fitness goals while pursuing my own.
I train all types of clients: my youngest being 13 years old and my oldest being close to 90! However, my passion is working with high school athletes of any sport. I’m excited to join CrossFit Stamford for many reasons. However, the biggest reason is this mentality: no whining…just work!
- CrossFit Level 1 Certification
- U.S.A Weightlifting Sports Performance Coach
- Certified Personal Trainer - American Council on Exercise
- K.B.C. Kettlebell Instructor
- 4th Kyu Purple Belt - Kihen Ryu Ju Jitsu
Greg "Tino" Martino
I began CrossFitting in 2008 after a close friend and former youth and high school hockey teammate clued me into the program. I had hit the plateau that most people reach from the repetitive weekly traditional weightlifting regimen until I sampled a few WODs from the Main Site and became hooked. I grew up playing several sports - hockey, football, baseball, and lacrosse - and loved CrossFit for its competative and community atmosphere, as well as the mentally and physically challenging nature of the workouts. After years of CrossFitting I have never once hit a plateau physically or mentally and have never felt bored. It has improved my performance in all of my hobbies, be it snowboarding, hiking, hockey, golf (actually, nothing will make me a better golfer). CrossFit has made me stronger, more fit, more self-confident, and more nutrition-conscious than I have ever been. I have made a lot of new friends and have learned a lot about myself as a person, and as a competitor. I began coaching the sport in hopes of helping our athletes achieve their personal goals and goals they never thought to strive for.
- CrossFit Level 1 Certification
- CrossFit Movement and Mobility Certification
- CrossFit Gymnastics Certification
National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer
National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified Fitness Nutrition Specialist
CrossFit Level 1 Certified Trainer
CrossFit Olympic Weightlifting Certification
CrossFit Gymnastics Certification
CrossFit Mobility & Movement Certification
Third Degree Black Belt – Tae Kwon Do
The first time I had ever heard about Crossfit was just over two years ago. A friend of mine was visiting and showed me the mainsite with a brief explanation. I'm not gonna lie, he didn't do a very good job selling it. But he was persistent. A few months later the Crossfit Sectionals were held in Milford, Ct, where he convinced me to come up and see what it was all about. No sales pitch needed here, I was extremely impressed with what I saw.
The CFS community is second to none, and I am thrilled to be joining the coaching team. As an educator (I have been teaching kindergarten special education in Stamford for the past 6 years) I possess an innate passion for teaching, and look forward to helping others reach their fitness goals.
- CrossFit Gymnastics Certification
- CT Elementary Education Certification K-6
- CT Special Education Certification K-12