Athlete Spotlight: Julian Pierce

Name: Julian Pierce
Age: 52
Occupation: IT Professional
Which class time do you usually attend? 1700
Favorite WOD: I hate all of them
Favorite Lift: squat and clean
Deadlift Max: last year 375; now between 275 and 300
Back squat Max: last year 375; now not sure
Favorite Food: my wife’s curried tofu
Favorite Movie: Little Big Man
Favorite Athlete: Jim Thorpe
Dream Job: 19^th Century Style Cabinet Maker (no power tools, they’re too noisy)
Dream Vacation Destination: Safari in the African Bush

How long have you been CrossFitting?
“Started a little over four years ago, however, I had a one year layoff.”

What keeps you coming back/motivated?
“I love the challenge, I always think I can do better, CrossFit camaraderie is excellent and No Excuses coaching is top notch.”

How did you find CrossFit?
“Chris Fisher introduced me to CrossFit, he was a trainer at another fitness center where I was a member. He suggested I look up CrossFit, I did, and started doing WODs from the CrossFit.com website until I got to overhead squats and muscle ups of which I could do neither, so I looked around for a CrossFit box and found No Excuses. Ben Davis taught me how to kip and how to do a muscle up from there I fell in love with CrossFit. Several months later Chris became a coach at No Excuses and he taught me how to clean and snatch properly.   I’m still working on both. I will always have room to improve, that’s one of the great things about CrossFit and life in general.”

What is your athletic background (If applicable)?
“High School sports, football, basketball, track.”

How has CrossFit changed your life, lifestyle, level of fitness?
“Until my illness CrossFit made me feel like the fittest old man on earth, I also learned a lot about eating even though I ate a vegetarian diet.”

What is the one thing you have done here that you never thought you could do? (muscle up, double unders, heavy deadlift, run a mile, etc.)
“Muscle ups were the most difficult skill that I have learned to do, a close second is snatch and I am still working on hand stands.”

Who or what motivates/inspires you?
“Greg the Grey Stallion Hayes was my old training buddy and Tony Palazzo was my motivator until my health declined. I should probably mention that I have a form of cancer called multiple myeloma.”

What is your proudest CrossFit achievement?
“Finishing the open division of the 2012 Garage Games One, it was a miserably cold day and those youngsters whooped up on me but, I finished and was proud of it.”

Name one goal/personal achievement you would like to achieve through CrossFit?
“Beat Chris Fisher in burpees (that’s a joke).”

Hobbies/Interests outside of CrossFit?
“Woodworking, tinkering”

Any advice for new members?
“It is intimidating at first, stick with it anyway and you will reap the rewards.”

Any additional thoughts/comments:
“We should do more things I am good at like rope climbs and sprinting and less movements that I am not so good at like handstand pushups and burpees. (that’s also a joke)”

Coach Fischer’s Take:
“Julian is one of the most coachable people in the gym. He is always looking to get better. He takes the coaching and immediately implements it. He practices what we tell him. Also, just wait until his ponytail grows back. You guys don’t even know.”