Gabe has been a PUSH member for about 18 months. Let's hear what his sweat mates have to save about this rugger.
Gabe will show up for my 7:30 pm Wednesday night shift religiously and WOD with Chris and Prashant and Zach R and Lindsay. He jumps right into very hard workouts designed for much smaller athletes and complains way less than I want him to.
He attacks heavy squatting sessions with great excitement and gets the rest of us excited too. Gabe has put in great work consistently and deserves every bit of his hard-earned fitness.
Gabe is an honest, hard-working guy. Gabe is an instant comfort to anyone new who shows up for the 6:30/7:30 pm classes. Gabe has come a long way in a short period of time and the dude is just strong. He pushes himself and he listens to his coaches and as a result, he moves well. Not only is a he a badass rugby player with a super cool accent, he’s a goofball with a good heart. I can’t remember a time when Gabe came into the gym with a bad attitude.
Gabe has been working really hard and pushing himself to always be better. He is very supportive to everyone in the gym and brings a fun and positive energy to each and every class.
Not sure which I love more about Gabe his infectious fun-positive attitude or accent! I know one thing for sure I would NOT want to be on the other side of the rugby field from Gabe. Based on his tenacity in workouts, I can only imagine what happens to his opponents who get in the way.
Now a few words from the man himself!
Started CrossFit: July 2017
What is your fitness background: I played a little bit of football (soccer) when I was really young! Otherwise, I have played rugby and cricket all my life. I played cricket all the way through high school for my local cricket club and my school team. Post high school graduation, I played for my school’s old boy cricket team during my gap year and whenever I went home to London for the summer. I always took rugby more seriously though. I played rugby for my high school team, a little bit for my county team Middlesex, and also played for Penn State where I captained my senior year. I continue to play for my local men’s side, Baltimore Chesapeake!
Favorite Movement: Deadlift! The fewer reps and more weight the better!
Least Favorite Movement: Double Unders are cruel and unusual punishment.
Occupation: I work in Sales for Coastal Sunbelt Produce, which is the largest wholesale produce vendor in the Mid-Atlantic. If you work in the restaurant industry and are looking for a new produce vendor, let me know!
Tell us a little bit about yourself and your family: I am the oldest of three. I have a younger brother who lives in DC, and my little sister lives in London with my parents. Fingers crossed my sister will be going to Penn State next year! My father is originally from a small village in England called Castle Combe. My mother is from Blue Bell, PA which is just outside of Philadelphia (Go Birds!). This makes me half English and half American, which means I am very conflicted on the 4th of July… JK I slam Buds and sing “Party in The USA” like everybody else!
Tell us something we don’t know about you: I was born in Belgium and could speak French fluently until I was about 4years old.
Words to live by or Favorite Quote: If a book about failures doesn’t sell, is it a success? - Jerry Seinfeld
How has CrossFit affected your life outside the gym: CrossFit got me back into shape after college, and continues to make me strong and fit for rugby! The workouts are a great combination of the different elements of fitness that any athlete would benefit from.
What do you enjoy most about PUSH: The people are amazing! Everyone has been very supportive and helpful in my CrossFit journey. The support is only matched by the high quality of coaching. The PUSH coaches have taught me so much since I have started, and I cannot wait to continue to learn from them!
Fill in the Blank:
I like… Watching sports, working out at the gym (obviously), Netflix documentaries (Dirty Money is a must watch), cold weather, and coffee!
I eat… Lots of carbs. Fixing my diet is probably the next step in my fitness journey.
I do… Drink too much coffee. I probably average 5-7cups a day.
I am… Always happy to talk about the Phila. Eagles!
Favorite Cheat Meal… Chipotle with double steak and guac!
Favorite Real-Life Hero/Athlete… Andrew Flintoff.
