Jacob Boone

I really didn’t do much fitness wise throughout most of my 20s. I ran college track as a freshman and decided it just wasn’t enjoyable for me anymore. I stumbled across CrossFit at the age of 27, right around Memorial Day 2012 and my life has never been the same.  I’ve grown so much as a person and as much as I’ve transformed from a physical standpoint, I’ve undergone a mental transformation as well. I’m more confident and have gained so much mental strength. I’ve met some awesome people throughout the country thanks to CrossFit and Spartan Race. But most of all, I love my gym family. I couldn’t ask for a better group of friends to train with and be around every single day.

I try not to take anything in life for granted. Things have happened in the last year that have made me truly realize that. As you get stronger and better, however, it can be easy to get a little cocky. I think the major wake up call for me was in December 2012 when I ran the Spartan Beast in Texas. The weather conditions were brutal and I wasn’t prepared. I barely finished the 15.2 mile course, but I did, and I learned more about myself that day than ever before. That 15.2 miles took me to a place mentally I had never been. Upon finishing, I had never felt such a sense of accomplishment. Ultimately though, I ended up with a pretty severe case of pneumonia and lost everything I worked so hard to gain from a physical standpoint. Out of shape and working my way back, I realized how blessed I am to be able to get back to enjoying fitness. Not everyone has that opportunity and things can change in an instant. I just want to make the most of every day and do everything I can to be better every day. I don’t worry about what other people are lifting, or what their time was in the WOD. My focus is on myself and being the best that I can be. I’m not a big guy. I weigh 170 on a good day so I take a lot of pride in being the strongest I can possibly be for my size. Some of my highlights include completing nine Spartan Races, earning my Trifecta in 2013 and 2014. I also have competed in my first CrossFit competitions in 2015 at the Fittest Team in the Metro East at CrossFit Edwardsville, the Triumph Games in Kentucky where I competed directly against none other than Marcus Hendren (what other sport can average athletes compete against the best of the best?), and most recently at the Battle in the Burg at CrossFit Little Egypt.

Some of my most memorable PRs to date include:

280 bench

50-inch box jump, 47-inch sitting box jump

360 front squat

450 deadlift 

Fran 3:47