Member Spotlight - Say Hello to Sam

We have all been missing the walls of our beloved gym, what better way to eep CFTH in the forefront of your thoughts than to focus on some of our amazing members. For the month of September, we are introducing you to a face that is sure to be familiar to most of you - Sam! 

​Sam learned about CrossFit from Coach Dee, and they trained together at their old gym. Sam would occasionally come to events we had at our previous location at 77 Xuan Dieu, but when the doors to CrossFit Tay Ho 2.0 opened, Sam jumped straight in! 

Sam LOVES CrossFit. He loves everything about it - the workouts, the community, the progress - and it shows. He steps foot into the gym each day and is literally never not smiling. He is the first to say hello to you, and he is always willing to lend a helping hand when something needs to get done. In the last 1.5 years of his CrossFit life, Sam has completed his first open and made it into the Saigon Throwdown - his first live competition. He describes the excitement he feels competing and watching others compete, and how he is so thankful to be part of our community. In Sam's own words:

CrossFit TayHo is my second home. It is the place where I need to come everyday to balance my daily life, to recharge energy,  and forget about all the daily life stress. I have met many interesting people since joining CrossFit TayHo, and I feel very lucky to be apart of this amazing community."

Read on to find out what Sam has learned about himself, how he has grown closer to his friends,  how CrossFit has helped his mindset in his job, and - surprise! - the fact that he is going to be a new dad any day now!

​How long have you been doing Crossfit/ How long at CFTH?
I started CrossFit at my old gym where I met Dee and Vu. Since then, we trained
functional training at my old gym for 1 year. When CFTH opened the new box, I
came for the workout trial and I immediately knew that this is where I belong.
​
What was your very first class at CFTH like?
I remember pulling a 20 kg dumbbell in my first class, and immediately Rico came
and stopped me because he didn’t want me to get hurt. Even though, I already
knew all movement of the first class, but the feeling and excitement of a CrossFit
box is so much better comparing to cross functional training at my old gym. Everybody was so friendly and I loved everything about it.

What are some of your recent accomplishments/ a-ha moments/ or something you have been proud of in the gym recently?
One of my accomplishments of this year is to join the Throwdown in Saigon. It
was my first live competition ever, and it was just so much fun. I had a chance of
competing alongside Vu, one of my best friends, and other CFTH members and
coaches. I felt very proud just to finish all events in that day, I will remember it
forever.

What are some goals you are working toward?
My goal is just keep getting better little by little everyday. CrossFit is so interesting that there are so many things that we can work on. I just finished my first Open, and my goal is to be better than what I was last year in the next Open.

Favorite movement/ WOD and why?
There are a lot of movements and WODs that I like, so it is hard to pick one. I will
pick double unders because it looks and sounds very cool and I really love WODS
that have double under in it.

Favorite CrossFit TayHo Moment?
I will definitely pick Open week and I think a lot of people would agree with me. The atmosphere and energy of the box is just unreal. Everybody and family get together to try our best in the same workout. The Open workout is so tough, that it felt very satisfying just to finish it with the support from the whole community. Even if I did not do the workout, it was still a lot of fun just cheering and screaming for other member to do it.

What is something positive CrossFit has taught you?
CrossFit has taught me so many great things. Since joining CrossFit, I learned that I
can achieve many great things and get unexpected results if I am willing to put in the work. Small and gradual changes will make big impact in the long run.

Any advice for someone just starting?
Just enjoy and trust the process! Try to become better everyday, and you will be surprised of how far you can achieve.

How has your health/fitness/mindset changed since starting CrossFit?
CrossFit has changed my life forever. It gives me so many positive things, great
friends and healthy lifestyle. I can clearly see and feel the improvement of my health
since joining CrossFit. I and my brother Be work out everyday because we just love
CrossFit so much.

Have your experienced any other completely unexpected changes after joining
CrossFit?
Since joining CrossFit, I have met many new friends who became very close friends
because we all love CrossFit and training together. Our friendship gives us
positive energy, feedback and support to do other things in our life. Besides,I am
very proud to be a part of this amazing community where every members are
very friendly, supportive and fun to work around.

What do you do out there in the real world?
I am a businessman who sells office furniture and relax chairs.
​
How long have you been in Hanoi?
I was born in Hanoi!

Hobbies, Talents and or Interest? What does a day in the life of Sam look like
outside of being a CrossFitter?
I love and watch a lot of other sports like soccer, boxing, MMAa and basketball.
Outside of being a CrossFitter, I love discovering new home furniture designs. I just
started to open a new furniture company about 6 months ago, and my day is all
about selling chairs and finding new chair styles for our company. It is a very
competitive business, but CrossFit has provided great health and mindset to keep
doing what I do.

Favorite thing in Hanoi?
I love driving around Hanoi to see the streets. It gives me freedom and releases a
lot of stress.

Favorite Hanoi restaurant?
My favorite Hanoi restaurant is Kali where you can enjoy Mediterranean foods on
the sideline of West Lake.

What is an fun fact that would surprise us about you?
My baby girl is coming out in September, and I cannot wait to see her.