This month's Member Spotlight is a familiar face to all: Say hello to Tu! It doesn't matter if you are a morning person or an evening person, you have definitely seen Tu, as he is at the box multiple times a day!

If we could describe Tu in one word, it would be consistent. He is at the gym day in and day out, and always with a big smile on his face. In the gym, Tu is calm and composed. He knows what he is capable of, and he scales his workouts appropriately to meet his goals. He isn't pressured to go heavier or complete something RX. He makes sure he is moving safely and correctly at all times. And it works! We have seen Tu get stronger and move more efficiently over the last six months he has been a member. Tu is goal oriented, and always trying to better himself. Not only does he put the work in, he is always reading about athletic performance and accomplishments, and how to meet his goals.

On a personal note, Tu is a pleasure to have in the box. He is always ready to help out - putting away weights, and helping athletes get set up. Some coaches have even caught him tidying up the gym when no one else is around. Tu is quiet and humble. When we told him he was voted as the April Member Spotlight, he said he needed to get better at CrossFit before he could be featured. We politely disagreed, and think he is a fantastic example of an athlete who works hard for himself, and shows kindness and compassion for those around him.

In Tu's own words:
"CrossFit Tay Ho is like my second home"

Tu's interview is short and sweet, but highlights exactly the kind of person Tu is: Goal-oriented with a community mindset. Read on to find out some of his favorite moments at CrossFit Tay Ho and how he feels about being part of this amazing community. 

Here are the rules for The Continental Clash. Put simply, if you sign up you will earn points for every time you attend. There’s no pressure to attend all 3.

Standard League Scoring:

• Points awarded in line with ranking for each event.
  • Ex: In a league of 25 players. 1st place = 25 points. 25th place = 1 point.
• 5 points awarded for top M/F RX scores and top M/F scaled scores for that week.
• 5 points awarded for Best Dressed (M/F) each week. Decided by Coach Rico.

​​The totals each week will have a “multiplier” applied to balance the number of members on each team, this is to make sure the scoring is fair no matter how many are on each team.
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Attendance Scoring:

• For every member of your team that attends on a Friday night and does the workout, 2 points will be added to your score.
• For every member of your team that does the workout on a different day, 1 point will be added to your score.

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Captain’s Chips:
Captain’s are able to use 2 chips to affect the scores for the week during this league. Each chip may only be used once and must be declared on Thursday before 9pm. This is to be declared on the members page by the team captain.
Ex. “Europe will use the F*ck You Chip for 21.1, the nominated athletes are Be and Tanya.”

• Double Down - This chip enables the Captain to double their team’s total score for that week.
• F*ck You - This chip enables a captain to zero the scores of 2 athletes (M/F) of each opposing team. (this will not affect their individual score)

End of Season Points
At the end of The Open 2021, the following points will be awarded to those members deemed winner of each category. Each winner gains 15 points for their Team Overall Score:

• Spirit of CrossFit Tay Ho - The award for the member who best represented our values and spirit this year.
• Most Improved - The award for the athlete that took their performance to the next level during The Open. Either against previous rankings or abilities.
• Player’s Player - A ballot will be held for all athletes to vote on their own personal Player of The Open. Who really out did themselves this year?
• Coaches’ Player - A decision will be made by coaches as to who deserves an award for their individual performance this year.​​

Say hello to this month's member spotlight - Holly Carmichael. Holly is a dedicated 5:30am-er, though she does a good job of getting to evening Barbell Clubs and Weekend WODs, so chances are...you have seen her around the box! But if you don't know her, you need to meet her. 

​Holly joined CrossFit Tay Ho at the beginning of 2020, and hasn't looked back since. She is game for just about anything, and jumps in head first to any and all fitness challenges - running, biking, swimming - you name it! Holly is goal-oriented, and has spent this last year at CFTH making incredible gains in her fitness and nutrition. She joined Rico's Mission Nutrition where she not only saw fitness gains, but an improved sense of self. And she works 1-1 with Rebecca to work on her other fitness goals. 

Holly is a genuine good soul. She is happy and caring and friendly and motivated. She is proud of her own success and growth, but even more proud of the success and growth of others. When asked about what her most a-ha moments in CrossFit have been, she goes on to list the accomplishments of other members and friends!

Holly is a force to be reckoned with, both inside and outside the gym. We love that CrossFit Tay Ho has been a place where she has been able to grow and improve as an athlete, and we know she is only going to continue her upward trajectory. Read on to find out what CrossFit Tay Ho means to Holly and to learn a bit more about her. 

​In her own words...

What do you do out there in the real world? 
I am a teacher and I work at the British International School.
 
How long have you been in Hanoi?
I have been living in Hanoi for almost 2 years now!
 
Favorite thing to do in Hanoi (outside of CrossFit)?
When I am not in the box, I like to visit the many cafes that Hanoi has to offer and enjoy a coffee or 2! Also, eating all the delicious food that Hanoi has to offer!
 
Favorite Hanoi restaurant?
Oooooo this is a tough one, as I love ALL food! One of my favourites is Bao Wow, I have recently got into the baoless bowls and they are tasty! If I was going to pick street food, there is beef pho place on Truc Bach island that serves up a delicious, steaming bowl of pho!
 
What is a fun fact that would surprise us about you?
During the Summer of July 2020, I cycled on my trusty Triban bicycle a whopping 2168km from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh. This included scaling the challenging Hai Van Pass!

 In simple terms, the Open is an all inclusive competition that spans all corners of the globe. It is a true test of fitness spotlighting everything we love about CrossFit: Community, Hardwork, Progress, PB’s and Camaraderie.

The road to the CrossFit Games starts with the worldwide Open, the largest participatory sporting event on Earth. During the three-week competition, one event is released online each Thursday, and athletes have four days to record and submit scores. Anyone from the age 14 years old can sign up and join in the first stage of the CrossFit Games season with special divisions for teenagers, 35+ age groups, and adaptive athletes.

The Open allows hundreds of thousands of individual athletes to quantify their performance and rank themselves with peers. Think of it as everyone in the world belonging to the same CrossFit box for one day per week, and instead of recording your score on the whiteboard you do it on the CrossFit Games website! 

We will be completing the Open Workouts during Friday Night Lights. 
Every Friday night for the 3 weeks of the Open. The gym will be set up in a competition-style format and FNL athletes will complete the Open workout for that week in a series of heats, with judges, spectators and all!

In addition to simply running the CrossFit Open workouts, we will have a friendly in-house competition - The Continental Clash. More details to follow on this in-house competition. 

No, FNL will NOT count toward your 8visits/month!
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Remember, sign up before March 10th! And even if you choose not to register, feel free to join in the fun and come on out to one or all of the Friday Night Lights events and cheer on your fellow CFTH athletes!

For this month's member spotlight, we introduce you all to Matt! Matt is a 5:30am warrior - showing up day after day in the early morning hours to get his training in. If we could pick one word to describe Matt, it would be consistent. Since joining in late 2020, Matt has shown up, done the work, and committed to himself.

The functional fitness aspect of CrossFit is paying off for Matt's everyday life. He is takes what he does in the box and transfers those skills to other areas - marathons, trail races, and a a leg of a triathlon. We love seeing his fitness move interchangeably from the gym and into his "real life". 

Matt's spotlight is an uplifting read. He really highlights the positive changes he has experienced since joining CrossFit, not just physically but mentally as well. Read on to find out more about Matt's physical and mental progress, who at the box has inspired him, and his cheeky (literally) bike ride around London. 

Heta, Heta, Heta, Where do we even begin? It has been one "whooooooooooooping" good year for this lady, and it's no coincidence that Heta is our final Member Spotlight of 2020.

Heta stepped into our Xuan Dieu basement in September 2019, and since day one has embraced all senses of CrossFit Tay Ho. She encompasses everything our community stands for: commitment, integrity, community, and growth, to name a few.

Heta jumped in headfirst from the minute she graduated her Essentials Course. Showing up consistently and with a can-do attitude. Just a few months later she won the Spirit Award during the CrossFit Open for the member who showed the most enthusiasm, optimism, encouragement, and support for our community.

​Over the course of 2020 she has gone above and beyond turning up to the WOD floor. Week after week. Barbell Club to Bamboo Club to Barbell Club. Heta puts in the work and it shows. From assisting in clearing out the basement, judging qualifiers & Throwdowns, rallying the Tay Ho army, and of course cheering through it all.  Her work ethic and intrigue for the sport has grown exponentially, and Heta continues to be a force in the box. 

On top of her tenacity and the love of the sport, Heta is motivating, supportive, and friendly to everyone who steps through our doors. We asked a few members to describe her, and the same answers were given repeatedly:

"Energizer Bunny"
"Consistent"
"Positive"
"Encouraging"

Those words perfectly sum up Heta. We are so thankful to have her be a part of the CFTH community. Read on to find out more about Heta both inside and outside the box. Here is what CrossFit Tay Ho means to Heta:

What was your very first class at CFTH like?
In the end of essentials course we had some wall ball-mayhem, which probably kicked off my love-hate relationship with WB’s. There were a couple workouts in the beginning that had me questioning why on earth had I joined but I do remember feeling welcomed and encouraged by everyone around so it kept me going.

What are some of your recent accomplishments/a-ha moments/or something you have been proud of in the gym recently?
There've been so many greats lately and I'm so proud of everyone at the box. Manjusha is getting so strong, Lana, Lewis and Darrell hitting their deadlifts, Sophie and Holly getting their pullups, Emma and Sabrina are killing it, seeing Sam and Vu and Lindsey and Carrie and rest of the teams crush it in the qualifiers..

What are some goals you are working toward?
Gymnastics - trying to work hard on my handstands and pullups. I just don't understand kipping pullups and which direction I'm supposed to move on the rig but Im sure it'll click soon. Vietnam Team Throwdown (thanks again Tra) also gave me a good idea what I need to work on. So pretty much getting better at thrusters and wall balls..

Im trying to focus on mindset as well. Confidence and grit!

Favorite movement/WOD and why?
It's probably a cliche, but barbell and dumbbell cycling is always fun. I mean who doesn't love a heavy barbell? DT is always a favourite!

Favorite CrossFit Tay Ho moment (doesn’t have to be during a class, just any favorite moment at CFTH)
All the competitions from this year - Vietnam Summer Throwdown, Westlake Throwdown and Vietnam Team Throwdown. The adrenaline rush you get once the clock starts and everyone is cheering around is truly something - both for the athletes and spectators. 

The 2020 Open also had a big impact on me. I had only started a few weeks before the open kicked off and it was just something completely new and exciting.

Something positive Crossfit has taught you?
Resilience.

Any advice for someone just starting?
Scaling for the win! Everything can be scaled and everyone starts with their own level and capability and each score is celebrated the same. Giving yourself time is the key. If you just put in the work, you are guaranteed to see a jump in your skills and stamina.

I do also recommend barbell club to everyone. It really helps build a good foundation for lifts and those skills immediately translate to the workouts.

How has your health/fitness/mindset changed since starting CrossFit?
I just love the functionality of it - its more about what your body can do, not what it looks like

How long have you been in Hanoi?
A little over 3 years.

Favorite thing to do in Hanoi (outside of CrossFit)?
Overeating in the many restaurants of Hanoi. Pool hangouts during the hot Summer months. Westlake Mini Golf. We also recently tried axe throwing at VietAxe which was super fun!

Favorite Hanoi Restaurant?
Since it got chilly, definitely Pho Ly Quoc Su (either the OG or on Dao Tan). Bao Wow is always a good shout as well as wings at the Moose & Roo Smokehouse.

What is a fun fact that would surprise us about you?
Don't know if it counts but one of the reasons why I love the ski erg is that we really used to ski to school when we were kids.

Simply put, Protein takes longer to digest and also helps you feel fuller for longer. So load the plate with Turkey, Ham and Eggs before then adding your vegetables and finally finish off with some cheese. That should stave off your hunger and make the chocolates, chips and dips easier to refuse. ​

Last month we hosted the first ever West Lake Throwdown in our new space. We have thrown various mini competitions over the years - from Goodbye Events to Themed Throwdowns and Continental Clashes. We wanted this first competition at 34 Dang Thai Mai to take the cake. And that it did!

Twenty-six teams, in three divisions, took on five events over the course of the day. The box was packed with athletes, judges and spectators and the energy in the space was electric! Tears were shed, laughs were had, and hard work was put in. Big congrats to everyone who competed - we are so thankful for such an incredible community.

All of the professional photos and videos are now here in one space for your viewing pleasure!

In the pain cave!

Cheers, high-fives, and hugs all around.