Ole Glory’s Athlete of the Month for April is none other than Mr. Michael Andre. Mike initially heard about Ole Glory from his twin brother, Chris. His CrossFit journey began shortly after that in October of 2013. Of course once he found out that Chris was doing CrossFit he had to join to keep up with his brother for the title of ‘Fittest Twin.’ Always having that constant competition helps them to dig deep and push themselves to new levels. Although he doesn’t recall his first WOD, he states “I know I liked it, I’m still here.” We’re glad to have you around after all this time!

Over the years Mike has mastered majority of the movements that CrossFit teaches including bar muscle ups, ring muscle ups, double unders and weightlifting. Although he has most of these movements under his belt, there is always room for improvement. “I would like to get a lot better at gymnastics.” We admire Mike’s drive and ambition to be the best he can be!

Just like every CrossFitter has their likes and dislikes, so does Mike. He excels at overhead squats, overhead lunges, and squat snatches, which he recently hit at a whopping 215 lbs. Thrusters on the other hand are on his list of dislikes. Being competitive in nature, Mike loves when he performs well during a WOD. “A few months ago we did a WOD with pull ups, overhead squats and running and I killed it!”

During Mike’s high school days he participated in football and baseball. He continued to work out a bit after graduation, but didn’t stay dedicated to it. Since he has put in the time and effort at Ole Glory he has seen drastic changes in his overall health and fitness. “I have more muscles showing right now at 35 than I’ve ever had in my life! Working on the farm is much easier. Playing sports with Macy is much easier also.”

In Mike’s everyday life he is married to his wife, Mandy Howard Andre (10 years) and together they have two daughters, Macy, 8 and Mallory, 4. He owns a farm with his oldest brother, Hugh, and his twin brother, Chris. They produce sugarcane, soybeans, rice and crawfish. When he’s not on the farm he loves spending time with his family. Their favorite past time is going out to their camp at Cypremort Point. His really enjoys offshore fishing!

As a farmer he can sometimes have a crazy schedule that involves long days. He loves being able to start the day off right with the 5:00 AM class or he can relieve his stress from the day at the 4:30 PM or 5:45 PM class. Whatever class he attends you can be sure he’ll be cheering on every last person.

When we asked Mike what his favorite thing about OG is he stated the coaching and the camaraderie. “The members over here are always pushing others to do better, especially during the Open.” Mike was a huge supporter during the Open this year. He volunteered to judge multiple members and encouraged them during every workout. That’s the qualities of a true leader!

If you or someone you know is interested in giving CrossFit a shot, here are a few words of advice from Mike. “Take it easy during the On Ramp class and the first couple of weeks after On Ramp. Learn from your coaches and let others help you at the box. With time and hard work, you will do a lot more than you expect. I was once like you.”

And finally, Mike’s favorite personal quote: “Are you RXing today Mike? I didn’t come here not to!” Haha

Congratulations again, Mike! Keep up all of your hard work!