Ole Glory CrossFit’s September Athlete of the Month is Neil Huval!! Neil’s CrossFit journey began in September of 2013 after a few stinging remarks from his wife regarding his “belly” and her concern for his breathing pattern when he slept. After hearing his wife’s comment “we need you around for while”, Neil realized it was time he made a change to increase his longevity. Around this same time is when he saw multiple pictures on Facebook of a classmate who competed in CrossFit competitions. This caught his attention and he eagerly reached out to Ole Glory CrossFit. After three days of fundamental classes he was sent offshore for work. Determined to get fit, he vowed to complete the daily workouts while he was away. He checked the website faithfully for the WOD, but had to Google EVERYTHING since he was unfamiliar with the CrossFit terminology. Neil’s first thought was “this is not so difficult.” However, being uneducated on the importance of warming up and stretching, the amount of time it took to complete the workouts was relatively quick. When he returned home, his first day back at the box was a completely different story.

Neil remembers his first WOD which involved jumping rope and sprinting. He says it was a definite “eye opener”. He stated “I remember the feeling of holy hell, I am going to die”! Nevertheless, he was hooked and kept coming back for more. He noticed changes immediately with quick weight loss as well as some nice strength gains. Recently, Neil fine-tuned on his nutrition and has leaned out from 220 lbs. to 175 lbs. in a six month period. Losing those 45 lbs. has made a huge difference in Neil’s total performance in the gym. According to Neil, “my overall health at this point is better than I could have ever expected and that is directly related to OGCF and what I have accomplished in the kitchen with the help of a nutrition coach. I deal with stress much better now and my family has noticed the changes in my attitude since I have adopted a healthy lifestyle.” Way to go Neil!

In regards to Neil’s athletic background, he played a little football in high school as well as competed on a powerlifting team. He stated he was never athletically talented, but always tried to stay in shape with traditional gyms, mostly relying on lifting weights.

In Neil’s non-CrossFit life he is a 48 year old stud, soon to be 49 in November, who is married with three children, aged 24, 22 and 8. Outside of the box Neil can be found working as a Directional Driller for Schlumberger. He has been in the Oil & Gas Industry for a total of 17 years, 12 of them being with his current employer. His hobbies include reading and continuously educating himself in a variety of areas. He also loves to cook, especially with his new found passion for nutrition.

Neil has mastered many skills since joining us five years ago. His most recent accomplishment being Handstand Push Ups, which he can now complete in workouts with ease. Next on his list is Ring Muscle Ups. Coming from his powerlifting background, it should come as no surprise that his preferred CrossFit movement is the Power Clean, with Grace (30 Power Cleans for time) being his favorite WOD.

When we asked Neil what he admired most about Ole Glory, he replied “Everything! I love the training staff and the attention to detail they place on our overall fitness and safety. I enjoy meeting new people at OGCF and our community is second to none.”

A few words of advice from Neil is to “always listen to your body, fuel your body properly and compete with who you were yesterday.” A quote Neil likes to live by is “we do not get better without structure” from the book “Triggers” by Marshall Goldsmith. With a little discipline you can structure your life to be a fitter and healthier version of yourself. Just take Neil for example! We are so proud of all of your accomplishments, keep up the great work buddy!