March Athlete of the Month

Congratulations to Hayden Mexted for being named the March Athlete of the Month. Hayden is a regular at the 5:00 am class and consistently puts in the hard work. He played rugby for years which has brought some injuries along with it and he does a great job working around some old injuries and continuing to work on improvement his movements. Most importantly he is fun to have in class, we are lucky to have him at the gym.

Please tell us about yourself. I’m a New Zealander. I came to The States in 2000 to play rugby in St. Louis, MO. It was suppose to be a short stay, but I met great friends and had fun playing rugby so I kept coming back year after year. I met my wife, Beth, a St. Louis native. She’s my green card holder. We moved to CO at the end of 2009 for my job. We have 2 children, Nate and Elle, both middle schoolers.
When did you become a member at Defiance West? 2016?
What made you join Defiance West and why do you do it now? I was sick of listening to stories about the gym workouts from my wife, Ben and Erica. They peer pressured me into joining, and I’m glad they did. I enjoy the workouts and the friends I’ve made.
What were your thoughts after your first workout? Man, I’m outta shape.
What is your athletic background? Former professional rugby player for the USA Eagles. (Don’t let that fool you. I didn’t get paid very well.)
What is your favorite movement or workout? Curls in Coffee Corner. Just kidding. It’s Deadlifts.
What is your least favorite? Anything overhead. I recently had both of my shoulders worked on. The coaches prove excellent modifications though!
What has been your favorite or proudest moment since joining? Completing the Open and getting deeper in my squats
How has Defiance West changed your life, lifestyle, and level of fitness? I get up earlier, go to bed earlier, get better sleep (taping my mouth at night helps), my back doesn’t hurt, and my overall level of fitness is better. I wish I had done CrossFit while I was playing rugby.
What are your fitness goals for this year? Finally join the 500 Club and work on my flexibility.
What is something most people don’t know about you? I just bought into a gold mine.
What advice would you give to people looking to get started at our gym? Be prepared to be sore! But it’s worth it because the people are great!