Getting fit as a community

Published June 5, 2014
By Senior Airman Colin Cates
379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

AL UDEID AIR BASE, Qatar -- Since May of 2013 CrossFit Undisclosed has united a community of fitness practitioners under the common goal of building stronger and healthier people at Al Udeid Air Base.

"The gym or "box" as CrossFitters call it was officially started about a year ago, and we are helping to maintain and grow it the best we can, said U.S Air Force Captain Kristen Franke, 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Plans and Programs Beddowns officer in charge and president of CrossFit Undisclosed. "We regularly have approximately 60 people a day come to classes on the week days. Clearly there are dedicated people who love what they are coming to do and really enjoy being together doing it."

CrossFit Undisclosed, offers free fitness classes throughout the week that both introduce new athletes to CrossFit and challenge experienced athletes to continue training within a certified CrossFit program.

"I believe CrossFit Undisclosed has become an outlet for the athletes to escape from the daily grind," said Tech. Sgt. Heather Ruhlman, 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Judge Advocate non-commissioned officer in charge of military justice and CrossFit Undisclosed coach. "The athletes can come out, do the work out of the day and hang out with their friends and fellow athletes. Most have now become a family away from their family. It's the community that keeps people coming back."

CrossFit gyms are growing in popularity very rapidly, and there are currently hundreds of Military CrossFit affiliates across the Department of Defense.

"Clearly CrossFit is popular and doing some good, or else it wouldn't be spreading, especially throughout the military community," said Franke. "It's had a strong hold in military and law enforcement communities since the early 2000's because of the obvious benefit of functional fitness. Those communities wouldn't have adopted and held fast to this kind of conditioning if it didn't work. It's also a great camaraderie-builder, which is also attractive to those same communities."

"The members here at CrossFit Undisclosed get a great experience for no cost at all," said Franke. People are getting fit through exercises they may never have done, and it helps them form a close-knit community outside of work which can be so important when deployed,"

For these CrossFitters achieving fitness is the focus, but they are also building friendship in a close-knit community that is leaving a positive and enduring mark on the men and woman of AUAB.

CrossFitter's have a unique way of achieving their fitness goals. So if you've happen to see people throwing a big ball at the wall, performing Olympic-style lifts, and walking on their hands do not be alarmed, those people aren't delirious from the heat, they're CrossFitters from CrossFit Undisclosed.

CrossFit Undisclosed became an official affiliate just one year ago and according to Ruhlman, "I think there is something to be said for a small group of individuals turning nothing into something in just one year's time."

"It's not only impressive, but it's empowering. As long as we continue to have this dedicated community of CrossFitters running around AUAB, I think CrossFit Undisclosed only has the potential to grow in amazing ways."