Haaaaave you met Thomas? 

Q: How did you get into CrossFit and why did you stick with it? 

A: I have a horrible brain for years and dates. I got into Crossfit maybe 4 or 5 years ago (?) at the behest of my then wife who’d really gotten into it to shed pregnancy weight and had just gotten her L1 certification. There’s about a year and a half gap in there. I’m an ex-BVMer who didn’t come over with the first group. I guess it’s kind of like being a smoker who says they’ve quit a number of times. If you’re back at it, you never really quit. You just “paused”. BVM was the very first fitness community to which I felt connected. I’ve been a part of a couple of others since, but Renew is the first time since then that I’ve felt like I’ve found a family. 

Q: What is one thing you’ve learned about yourself since starting CrossFit?

A: I’ve learned that I really like not being so heavy that I make a prolonged old guy grunting noise that sounds like I might be pooping myself when getting out of the car.

Q: Why did you decide to go to industrial design school, and what is your favorite thing you’ve done with your education?

A: I went to Industrial Design School because I wanted to be a studio/fine artist like my dad. As a lifelong struggling artist, he was dead set against me becoming a painter. He slyly took me to the graduation of a student he’d help gain entrance into a prestigious design school and I fell in love with the school and the work I saw on display. I chose industrial design because it was a workable compromise with my father (he did a bit of it in Korea as a young man and it was a rare time when his skills paid some bills) and I knew it would teach me Inventive drawing vs. Observational drawing. I wanted to create not recreate if that makes sense.

If there’s a single thing I’d choose as a favorite result of my education, it’s a graphic novel I illustrated about the Marines who fought in The Battle of the Chosin Resevoir. It sold maybe 5 copies but was my first foray into narrative visual storytelling and led to me now pursuing kids picture book work in my very limited spare time.

I’ve promised the very first copy of my first published kids book to Lauren Bratcher for all of her care, encouragement, and patience in rethinking my eating habits.

I also worked on the Oddworld games and The World of WarCraft for all the game nerds out there.

Oh! And I’ve deeply loved having my students move on to greater success than I’ve been able to achieve. I love seeing their names in film and game credits.

I guess that’s a lot more than a single favorite thing…

Q: What does your ideal day off look like?

A: A morning at the archery range with friends (Olympic recurve archery has been my non-art obsession for 25 years).  Lunch with those friends. An unreasonably long nap. Wrapped up with some kind of unplanned adventure that goes way later than a 45 year old dad should be out with people who are way younger than a 45 year old dad should be hanging out with.

Q: Please share with us a silly/embarrassing moment as an adult.

A: I’m silly and embarrassing 100 percent of the time and I enjoy laughing at myself. It’s impossible for me to provide this information.

A likely story. Thomas, it’s an absolute honor to have you around. Thanks for being part of the Renew family!