CFFP IN-HOUSE OPEN

The 2026 CrossFit Fort Pierce In-House Open is officially underway. With lots of (friendly) trash talking amongst the 3 teams, the competition is fierce. Be sure to come to the gym for Friday Night Lights, every Friday at 6:30pm. Even if you’re not taking part in the open, you can cheer on your favorite friends and team. The energy is amazing and will inspire you to challenge yourself in ways you never thought you could. Let’s get it!!!

The 2026 ***CrossFit Open*** is well under way…

And our legs are feeling it!!! 26.1 was a leg burner that knocked many of us out of commission for a few days and yet, we come back for more. That is the spirit that drives us to continue challenging and becoming better versions of ourselves.
Check out the workout announcement each Thursday at 3pm at **games.crossfit.com**.

NEWS & REMINDERS

Sign Up In Advance for Classes

Early sign-ups help tremendously in allowing our coaches to plan accordingly and make your experience amazing, each and every time.

Classes can be canceled due to a lack of sign ups, including early morning classes if people are not signed up the evening before.

‘Cleanliness is Godliness’

Let’s keep the gym tidy and clean. Please be sure to wipe down equipment with wipes provided and return equipment to its place when done.

Parents, thank you for doing your part in leaving the club room tidy and clean for the next set of kids.

Run Club 🏃‍♀️

Join the Run Club every Tuesday at 6pm at Sailfish. You don’t need to be an expert runner! Everyone goes at their own pace down a similar route from Avenue A to the bridge and back. It is a choose your own adventure run/walk, if you’d like to run all three miles, awesome! If you are just starting and want to walk a mile, great! When you're finished, Run Club meets back at Sailfish to grab a beverage for a discount. There is also a punch system depending on how many visits you can get things like free beer, t-shirts, and more.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Erin’s Lifting Class | 03/01 0/15 03/22 @ 10:00am

Bri’s Yoga Class | 03/01 03/15 03/29 @ 8:30am

WE ARE CROSSFIT FORT PIERCE

InBody | BODY COMPOSITION SCALE

Did you know that we have our very own InBody Body Composition Scale at the gym, free to use for all members. That’s right! It’s a really cool machine that quickly measure fat mass, muscle mass, and body water. It’s super user-friendly and non-invasive. You simply follow the step-by-step directions on it, and before you know it, you’re getting a detailed analysis print-out. Don’t want the paperwork? Then download the app and the results are automatically sent to and saved there, keeping a detailed history of your progress and achievements. It even has features to help you achieve your goals, like their macro calculations that can guide you on what and/or how much to eat depending on your fitness goal. Give it a try!! You can find it at the back of the gym next to the water cooler. Here’s a link to the company’s website where you can learn more about all of the features that are readily accessible to you, our CFFP member!

LIFE CLASS MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

**Gretchen Giles**

At 71 years old, **Gretchen** is a Rochester, New York native who spent 36 years working in air cargo transportation with Emery Worldwide before retiring. Her journey into CrossFit began in 2009 during a travel moratorium for work. Knowing that a traditional gym membership probably wouldn’t stick, she happened to read an article in Boca Magazine while sitting in a dentist’s office about a new CrossFit gym opening in Delray Beach. Intrigued but skeptical, she went home, found the gym’s website, and emailed the owner with a very honest question: “I’m 54 years old—will this kill me and will I throw up?” The owner quickly reassured her that it would not. The first night proved her half right—Gretchen didn’t die, but she did throw up when she got home. The rest, as they say, is history.

Since then, CrossFit has become an important part of Gretchen’s life. Deadlifts are her favorite lift, and her favorite workout is Helen. One of her proudest moments in the gym came the night she achieved a 215-pound deadlift. Outside the gym, CrossFit has helped her maintain the strength and health needed for independent living, aside from the typical aches and pains that come with age. What she loves most about the gym community is that it doesn’t matter how old you are or what your fitness level may be—everyone is welcomed and supported.

The motivation that keeps Gretchen showing up comes from the strong community, especially the inspiring people in the LIFE class and the challenging workouts created by coach Lou and coach Jose. If she could design her own workout of the day, it would include deadlifts, jumping rope, kettlebells, and rowing. A fun fact that many people may not know is tied to a photography session she did in 2017 at the Disney's Vero Beach Resort. She met a mother during the Vero Beach Wine and Movie Festival who mentioned she didn’t have many photos with her family, so Gretchen arranged a family photography session. Years later, in 2024, that same mother sent a text showing one of Gretchen’s photos projected on the side of the New York Stock Exchange Building after her company went public and the CEO chose to display the family’s images—a truly unforgettable full-circle moment.

Athlete of the Month

**Alicia Soret**

At 45 years old, **Alicia (Ah-lee-cee-ah)** is a self-employed creative entrepreneur whose career has evolved in fascinating ways. Born in Kalamazoo and raised in Naples, she later attended college in Boca Raton and Fort Lauderdale. After spending about a decade in the Jacksonville area, Alicia and her husband eventually settled in Vero Beach in 2020, though they currently split their time between there and Metro Detroit. For more than 15 years she worked in graphic design and printing, but the COVID era helped her pivot creatively. Today she designs and handcrafts crossbody straps for purses, bags, cameras, and guitars, along with one-of-a-kind full-grain leather totes through her brand SoRetro Straps. She and her husband Dave previously built another successful creative business, Dali Decals—a name cleverly formed by combining “Dave” and “Alicia.” What started with early experiments selling wall decals in 2007 eventually helped influence an entire industry, while her strap business began as a side hustle in 2017 and has grown into a thriving brand with an international following.

Alicia’s CrossFit journey began in 2012 when she was 31 years old and deeply burned out from running her business. She felt unhappy with both her life and her body, spending long hours at work with little sense of fulfillment. When a small new CrossFit gym reached out to her company for decals and graphics, they invited her to try a class. She took it as a sign to do something for herself—and was instantly hooked, even if it meant being perpetually sore at first. That first class changed everything, giving her a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment she had never experienced before. Her favorite movements today include power cleans, wall balls, and air squats, though pull-ups remain the movement she’ll always be working to improve.

Beyond the physical gains, CrossFit dramatically transformed Alicia’s confidence and sense of self-respect. As she put in the work, lost weight, and built strength, others began to notice the change. She found herself speaking with more confidence and authority, and people who once dismissed her started taking her seriously. What began as a personal challenge eventually turned her into an inspiration for others—something she never expected. One of her proudest accomplishments is simply being able to say she’s been a CrossFitter since 2012. Even after a five-year break during the COVID era, she returned to the gym and committed again to showing up and putting in the work. Since last summer alone, she has lost nearly 50 pounds through cleaner eating, smaller portions, and consistent training—an effort she credits in large part to CrossFit helping her stay accountable.

Community has also played a major role in Alicia’s journey. After her first small gym closed, she thought she would never find that same sense of belonging again—until she joined CrossFit Total Control, where she helped the gym grow through her design and marketing work while building lifelong friendships. Those years—from 2012 to 2019—were filled with competitions, travel, certifications, and countless shared experiences. When she later moved to Vero Beach during the pandemic, she initially struggled to reconnect with CrossFit and even convinced herself she would never return. Eventually, after plenty of encouragement from her husband, she finally gave the gym in Fort Pierce a chance and rediscovered exactly what she had been missing. The welcoming community, encouragement from fellow members, and supportive environment helped her fall in love with CrossFit all over again. Even better, she now has a CrossFit gym near her home in Michigan as well, giving her a community wherever she happens to be.

Today, Alicia stays motivated by her own progress and self-improvement. After coming so far, she knows she never wants to start over again—and proving doubters wrong along the way certainly doesn’t hurt either. If she could design her own workout, it would feature wall balls, power or hang cleans, kettlebells, box jumps, and air squats—anything that lets her put her strong legs to work. Her go-to post-workout snack is simple: a banana. And one fun fact many people might not realize is that her current career began as a tiny side hustle. In the early days she spent weekends waking up at 5 a.m., hauling displays and straps to farmers markets, pop-ups, and holiday shows just for the chance to share her creations. Today her business draws customers from around the world, with people traveling to shop in person at a massive annual art festival—proof that hard work, creativity, and persistence can turn even the smallest idea into something extraordinary.

*Each month we spotlight a CFFP athlete who stands out. We are always looking for that athlete that shows up, gives their best, and then gives more. These athletes are ready to learn, ready to work, support their fellow classmates, and encourage others to reach their goals. If you have someone in mind, please email your suggestions to info@ crossfitfortpierce.com or you can DM our instagram page. Please make sure to share why you think this athlete is deserving.

SUPPORT OUR OWN

We are excited to continue highlighting our amazing local businesses owned by our very own members! By supporting these businesses, you’re not only helping fellow gym members thrive, but also strengthening our entire community. We encourage you to visit their websites by clicking on the respective logo below.

*If you own or are a part of a local business and would like to be included, please email info@crossfitfortpierce.com and be sure to include the logo. Thank you!