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5 Rounds for Time:
30 Russian Kettlebell Swings 24/16kg
50 Double-Unders
Scale the Double-Unders to 50 Singles or 20 attempts as needed.
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March Athlete of the Month: Mo Acosta
By Chris Fox
Next up in our Athlete of the Month series is a class act—perpetually smiling, relentlessly cheerful, and an all-around great member: Mo Acosta. He’s made an impression on the coaching staff with his consistency, coachability, and dedication for a while now, so we figured we should name him AOM before he takes his leave of absence this summer!
Fox: Mo! Congrats! You’ve been on the radar for awhile now so I’m glad we’re sitting down for this. Tell me when and how you started CrossFit.
Mo: Thanks so much. I feel like I should call my mom and tell her! I probably started in 2011 when I was a member of NYSC. I was taking their “CrossFit” class (called UFX for Ultimate Fitness Experience) and was really digging the intensity. My friend Jessica was a coach at CrossFit Merrick in Long Island and told me about it. I started at CrossFit Class One, and when they suddenly closed their CrossFit program, Google led me to CFSBK.
Fox: What about CrossFit appealed to you?
Mo: It seemed like an exercise program tailor-written for me. I don’t have to think, just show up and follow the program. I liked that we were shown the movements and the specific points about them. Before coming here, I thought I could lift weights. I realized I had a lot to learn!
Fox: What did you have trouble with? And what are you working on now?
Mo: Well I thought I knew how to do everything, so I had trouble with it all! Even something as basic as the Back Squat gave me trouble. Snatches were new to me and are always a work in progress. I’m still working on that elusive Ring Muscle-Up, though, I have finally gotten a few Bar Muscle-Ups! My body composition goals have also shifted and now I’m actually trying to put some size on instead of losing it. To that end, I did 10 sessions with Coach Brett and have been working on the things he gave me, adding weight to the movements as appropriate.
Fox: What were your impressions of CFSBK, especially having come from another gym? Why did you stay?
Mo: First of all, classes started on time. Even the 6am! I can tell you that this is not the usual case at many gyms. I recognized that the programming was organized, and the coaching was on a different level. The trainers at my previous gym were all nice and I definitely learned stuff, but it’s another experience here. I’ve travelled to other affiliates around the world and haven’t found anything like it. Lifting progressions also seem to be missing from many gyms.
Fox: It’s always great to hear that CFSBK stands out in those ways. Let’s get away from fitness for a minute. We’ve spoken about where you grew up and how you dislike a certain TV show…
Mo: Ha! I was born and grew up in Medellín, Colombia in the 1980s. It was a rough town back then but now is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It’s surrounded by giant lush mountains, and is one of the largest flower exporters in the world so the landscape is just amazing. As kids we knew there was violence, but it luckily didn’t plague us. I grew up playing soccer in the streets there in the same field at the National Team practiced. My family came to the US in 1990, first my grandparents and then my mom, my sister, and I. We lived in Carle Place in Nassau County, Long Island, which was quite a shift. I’m pretty sure there was one other kid that spoke Spanish other than my sister Natalia and I.
Fox: Did you continue to play soccer once you got here?
Mo: No soccer but the tennis coach of my high school recruited me. Turned out I was awful at it, so he suggested I try out for football! I did and played guard during my time there. I’m still friends with the guys on my team.
Fox: No college ball? Where did you go to school and what do you do now?
Mo: Ha… no, no college ball. I first went to SUNY-New Paltz for a day. Let’s just leave it at “I was a mess.” I got myself together and went to NCC (Nassau Community College) before going to NYIT (New York Institute of Technology) for Advertising and Marketing. I somehow lucked into my first job with the New York Islanders while still in school and then worked for Colgate-Palmolive for a few years, during which time I met Kat. In 2005 when Colgate-Palmolive was getting rid of my department, I decided it was time to open my own business. Kat and I have been running Acosta Design since then. It’s pretty amazing to spend my work day with the love of my life and our pittie mix, Lillan (Swedish for “Little One”).
Fox: That’s great, and I can relate! How did you and Kat meet?
Mo: A friend at work suggested we should meet, but it was the summer time! Plus, she lived in Brooklyn and I was in Great Neck! All I knew of Brooklyn was what was on the news and I was not really into that. Turned out she lived in Brooklyn Heights and it was more “Huxtables” than “NYPD Blue”. It all happened pretty quickly once we first dated. We fell in love, moved in together, got married in 2008, and moved to Park Slope in 2009.
Fox: Tell us about you outside of the gym and work. What are your hobbies?
Mo: Well, I love the gym and it really is my main hobby. And I love my work and am always working on new company ideas. Other than that, I love to travel and eat. I cook at home and also like to eat out and explore new restaurants. Katsui has been a recent great find! Last year’s LFPB Challenge was amazingly influential on how we eat both at home and out and it’s something that has become part of who I am. Also, we’re moving to Sweden for a year or two (maybe the next four?) to spend some time with Kat’s parents, and I’ve been taking Swedish lessons to prepare.
Fox: Thanks again for sitting down with me and letting us learn a bit about you. Last question, what should we look for in a future AOM?
Mo: Man, there are so many dedicated people working their asses off to pick from. It must be hard. I think listening and being coachable are important in addition to helping others when you can. Whether it’s helping clean up equipment, cheering people on, or just saying thank you. I think those things go a long way.
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