This week’s Member Spotlight features Tom F-S. He’s been a member of the gym for over 3 years, and he always has a smile on his face. He’s also an extremely coachable athlete and has made TREMENDOUS progress over the time he’s been coming to the gym. 💪🏼
What’s your name and how old are you? Tom Fox-Sellers and I’m 51 years old.
Ever had a cool nickname? People call me TFS all the time.
Married? Kids? I’m married for almost 30 years and I have three children between the ages of 15 and 24.
Where did you grow up and what’s your opinion of the place? I grew up here in Portland until I was in 7th grade. Then we moved to the Bay Area through high school and college. I consider Portland my hometown and I love it.
What’s your all-time favorite movie? I can’t really say all-time, but my favorite movie lately is “Ride the Eagle.” It’s on Hulu and it’s sweet and it’s fun. All-time favorite movie is a much harder answer.
What do you do for a living? I work at an advertising agency and do operational support for them.
Any cool jobs in your past? You know, one thing that always surprises people is when they find out I used to write math test questions for McGraw Hill. That was a fun job I had between tech jobs.
How long have you been a member at the gym? Three and a half years.
Tell us about your all-time favorite pet. It’s my current cat. His name is Tommy Boy – not named after me, but he came to us with that name. He’s just such a sweet, cuddly kitty who thinks he’s super-tough when he’s roaming the alleyways around our house, but he’s not tough, he’s super-soft.
What class or classes do you usually attend? I usually come to 4:30 classes, and I come to Saturday’s partner workout, and I try to make it to Dawn’s 1:30 Thursday class. I really enjoy the instructor-led classes, because I feel like it gives me the freedom to just do and not think about what I’m doing.
French fries, tater tots, or mashed potatoes? Tater tots. Extra crispy, please.
Were you an athlete growing up, and if so, what sports did you play and were you any good? I guess sort of. I never really played high-level sports, but I was proficient at most sports, never a star. As an adult, I’ve played indoor soccer, outdoor soccer, basketball. Again, proficient enough to have fun, but not good enough to be excellent.
Where in Portland has the best burger? PDX Sliders (Editor’s note: in the background, Joel says, “Yeah!”) Because they’re so small, I always get two. I usually get whatever the special is. If it’s a chicken special, I’ll get that, plus a Sellwood burger. If it’s a burger special, I’ll get that, plus the Tilikum chicken slider. Always one beef and one chicken.
What’s your favorite workout/movement? I have really grown to love Olympic lifting. I like the clean and jerk, I like the snatch, I like all that really technical stuff. I feel like at my age, it’s the only thing I can get better at. CrossFit as a whole is one of the only things you can do in your middle age that you can get better at over time.
What’s your least favorite workout/movement? You know, whenever they have the rope climbs out, I usually just want to do a 180 out of here. One of my downfalls is a lack of upper body strength. It’s never been one of my favorite things to do. I can’t do strict pull-ups, I can’t do a lot of stuff overhead.
What are some things you do in your free time? All my friends outside the gym think it’s cool that I do this. My family thinks it’s cool. Another cool hobby is that I’ve been brewing beer for about eight years, and that’s a lot of fun. I’m about to start up again, and I’ll probably try an IPA. If it turns out good, I’ll bring in a bottle for you.
What’s the longest you’ve ever stayed in the sauna? 20 minutes is my max, and that’s really hard. I’m usually good for 10.
The cold plunge? Never done it. I think about it all the time. Maybe someday.
Where was the hottest weather you’ve ever been in? It was here in Portland in 2021, when it was 116 degrees.
The coldest? Probably here, something like 15 degrees, 12 degrees, nothing too extreme.
Has a workout ever made you puke? No. I know my limits and I know when to stop.
What’s the weirdest food you’ve ever eaten? I’ve been to some weird restaurants. I went to Asia de Cuba in Los Angeles and there was some really weird stuff there. A lot of paté-based menu items. Not my favorite.
What’s your current gym goal? Strict pull-up. Double under. Increase my back squat by five pounds. (Coach’s note: Only 5 pounds???)
(Editor’s note: in the background, Tom Nguyen says, “And beat my times.”) And beat Tom in every WOD. If there’s a number on the board for Tom Nguyen, I’m going after it.
What’s your advice for new members of the gym? New members, they have to take it easy. They can’t compare themselves to other people. Just make it your 100% and own it. Know that it’s not going to be someone else’s 100% and that’s okay.
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