July Athlete of the Month || Alex Difonzo!
Each month we spotlight a different CFA athlete who stands out and shows just how awesome they are. What is it that makes up an Athlete of the Month? It may not be the person that finishes the fastest, Rx’s every WOD, or gets a PR every time they walk in the gym. Although we love and celebrate when those things happen, the Athlete of the Month is made up of much more than physical ability. This person shows up, gives their best every time, and then gives a little more. They are hungry to learn and always ready to do the work. They support their fellow classmates and encourage them to reach their goals. This athlete embodies what we believe the CrossFit Austin Community should be about.
Our July Athlete of the Month is Alex Difonzo! Alex joined us in November of 2016 and has become everyone’s BFF! Watching Alex’s progress over the last year and a half has been exciting! He went from asking me every day when we were going to do curls and giving me dirty looks about burpees to setting his own specific goals and putting in the hard work and extra credit that it takes to reach them. He is always up for a challenge (fitness related or otherwise)! Not only is he an excellent addition as an athlete, but you’ll find him pretty regularly at our social events too (watch out for his magical refilling beer pitcher). Alex exemplifies so many of the qualities we look for in an AOM and has shown really amazing progress in his time here. Alex, the CFA Team is proud to honor you as our July Athlete of the Month and as an awesome part of this community. Thanks for your all your hard work and we look forward to seeing all you accomplish in the years to come! Congratulations!
State your Name and/or Nickname please:
Alex, most people just call me DiFonzo though
Words to live by?
Don’t take life too seriously, you will never get out of it alive.
What is your fitness background?
I swam competitively for all my life until a shoulder injury, then I played D1 water polo in college
for 3 years. I’ve never been good at sports outside of the water.
How long have you been CrossFitting?
I think November will be my 2 year mark.
Take us back to your first day of CrossFit… How did you feel? How do you compare it to
workouts today?
After the first day I thought I would never be able to do any of the movements, I don’t think I
could even do an air squat below parallel. I was terrified of lifting heavy. Now my flexibility,
endurance, and technique have improved a ton and I get excited about going up in weight and
trying new movements.
What’s your favorite part of CrossFit Austin?
The community and the coaches, even when I don’t do as well as I wanted in a workout I have
fun everyday. It’s hard to have a bad workout surrounded by good people.
Current Training Goals/PRs?
I’m trying to focus on my gymnastics, I’m hoping to get my handstand walk down by the end of
summer.
What advice do you have for folks just starting out in CrossFit?
Don’t rush the basics, if you put time into good movement now it will pay off later.
What is your cheat meal go to?
Chips and queso and beer, like a gross amount of chips and queso.
How do you use your fitness outside of the gym?
I rock climb a lot, and really enjoy mountain biking and kayaking on the weekends.
Tell us about a moment you felt most proud of yourself during a workout.
I did my first competition this year and I was able to push myself harder than I thought possible
in one of the workouts, it felt great to keep going when I would have normally tapped out. All
credit goes to my partner Erin for pushing me through the pain of what felt like a million squats!
If you could create a WOD and name it for yourself, what would it be?
“Headrush”
2000 m row
Then 21-15-9
Deadlifts (225/155)
GHD situps
What are your hobbies, interests and/or talents outside of CrossFit?
I love to travel, I’ve been on an African Safari, backpacked through Europe and studied abroad
in Spain. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of seeing new places and meeting new people.
Tell us something we don’t know about you…
I have 2 cats, named Napkin and Biscuit. And I have one of their names tattooed on the inside
of my lip.
Leave the fine folks of CrossFit Austin with some parting words…
You can do anything once…