March
2024

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Damon N. (He/Him/His)

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM? I’m a recovering attorney. After years of litigation I recently shifted my career focus and am loving the improved work-life balance (and so does my husband). For fun, I lik...

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February
2024

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Hande P. (she/her/hers)

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM? I live in Andersonville with my husband, Dan, and my two dogs, Woodrow and Vedder. I work from home and am part of the merchant care team at a third-party logistics company ba...

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January
2024

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Kristie Z (she/her/hers)

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM? I’ve lived in Ravenswood for the past 20 years with my husband, Bryan (also a Hardware member!) and my 2 kids, Henry & Lucy (who have both moved to Los Angeles).  I love to ...

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December
2023

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Matt M (he/him/his)

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM? I’m kind of a vagabond: I was born and raised in Northern California, graduated high school in Philadelphia, went to college in DC, and have lived/worked in 16 ...

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November
2023

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Julie K (she/her/hers)

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM? I'm an impact producer, which means I help filmmakers, podcasters, and other media creators launch projects in a way that helps them reach the audiences who need them most in order...

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October
2023

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Mike H (he/him/his)

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM? I work in marketing for the University of Chicago and also volunteer as an occasional DJ at CHIRP Radio. In my free time I love going on adventures with my wife, Lauren, and our do...

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September
2023

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Liscel E (she/her/hers)

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM? I was born in Chicago, grew up in the western suburbs and have lived in Lincoln Square/Ravenswood for 10+ years. I'm an executive assistant for a design-build construction company ...

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August
2023

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Ruth J (she/her/hers)

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM? I live in the city with my husband Chris (also a member). I work in Operations for an aftermarket distributor of Aircraft parts for commercial planes. It's a really interesting and...

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July
2023

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Cameron H (he/him/his)

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM? I live in Andersonville with my awesome husband Manny (I've tried to get him to Hardware more times than I can count...he's not perfect). We're both hustlers with too many jobs and c...

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June
2023

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Nikki K (she/her/hers)

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM? The basics: I’m a consultant (I mean, what the heck does that mean, anyway). I have two cats (Machu & Picchu) and a dog (Yoshi), and I share the responsibility of keeping the b...

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April
2023

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Stephanie G (she/her/hers)

  TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM? My family and I moved to Chicago about 2 years ago. I am a mom to two beautiful kids and one sweet dog! I love doing anything outdoors especially exploring all the differ...

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July
2021

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MICHAEL N.

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM? Outside of the gym, I’m a professor at Northwestern University – I’m a psychologist, and I direct a research center dedicated to understanding health disparities that imp...

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September
2021

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Brian H.

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM? I live in Uptown with my wife and fellow Hardware member, Jackie, and our 2-year-old daughter. For work, I run national online sales for a home fitness equipment company, and...

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October
2021

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Josh C. (he/him)

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM? Life outside of the gym is quite busy, but I wouldn't have it any other way! For a career, I work for an environmental non-profit and have been working in that field for about 7 ye...

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August
2021

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Emily V

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM? I'm the finance director for a start-up based in Seattle. I've been in tech for a long time, but took a 3 year break to attend pastry school and worked as a pastry cook in rest...

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June
2021

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Heather D.

  TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM? I work for two shops in Andersonville (Milk Handmade and Honey Bridal). I also sew and recently joined Lillstreet Art Center as the Intermediate Sewing Instructor. ...

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May
2021

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David P.

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM? Outside of the gym I am a middle school school teacher. Teaching takes up alot of my time; getting my classes to understand content material is like playing whack-a-mole. Before co...

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April
2021

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Christy C.

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM? I've been working in university undergraduate admission for 15 years, the last 8 have been at Northwestern University working with first-year international students.  I also h...

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March
2021

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Joel H.

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM? I am currently fun employed thanks to "Rona. However, my usual job is being a Company Manager (Tour Manager) for touring Broadway musicals (Les Mis, Phantom, etc). It soun...

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February
2021

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Emma R.

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM? Hi! Ok, this answer in the before times was less complicated than it is now, so I'll (try to) keep things as brief as possible. I'm an actor (mostly theatre), but since theatre...

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January
2021

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Lucy Z.

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM? I am currently a senior in high school at Walter Payton, so a large portion of my time is dedicated to homework and college applications. I don’t know where I am going to college...

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December
2020

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Dennis G.

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM? Outside of my time at the gym I am an actor as well as a live, experiential, and broadcast events producer.  I also love to walk all over the city and try to get 3-5 miles ev...

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November
2020

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Luke S.

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM? I grew up in Maryland (born in Baltimore, raised in Cumberland in western part of the state) and lived many places (D.C., Philadelphia, Seattle, western New York, central Massachus...

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October
2020

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Gisselle G.

  TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM?  I am originally from the Philippines, but Chicago has been my home for almost nine years now. I work as a Physical Therapist in a rehab facility on the Southside. M...

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September
2020

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Parker G.

    TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM?   My name is Parker, and my pronouns are they/them/theirs. I'm originally from South Louisiana, though I've been in Chicago for ten years. I moved here to...

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August
2020

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Nat S.

  TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM?   This fall, I’ll be starting my 10th year of teaching—a year that is sure to be (and hopefully is!) the wildest in my career. I currently teach third and fou...

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July
2020

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Jim D.

  TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM? Outside of work and the gym, I like to travel with my partner Mark, going out to eat with friends, reading, watching movies, listening to podcasts and spending time w...

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June
2020

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Martin C.

    TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM? Outside of the gym I'm a teacher. I work at National Louis University in their undergraduate college, teaching courses in the humanities and social sciences...

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May
2020

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Mary K.

  TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM?   Well.. pre pandemic, and when I am not at work,  I enjoy getting out and enjoying as much as I could that this city offers. The theatre, dance, comedy, eat...

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March
2020

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Brian D.

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM? I’m the Sr. Account Manager/Director at Bag Tags, Inc. Bag Tags is a printing company located in Evanston. Outside of work, I spend most of my time with my girlfriend and chil...

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February
2020

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Connie M.

  TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM? I work at Northwestern Mutual where I train and coach Financial Advisors as they build their businesses and help people achieve financial security.  I am married to...

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January
2020

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Caitlin F.

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM?   Professionally, I am a buyer for a food service distributor in Rosemont. In my free time I play ice hockey and softball, go to see live music, and read.     WHAT I...

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December
2019

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Mélon D.

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM? Outside of the gym, I am a UPS Account Exec and part time day trader. When I’m not working or at the gym, I’m home with the wife and kid. WHAT INITIALLY GOT YOU...

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November
2019

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Jana M.

Tell us a little bit about yourself. What do you do outside of the gym? I was born in Slovakia where I studied medicine but my curiosity to learn new things and explore other options brought me to US. I have been working as a physician since I lande...

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October
2019

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Eddie C.

  TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM? I work in financial regulation. I try to make sure trading firms comply with government and stock exchange rules and regulations when they trade stock. Outsid...

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September
2019

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Gizem S.

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM? I am a licensed real estate agent in Illinois and Michigan and support a team of talented field agents and introduce our company to new clients. As a kid, I loved all types of diff...

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August
2019

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Jeff J.

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM? In a nutshell: I'm from a small, rural town in Northwest Iowa (think flat land with corn and bean fields as far as the eyes can see), and I moved from Des Moines to Chicago in...

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July
2019

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Pete B.

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE  GYM? I’m currently a personal chef – at home for Sarah! After a 20 year career with a special event production company in the suburbs, I’m enjoying my first ever career break...

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June
2019

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Lily L.

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM? I’m the Technical Specialist of a blood bank laboratory in a hospital on the southwest side.  In addition to overseeing the lab, I ensure patients receive compatible blood trans...

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May
2019

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Katie G.

  TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM? I was born outside of Philadelphia, moved to  Chicago in 2014, and have lived here for the past 5 years. I'm a Licensed Social Worker and Certified Alcohol and Other Dr...

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April
2019

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Vasilis M.

  TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM? I grew up in Massachusetts and lived in Canada for 12 years before moving to Chicago. I’m proud to have accomplished my goal of becoming a scientist, and I current...

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March
2019

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Sarah P.

  TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM? By day I’m a Training Team Lead for ProQuest, which is a library services and content company. After years of working in marketing and sales I obtained a Master�...

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February
2019

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Alesia T.

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM?  I work as a mechanical engineer in the downstream side of petroleum refining with a main focus on maintenance and reliability.  When I'm not working or at CrossFit, I try to ...

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January
2019

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Kyle K.

  TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM? I was born and raised in Indianapolis but moved to Chicago a little over 9 years ago. In the day time I work in supply chain for Ulta Beauty where I lead a supplier per...

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December
2018

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Torry B.

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM? Most of my days, and quite a few evenings, are spent serving as a high school principal.  I am also the proud mother of an 8 year old girl, whose interests in gymnastics, cr...

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November
2018

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Eric S.

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM?   I'm originally from Wisconsin, but I've lived in Chicago for over 15 years. I've been a vegetarian for 20 years and being from Wisconsin, cheese will always be a part of...

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October
2018

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Brandi V-L.

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM?   I was born and raised in California and moved to Chicago in 2011. I am currently a PhD candidate in Criminology, Law and Justice with a research focus on juvenile justice p...

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September
2018

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Vic B.

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM? Faith, family, my girlfriend (Jasmine), and work keep me bus...

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August
2018

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Stacy R

  TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM?   Outside of the gym I drink coffee, pet dogs, eat lots of cheese, draw things, and repeat.   WHAT INITIALLY GOT YOU INTO CROSSFIT AND WHAT KEEPS YOU C...

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July
2018

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Jackie T.

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM? I have an MA in psychology and currently work with the homeless. My husband is working on his PhD at Loyola so he’s able to be home with our kids during the day, and when I get h...

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June
2018

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Alia K

Alia has only been a member of Hardware CrossFit since September of 2017, but in those short 9 months, she has demonstrated several qualities that we love to see in an HWCF athlete: a positive/encouraging attitude, involvement with the community, and cons...

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May
2018

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John K

John Kehoe has a 405 pound squat, a sub 3 minute Grace, and can run a sub 6 minute mile. Let those numbers sink in a bit. Each of those accomplishments are impressive on their own, but the fact that he has done all three since being a member at Hardware C...

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November
2021

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Karie V (She/her)

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM? I am an attorney, a mom to two incredible kids, Nicolo and Isabella, and I am married to my amazing husband, Franco. WHAT INITIALLY GOT YOU INTO TRAINING AND WHAT KEEPS YOU COM...

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December
2021

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LaRae H (she/her)

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM? Outside of Hardware I snuggle cats (my cats Motorbike and Boris are the world's greatest... except when they are puking on my rug), listen to podcasts (my current fave is Free to a...

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January
2022

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Steven S (he/him/his)

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM? I recently left 15 years of public education (high school mathematics teacher, school building administrator, and school district administrator) to become the National Schools Dire...

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February
2022

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Jackie H (she/her/hers)

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM? My husband Brian and I live in Uptown with our 2.5-yr-old daughter, Lorraine. When I'm not at Hardware, I'm likely running on the lakefront path or spending time with family. Fo...

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March
2022

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Kevin W (he/him/his)

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM? Outside of the gym in my free time, you’ll often find me at the beach on nice weekend days in the summer, enjoying game nights with friends, or binging the latest in pop culture....

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April
2022

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Pop T (he/him/his)

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM? I was born and raised in Bangkok, Thailand, and move to the U.S. in 2014 for higher education. I was graduated from DePaul late 2020 in Data Science. Currently, I’m a Data Engine...

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May
2022

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Lauren O (she/her/hers)

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM? I am a licensed professional counselor treating adults with OCD/Anxiety disorders. I grew up in the northwest suburbs of Chicago and went to College at the University of Ar...

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June
2022

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Caryl G

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM? My name is Caryl Giordano and I am extremely humbled and thrilled to be June Athlete of the Month. I currently work as a Violent Crimes Detective for the Chicago Police Depar...

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July
2022

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Oscar A

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM? My name is Oscar Ayala. Outside the gym I work as an accountant/auditor for an accounting firm. I have been doing this for 15+ years and it’s a profession that has taken me to ...

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August
2022

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Pauline S

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM? I teach first grade English at the French International School in Lincoln Square. I love teaching young children how to read and setting them up for a lifetime of loving books.�...

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September
2022

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Bryan Z (he/him/his)

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM? Outside of the gym, I rollerblade most mornings on the lake with my dog whenever the weather permits. I take beginner French at Truman Community College, and I am a huge fan of Chi...

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October
2022

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Garien G (he/him/his)

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM? I have three wonderful kids, so I spend a ton of time learning about Pokemon and trying to understand why they enjoy watching other kids on Youtube open toys. I work in pol...

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November
2022

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Joel M (he/him/his)

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM? I work for a major airline based out of Minneapolis which has me traveling 2-4 days out of the week. Fitness is my primary hobby so when I’m home I tend to spend a lot of my free t...

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December
2022

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Angela H (she/her/hers)

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM? I've been an art teacher at a high school on the west side of Chicago for the past 16 years. When I'm not harassing teenagers I'm probably planning a road trip to visit a Nation...

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January
2023

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Jamie B (she/her/hers)

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM? I work on strategic projects for a private equity owned business, so I do a lot of different jobs there, but my background is finance. Right now I’m working on managing a st...

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February
2023

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Gaby L (she/her/they/them/theirs)

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM? I am a multi-hyphenate theatre artist: an actor, director, Fight Director, and Intimacy Director, and I work all over the country while proudly calling Chicago home.  My favorite an...

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March
2023

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Alex F (he/him/his)

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM? I moved to Chicago in October of 2020, being able to say not even a month after moving that I found such an amazing community is something not everyone can say. Fitness is my ...

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March
2023

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Andy F (He/Him/His)

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT DO YOU DO OUTSIDE OF THE GYM? I moved to Chicago from Florida after college, and the amazing Ravenswood/Andersonville community (including places like Hardware!) made it my new home. I now live in Irving P...

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