While it might work for some people—possibly the more naturally technical folks out there—for many, nothing can replace a real life coach.

Damborg is a mainstay in the CrossFit community—his obvious passion unmatched by few. So it was no surprise when Damborg announced he was opening his own gym. Knowing how drastically CrossFit had improved his own life, Damborg’s passion has always been to help the “Average Jo” get fit. 

“When we started, my goal was to appeal to everyone else—not just to competitors,” he explained. “I tailor to the ‘everybody else’ crowd,” he laughed.

Brett Marshall of CrossFit Calgary has found a way to run a competitor's program that's helping both his business and his athletes, all the while keeping his community cohesively intact.

How do handle elite CrossFit athletes at your box? Do you allow self-programming? Do your top athletes train together in a group during specific time slots? What do you charge them for a competitors program? Do you even charge them for a competitors program? What do you charge them for individual programming? Do you treat your elite athletes like heroes? Do you consider them an investment for your business? Do you make considerable revenue off their services, or are they a cost? The opinions on the topic are as diverse, to say the least. In this series, I plan to look at different philosophies on the topic, but I’m debuting this series with my perspective as both an competitive athlete and a coach. Here goes:

Part 1: Make Them Pay!