Queen of the Point - Kim Mitkus
Our Queen is the lovely, Kim Mitkus! Kim is a hard-working lady that constantly trains with the mid-morning crew. In class, Kim is strategic with her gymnastic movements and loads on the barbell. She always shows up and modifies the workout adequately to accurately hit the stimulus suggested by the coach. Kim has a very strong squat and we often rally around her squats PRs. Even her wall balls are getting stronger even though the 9' mark seems so high for her, LOL. We are so proud and grateful Kim continues to choose CJP as her gym. Keep reading to lear more about her journey...
What brought you to East Boston?
My husband is military so we were transferred here. When searching for a new box I actually liked CJP the best from website/FB but I thought it was to far from Winthrop. One day I had an appointment near gym & saw everyone working out with garage door open. I went home and scheduled a visit to try CJP. It was a great fit, amazing energy, people and coaches. Here I am 2 years later...
What drew you to CrossFit?
Back in April of 2012 I was chatting with a friend about working out and how I felt I hit a plateau with my workouts. She said you know I saw this crazy new sport called CrossFit of ESPN and one just open up in Port Chester NY, city I worked in at the time. You should give a try seems right up alley. The support and community of Crossfit is incomparable. Plus I always was into super sets at regular gyms so when I found Crossfit I felt like I finally fit in lol
What was your expectation on your first day at CJP?
To find a gym that I could love coming into was my expectation.
How has your perception changed since that day?
Honestly I had to find a new home gym my 1st move with my husband and it can take a while. I signed up for trial will Javy and didn’t know what to except.
I quickly realized CJP has real interest in helping every single member achieve their goals. I feel like what Javy and Sandy have created in CJP is just special. Hands down the most caring gym I’ve had the pleasure of being a part of.
What keeps you coming back to CJP?
The coaches, workouts and the community of CJP. I also love that in CF you can never stop working on something. Even if you reach goals theirs always one following it. “Constant work in progress” I do love to see how much the gym keeps growing too. It’s cool to keep getting to meet new people.
What are some of the changes you have experienced in your physical appearance, strength and/or body composition. How have you used this outside of the gym?
I am definitely stronger in many ways not only physically but mentally. Sometimes one great workout at the gym can help melt the stress of the day away.
I’m able to many different activities due to Crossfit. I can run an obstacle course or catch a wave (surf). Functional movements go along way.
Biggest improvements/struggles with CrossFit?
My biggest improvement would be staying consistent in coming to the gym which I believe will help over all to stay more healthy and hit more PR’s. But with that being said all the weights I can lift have increased dramatically. Especially after we finish a 6-8 week program. Love those programs.
My struggle is still Pull-ups/Double Unders but I know I need to be more patient and spend more time with it to get those results. I’ll throw that on the board next class for new goals.
If you could create your own WOD, what movements would you use? We’ll definitely squatting has always been my favorite .I love dumbbell snatches, rowing, power cleans and thrusters too. And I love when we have long workouts.
Meat head nickname (with explanation)?
I have many silly nicknames from my friends but I guess Kimmy is my most used nickname. Mainly family or old friends not to silly.
If you were to encourage someone on the fence of joining the CJP community, what would you say?
I always try to talk to new members when they come in to make them feel comfortable. CrossFit can feel intimating in the beginning and I had many people keep me encouraged. But if you scale reps and weights you’ll get stronger everyday. And most importantly it’s not about what others can do, it’s about what you can do more of each day. And about CJP that it’s just an amazing community with much love and support for every athlete from every COACH!
Honestly, I was thinking it was going to be like the other CrossFit boxes I had been to before CJP. I thought I wasn’t going to last and that my first class was going to be a try out. I was surprised by how much commitment and effort the coaches put into each of us to make us better, a month try out turned out to be 3 years of continuous work. What started as a couple days a week turned out to be a life time commitment.
I was brought to CrossFit because of the functionality it provides for every challenge life versus just bodybuilding or power lifting. CrossFit forces you to break through mental barriers and past what you thought you physical or mental limit was.
We have something at CJP that I see and appreciate at every CrossFit gym I’ve ever vistied: a community of capable, caring judges and athletes of all shapes and sizes united under one goal of helping each other to get as fit as possible. That was my expectation when I showed up here on Day One (June 2015), and that perception hasn’t changed at all in the four years since.
