We recently had our six year anniversary at Coyote CrossFit and with it I have spent a lot of time reflecting. Six years have flown by and it is hard to believe how far we have come. Thinking back on all of the incredible people that I have met, all of the great times I have had, and all of the progress that we have made as a gym I am full of gratitude. I wanted to take the opportunity to thank each and every person who has been a part of Coyote over the years, as well as the people at CrossFit 27:17 and CrossFit Blue Shark who have welcomed my team and I with open arms. We are truly one big family and I honestly can't believe how lucky I am to be able to be a part of so many people's lives.
I have been thinking for a while of how to say thank you. How do you tell the hundreds of people who I have come in contact with over the years thank you? I know there are many people who have been to the gym over the years that I will never see again. I decided that the best way to reach the most people would be to write an article.
To the former members of Coyote. Thank you. We wouldn't be where we are without you. I was going through our alumni database recently and realized we have over 600 alumni. That is mind blowing to me. I can't believe how many people I have been fortunate enough to meet because of Coyote over the years. There is a wide variety of reasons why you have moved on but I want you to know that I am forever grateful for each and every one of you. Whether you came to the gym for one month or 5 years I want to thank you for trusting us with your health and fitness. There are so many options for a gym these days and the fact that you would give us a chance means the world to me. I hope that we were able to help you in some form or fashion and that we had some impact on your life, whether big or small. Thank you.
To the current members of Coyote. Thank you. Some of you have been with us from the beginning. Thank you so much for trusting us. We have grown, evolved, and changed over the years and you have stuck with us. We haven't always done everything right but we have always tried our best. I know I didn't have any idea what I was doing when I started the gym. Thank you for sticking with us. Some of you have gone off and done your own thing and come back. Some of you have just joined us. Thank you all. Without you guys we wouldn't be able to do what we love each and every day. Because of you Coyote is one of the coolest places on the planet. Thank you.
To the current members of 27:17. Thank you. You guys stuck with us through a transition period where we were trying to figure out how to run two gyms. We haven't always done everything right but we are trying our best. You guys have stood behind us as we have made changes and have laid the foundation for an awesome gym. I was blown away by the response to the Intramural Open and some of the Google and Facebook reviews you guys have left us. To give every bit of yourself to something and to see that it is appreciated by others is one of the best feelings in the world. Thank you for you great attitudes, your effort, for the check ins, the friends you bring in, and for making us a part of your gym family. Thank you all.
To the current members of Blue Shark. Thank you. You guys already had an incredible community when we came on. Thank you for welcoming me with open arms as I started spending time in Oxford. Thank you for taking me out to eat, giving me a place to stay, and making me feel like a part of the family. Thank you for standing by us as we figure out how to run gyms in multiple cities. Thank you for your honesty with your stories, your great attitudes, your smiling faces, and the community you have built. I can't wait to see what the future has in store. Thank you.
To all of the people who have been apart of these gyms in some form or other. Thank you. Whether you listen to our podcast, have dropped in to a gym, wear one of our shirts, or been a part in some other way, you have more of an impact than you realize. Nothing gets me fired up like meeting someone who is a fan of what we do from a distance. It makes me feel like we are doing something right. Thank you all.
To my partners, past and current. Thank you. Thank you for taking a chance on a young guy who didn't really know what he was doing. I had an idea and a lot of motivation but was lacking in the knowledge and resources. If it wasn't for you then Coyote wouldn't exist and I would still be working behind a desk all day every day. I hope you realize how much you changed my life. I am able to do what I love each and every day because of you. Thank you.
To my mentors. Thank you. Thank you for shaping me into the business man that I am today. Thank you for seeing my potential. Thank you for giving your time and sharing your knowledge. Thank you for being my friends. Thank you for your honesty, your vulnerability, and your leadership. Thank you for the time we have yet to spend together. I wouldn't be where I am without you. Thank you.
To our coaches, past and current. Thank you. Thank you for being open minded and always giving your best to our clients. Thank you for sticking with me even as I was learning and continue to learn how to be a good boss and leader. Thank you for working just as hard on developing yourselves as you do on your job. Thank you for always putting our members first. Thank you for taking a chance on your jobs with me. I hope you guys know how much you mean to me and that I will always have your back. Thank you.
To my family. Thank you. Where do I even start? Just thinking about all of the ways you have supported me over the years makes me get choked up. You guys have supported me my whole life, no matter what I wanted to do. You have always been my number one fans and helped me out in more ways than I could ever recount. Thank you for loving me and sticking by me. I couldn't ask for a better family. Thank you.
To my girlfriend Claire. Thank you. I know that I can be very absent minded because I am always thinking about the business, but thank you for sticking with me. Thank you for listening to me complain and vent. Thank you for helping me raise two hellions for dogs. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for being my partner. I love you.
I hope that this article doesn't come off as too sappy. That's not what I was going for. I just wanted to let people know how grateful for them I am, no matter how big or small their role. As I get older I continue to see how truly fortunate I am to be able to do exactly what I want to do for a job. I can honestly say that there is nothing else I would rather do each day I wake up then to spend my time at the gym. Thank you all, and here's to many more years of fitness and community.
-Hunter