Teddy Kim
TwinTown CrossFit Head Trainer
Hometown: I grew up in Virginia mostly, but I was born in Seoul, South Korea.
What’s your favorite WOD and why?
Nancy. It amuses me because it combines something I’m terrible at (running) with something I’m good at (squatting).
What do you consider your greatest accomplishment in CrossFit?
Getting other people to try it. I want to share it with everyone because it’s been such a powerful change agent in my life. When I was fat, I saw the world as a hideous obstacle course designed to thwart me. Getting up a flight of stairs was grueling. CrossFit changed all that. When you live in a world without physical boundaries doors open in unexpected ways.
What’s your biggest athletic goal in the gym?
I’ve been working on planches and someday I’d love to do a planche pushup.
How about outside of the gym?
Ride a horse across New Zealand. Slay orcs. Save the world.
How many times have you barfed since starting CrossFit?
Sometimes I throw up in my mouth and pretend nothing happened. Does it count if your head isn’t in a bucket?
What do you do on your rest days?
Take care of the baby and try to be helpful to my wife.
Hannah Wydeven
Hometown: Madison, WI
What’s your favorite WOD and why?
My favorite WOD is anything that includes rope climbs, because it feels really primal to climb a rope, and it’s something I couldn’t do as a kid that I am glad I can do as an adult. Also, people are really impressed when you tell them you can do rope climbs! My favorite benchmark WOD is Grace, because it’s intense and it only lasts a few minutes, but it leaves you feeling totally wasted at the end.
What do you consider your greatest accomplishment in CrossFit?
My biggest accomplishment is being able to do 30 pullups in a row. When I started crossfit, I could barely do pullups with a green band, but I was determined to do a full pullup. Now, a little over a year later, I can do 30 in a row and I feel very proud of that.
What’s your biggest athletic goal in the gym?
The two things I continue to reach for are a muscle-up and a handstand push-up. I work everyday on trying to improve my shoulder flexibility and strength, which still isn’t where I want it to be. I am also shooting for a goal of 120 situps in 2 minutes. Last time I tried it I got to 98, so I’m getting there!
How about outside of the gym?
Outside of the gym I work as a middle school science teacher, and my goals are to get my students interested in asking questions about the world around them, and to help them foster a real sense of ability in math and science, so we can have more smarty-pants scientists running around.
How many times have you barfed since starting CrossFit?
Twice. Both after Fran, and both times in the parking lot. But don’t worry, I buried it in snow.
What do you do on your rest days?
I perform improv comedy in the Twin Cities a couple of times a week. It’s like crossfit in a way because you have to put it all out there and you can’t hold back, plus at the end I’m pretty sweaty.
Peter Bekke
Hometown: Minneapolis, MN
What’s your favorite WOD and why?
That’s a tough question. We did Angie recently and I really “liked” it. I am a fan of the straight forward ass kicker WOD’s like that. There isn’t really one that jumps out at me more than any other though.
What do you consider your greatest accomplishment in CrossFit?
Completing Murph. Definitely one of the hardest WOD’s I have ever done, and I think that the first time I did it was the first time I did 100 pull-ups in a workout. That alone was a huge accomplishment for me. It never really gets any easier though.
What’s your biggest athletic goal in the gym?
Continually overcoming workouts that, at first, look impossible.
How about outside of the gym?
I would like to own a home in the near future.
How many times have you barfed since starting CrossFit?
NONE! (yet)
What do you do on your rest days?
Bike, eat, take naps, doodle.