I wake up every morning thinking, “Life is short, and so am I.” I also wake up thinking, “This is the fittest I have ever been in my life, and tomorrow I’ll be fitter.” I was never a gym rat. In fact I hated the weight room. I was the little guy who played team sports and loved being the spark plug. When I was eight, I played baseball with the nine and ten-year-olds. My only role was to pinch hit, crouch as low as I could and try to draw walks. The little guy driving the pitchers crazy, I loved every at-bat! My mom wanted to put me on steroids in high school because I didn’t weigh 100 pounds. Who needs steroids? Any idea how much attention the smallest guy with the wisest ass gets? The doc tells me now that I’ve hit 40, my growth spurt is just around the corner…

I’m not waiting.

I wish I had found this sh*t ten years ago! My “athletic” years probably look a bit like yours: playing softball, hoopin it up, mountain biking, checkin more boxes: 5K’s, sprint-tris, mud runs, marathon relays, 10-milers, Olympic-tris, adventure races. Nothing, believe me nothing, has gotten me hooked like CrossFit. I used to look at the weirdos in the park doing CrossFit outdoors and I would think, “Man, look at the weirdos in the park doing that weird sh*t outdoors.” All it took was one stumble through the door of PUSH511 in December 2010 and I’ve been sprinting in and out ever since.

I’m out of my comfort zone every day and I couldn’t be happier. I wreck myself in the gym with good people and hard work and talk myself through it with the words “Lil Man, Big Engine” repeating in my head.

I came into Crossfit with the opening of a new Box at Coppermine. Before Crossfit I was your typical gym rat, runner and yogi. I considered myself to be pretty fit when I first started, but quickly realized I was about to achieve a whole new variety of fitness. The first few months of Crossfit were brutal, forcing me out of my comfort zone and just barely managing to get through the WOD. I loved it. I fell fast for Crossfit and constantly surprised myself with what I could achieve physically.

Crossfit has given me a new perspective both inside and outside the box and also introduced me to a wonderful community of like-minded individuals who have allowed me to develop a healthy and fun competitive attitude. Along the way I secured my Level 1 Trainer Certification and began a rewarding experience coaching at Coppermine. I hope to share my experience with others encouraging them to realize their potential and exceed goals.

I love the Crossfit philosophy and community it fosters. Coppermine has become like a second family.

It all began one glorious June day, the birth of Matthew Eoin Ropke. Yadda yadda yadda. I began CrossFit in late April 2012. Like some, I went into it with some skepticism. Hesitant to indulge a fad. But twice a week quickly turned to four times a week, now, I spend more time in the Box than in my own home (when awake).

I am a Level I Certified Coach, with a long history of athletics and fitness. Continually trying to expand my knowledge and skill by learning from some of the best the sport/fitness world has to offer.
Goals: Exstensively contribute to building an ever expanding CrossFit Community.