We are proud to be able to announce our Dissent Member Spotlight by highlighting our member and friend, Brooks Brown. Brooks is coming up on one year with us and the amount of improvement he has made in his health and his movement is incredible. He’s an incredible guy and always there to lend an ear if you need to chat. Here’s to many more years of fitness with you, Brooks!
What made you want to begin your fitness journey at Dissent Athletics?
Brooks: I’m happy to be a part of Dissent Athletics! I started this journey for two reasons. I was the heaviest and most out of shape that I had ever been in my life. My doctor was concerned as more and more health issues were popping up. I also struggle with depression and high anxiety from PTSD and needed an outlet to help cope with these issues. I did CrossFit style workouts in the military and really liked it so I knew that’s what I wanted to do to try and maintain a healthier lifestyle.
Tell us a little about your family?!
Brooks: My most favorite people in the world are my family. My wife, Kary, is a stay at home mom with our two daughters, Aurora (8 years) and Isla (4 months). Aurora is a competitive gymnast and loves to read and Isla is growing every day, showing us new sides to her little personality.
What do you do for work?
Brooks: I work for a privately owned company in the aviation industry as a Turbine Engine Technician for commercial jets.
What do you do in your free time?
Brooks: In my free time, I like to fish, spend time with family/friends, or hang out at the house and watch tv if I’m not doing anything else.
Do you have any current goals in the gym? Anything you’ve already achieved or didn’t think was possible in the beginning?
Brooks: My goals at the gym are pretty simple. I want to live a healthier lifestyle in general, set an example for my kids to remember to take care of themselves no matter how busy life can get, and push myself to do things that I’ve never done before. In my time with Dissent Athletics, I have rekindled my love for working out and overcome almost all of my medical issues due to my weight. I have also learned several barbell and gymnastics movements that I didn’t think I could ever do. I still have a lot to learn but it is really fun to see how far I can push myself.
Two of the best qualities that Dissent Athletics has to offer are the staff. They are very knowledgeable about the workouts that they provide and they genuinely care how each member is doing when it comes to our fitness and/or our general lives. The second quality is the other members. It’s difficult to go to a gym where you don’t know anyone and there is no support system to motivate you to keep going even when you don’t think you can. From day one, I had other members coming up to me and encouraging me to keep going and not give up. Since then, I have made a few friends along the way. It’s been a great experience compared to other gyms I have been to in the past.
Thank you, Brooks!