Tag: Fitness

Conor Murphy has worn many hats: Navy serviceman, CrossFit Games athlete, Seminar Staff trainer, and, now, head of Big Night Fitness and affiliate owner in Boston, Massachusetts. In this raw and real conversation with Denise Thomas, Conor opens up about the moments that nearly broke him — and how CrossFit gave him a second chance.

From losing his shot at a military career, to training celebrities on tour buses, to building a space where community comes first, Conor reflects on the power of mentorship, growth through failure, and what it means to truly live your values. His message to aspiring coaches and owners? Focus on people, not optics. Do the work. Stay humble. Keep showing up.3. 

Topics Included

• Military injury and finding direction through CrossFit
• Competing at the Games and becoming a Seminar Staff member
• Coaching celebrities vs. everyday athletes
• Building community at Big Night Fitness
• Lessons in leadership, ego, and growing up
• Launching an affiliate with purpose and perspective

Resources Mentioned

• CrossFit PB (Pacific Beach)
• CrossFit Level 1 Certificate Course
• CrossFit Seminar Staff
• WOD on the Waves
• Big Night Entertainment Group
• CrossFit TILT

Community Highlight

In 2023, Ernesto Reyes saw a gap: no CrossFit events in Mexico offered adaptive divisions. So he decided to change that.As the owner of CrossFit Cholula, Ernesto didn’t start with experience in adaptive training — just a love for competition and a drive to make the sport more inclusive. He visited a local rec center and invited adaptive athletes to try CrossFit. Over 20 showed up. A few kept training. That first competition changed everything.

Now, he coaches more than 10 adaptive athletes regularly. And the mission has become clear: this is his calling.As his late father once said, “Maybe Ernesto found the meaning of life — helping people.”This year, his gym is launching Personas con Determinación, a fundraiser to support competition costs. Together, they’ll hike one of Mexico’s highest peaks to prove a point: accomplishment doesn’t require perfection — it requires determination.

Follow the journey. Or join the climb.

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Dr. Major Allison Brager is a neuroscientist, a two-time CrossFit Games athlete, and one of the military’s leading experts on sleep and circadian biology. In this episode, host Denise Thomas and co-host Jocelyn Rylee dig in to what happens in the body during sleep, how your chronotype affects your performance, and the importance of sleep for recovery.

They also unpack strategic caffeine dosing, sleep myths, and the direct impact sleep has on your hormones, recovery, mood, and even long-term health risks. Whether you’re training hard or just trying to function better day-to-day, this conversation will change how you think about rest.

Topics Included

• What actually happens when we sleep
• Chronotypes, circadian rhythms, and ideal training times
• Sleep banking, shift work, and real-world application
• How sleep affects hormones, mood, and injury risk
• The impact of caffeine, alcohol, and blue light
• Strategies for better sleep: environment, timing, and habits

Resources Mentioned

• Dr. Brager’s book: “Meathead: Unraveling the Athletic Brain”
• Power Monkey Camp
• CrossFit Open
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia
• Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire
• National Sleep Foundation

Community Highlight

Jeff Winchester is a middle school counselor just outside of San Diego, California. In 2024, he launched CrossFit La Presa — a nonprofit school affiliate created with full support from his district and school leadership.

La Presa Middle School serves a largely underserved community, where many students face challenges outside the classroom. For Jeff, this program isn’t just about fitness — it’s about offering strength, structure, and connection to kids who need it most.

The results are powerful: students are gaining confidence, teachers are rediscovering their health, and kids who once stayed on the sidelines are now trying out for sports. Jeff says launching CrossFit La Presa has been one of the most meaningful moments of his 15-year career in education.⠀

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Let us know what you think about the podcast and how we can improve here.

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