Inside Steadfast: How a Gym Family Builds Strength, Friendship, and Community Impact

During our last writer's group meeting, in our free writing time, we were given the topic of community as we were meeting in the newly opened community room in our library's addition.

The moment I heard the word community, my mind instantly wandered to my gym family at Steadfast. That day, during my free writing time, this is what poured onto the page.

Community is a beautiful, many-layered thing—like a quilt stitched together with different colors, textures, and stories.

At Steadfast Performance Training and CrossFit Plain City, we’re one big family made up of smaller, close-knit circles. And I’m blessed to have friends in every one of them.

There’s our inspiring Masters CrossFit crew—athletes 60 and up who defy the idea that aging means slowing down. They move, lift, and train with one goal: to stay strong, mobile, and ready for all the life and family moments they love.

Then there are the young athletes—bright-eyed kids sharpening their skills for softball, soccer, and beyond. Not long ago, our powerlifting club was filled with determined high schoolers pushing limits and collecting medals at meets throughout March.

The CrossFit community is our largest and perhaps our most visible. They gather Monday through Saturday for challenging classes, but they also unite for something even deeper—Hero Workouts. On Memorial Day, we honor Lt. Michael Murphy with “Murph”: 300 air squats, 200 push-ups, 100 pull-ups, and two one-mile runs. Every athlete adapts it to their abilities, but the spirit remains the same. On Veterans Day, we take on Chad1000x—1,000 weighted step-ups—to raise awareness for veteran suicide prevention. Once again, the workout is scaled for each participant, but the cause is universal.

Our weightlifting community is a blend of Olympic lifters—snatching and clean-and-jerking with precision—and powerlifters, mastering the squat, bench, and deadlift. This year, I’m stepping into a women’s powerlifting meet alongside other incredible women from Steadfast. Some of us train together, others squeeze in solo sessions during open gym, juggling work, family, and life while chasing PRs.

We also have Strength and Burn athletes. Strength is all about building power through a varied program, while Burn is a quick, fiery session for those who want an intense workout without the full CrossFit time commitment.

What’s beautiful is that no one is confined to just one circle. I’m deep in powerlifting right now, but I still hop into a CrossFit class from time to time. I’ve tried Strength and Burn in the past. I even tease my friends in Masters CrossFit that I’m only eight years away from joining their ranks.

And our community doesn’t stop at the gym door. We collect backpacks and/or school supplies and sweatshirts each fall for DNA (Daily Needs Assistance), helping local families in need. This February, Steadfast led the charge for “The Coldest Night of the Year,” where our team braved the 5K walk and raised over $5,000 for DNA’s mission.

Since joining Steadfast in 2021—right after my son graduated high school—I’ve found more than a place to train. I’ve found a family that celebrates each other’s victories, supports each other through challenges, and uses our collective strength to make a difference in the world around us.

Our Steadfast community reaches beyond the gym walls.  We do school supply and sweatshirt drives in the fall to help DNA (Daily Needs Assistance) who supports local families in need.  This February, Steadfast was the lead sponsor for a big fundraiser "The Coldest Night of the Year."  We had a team that participated in the 5K walk and raised over $5000 for DNA.

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