We are proud to announce a new Arrowhead Athlete, Crossfit Masters Competitor Stavros Kalogirou. Stavros is many things - an athlete, a husband, a dad, and a public servant and protector in his community. We are proud to support Stavros in his competitive goals and training, and invite you to get to know him better.
Birthday, Current Hometown
July 1st, 1976, I'm 40! Born in Berkeley, CA. San Francisco Bay Area born and raised.
How did you discover crossfit / olympic lifting
I started CrossFit in 2006 when I was trying to prepare to be hired as a firefighter. During my academy orientation, I was told if you want to get in good shape for the academy and job...find a CF gym. I went home and searched the internet and was lucky enough to have one of the few original CF gym only miles from my house, Diablo CrossFit. My 1st workout at that gym was December 21st 2006 at 6am. I don't remember what we did, but I do remember it was amazingly-brutiful and I wanted more :-)
Pre-training ritual
Mine is probably a little non-traditional, it usually involves in a frantic early morning wake up at home, getting kids dressed, fed, and then driving them to school. I often listen to some motivational speakers, primarily Eric Thomas, Les Brown, and Jocko. But my pre-workout routine ALWAYS involves coffee (black, nothing in it but as much caffeine as possible). I also try and spend some time reading and reflecting in the mornings when I wake up. It gets me very focused on what's ahead and helps me "win the day" (as Tim Ferriss would say)
Recovery ritual
I truly love training and working out, especially with my friends in the gym. We are generally all on different programs, etc, but just sharing the room and energy with each other is magical. When I'm done with my workout, I quickly grab a carb/protein type drink, then chat for a bit before leaving the gym. It's a physical and mental cool down.
Favorite conditioning movement or lift
I really enjoy thrusters, running, back squats, bar muscle ups and carrying/moving heavy things (D-ball over the shoulder, etc). I've also gained a new found love for gymnastics like handstand walking and ring muscle ups. They are still challenging for me, but I really enjoy the process of learning and improving on them.
Favorite Arrowhead Tape
Hmm, in no particular order; Premium Serrated, Lite-guard, Thin Flex. So far I love it all, especially the bright colors!
How do you use Our Tape in Crossfit/Lifting/Training-
The premium serrated sticky is perfect all-around tape, love the support and ease of use. Lite-guard protects the fingers and stays put throughout a workout, and Thin-flex is my go-to for when I'm doing gymnastics and need a little more movement out of my joints, but still need some support and protection.
What are your competitive goals in 2017?
Like I mentioned, I’ve been involved in CrossFit since 2006 and until this past year, I've followed gym programming, or done my own. Since last year, I've been training under a coach from Optimum Performance Training in Calgary, Canada, with some very specific goals In the past I've competed as part of a regional team for my gym, but as I've now entered the masters 40-44M division, my goals have changed. In the 2016 CF Open I placed around 300 in my division (out of 20k+ athletes). My goal for 2017 is to place well into the top 200 worldwide in the 2017 CF Open and move on to the Masters Qualifier. Addtionally, I would like to take a podium spot in my division at a competition (plan on entering 2-3 this year).
Favorite music for training and competing
Music is essential, sometimes it's 90's rap, or Rise Against on Pandora, but it's always loud :-)
What is important to you outside of training and competing?
Great question! Training and competing is part of who I am, not who I am. Other things about me, I've been married for almost 17 years (together for almost 20!!), I have 4 amazing kids ages 3 to 11 (and a puppy golden retriever). I'm a full-time Firefighter/Paramedic for a great fire department in Northern California and work on a very busy engine company (actually I drive the engine, which is the best job in the world, if you ask me). I'm grateful that I get to do what I do, and truly enjoy the process of it all.
A couple of my all-time favorite quotes:
"Everyone wants to be a beast, until it's time to do what beasts do" - Eric Thomas
“Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears” - Les Brown
