Affiliate of the Month: Mach983 CrossFit Serves at-Risk Youth, Formerly Incarcerated Individuals, and Veterans in Colorado
When Fred Dayton opened Mach983 CrossFit in Aurora, CO, during the summer of 2022, one of his biggest motivations was to use his gym to give back to the greater community.
“How can we be as community-focused as we can?” Dayton asked himself when he decided to become a gym owner.
Less than two years later, his community has partnered with multiple nonprofit organizations, including Forging Youth Resilience (FYR); Redemption Road Fitness Foundation; Team Red, White, and Blue; and The Boys and Girls Club of America.
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Before opening his gym, Dayton was a coach with the Denver chapter of FYR, whose mission is to bring fitness and mentorship to underserved and underprivileged youth. At the time, the organization didn’t have its own space.
“They were working out in a backyard, and all there was was a rig and some rusted barbells, and we were throwing CrossFit workouts together,” Dayton tells the Morning Chalk Up.
Mach983 CrossFit has become “their home and a safe space,” and it has made a huge difference. Today, a core group of youth show up each week and work out alongside the gym’s adult members, who serve as great mentors.
“It has been amazing to see. They get so much more than just CrossFit here,” Dayton says, adding that the kids’ memberships, as well as some workout gear and college scholarships, are fully covered by the organization and through some fundraising efforts at the gym.
Last fall, for example, Mach983 CrossFit hosted a “Rows and Reps” Charity Event involving rowing and other classic CrossFit movements. This event raised $6,500 for FYR Denver.
Other Mach983 CrossFit coaches are also involved with FYR Denver in the local community, offering CrossFit classes to youth both at a local library and a local school.
Redemption Road: The gym’s second big partnership is with Redemption Road Fitness Foundation, a nonprofit that started at Limon Correctional Facility in CO in 2017 and provides exercise-based rehabilitation to athletes.
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Today, Redemption Road includes five CrossFit affiliates, all located within prison facilities, and the organization also helps people become Level 1 and Level 2 coaches while incarcerated.
When the opportunity to partner with Redemption Road came up, Dayton didn’t hesitate. Since then, he has opened his doors to formerly incarcerated people, hiring some of them as coaches at his gym.
Two of his 12 current coaches are formerly incarcerated individuals who came in through Redemption Road (and a third just moved to another city).
“A handful have become some of our best coaches. We embrace them so much and it has paid off,” Dayton says.
Most recently, Dayton’s community hosted a workout that helped raise more than $1,000 to pay the 2024 CrossFit Open entry fee for 100 incarcerated individuals.
The best thing, however, about having people from Redemption Road in their community has been watching the youth from FYR Denver connect with members from Redemption Road, some of whom come to the gym while still on parole.
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“The lessons they share with our teens are something none of us could have predicted. Oftentimes, they were in the same situation as our teens 20 years ago and made bad life choices that landed them in jail, and they share their experiences and mistakes with the FYR teens…The mentorship they provide our youth is amazing.” Dayton says.
Team Red, White, and Blue: Mach983 CrossFit’s third partnership is with Team Red, White, and Blue, an organization dedicated to helping military veterans through fitness. Dayton offers a class dedicated to veterans who come in through the organization.
The Boys and Girls Club of America: The gym’s newest partnership is with the Boys and Girls Club of America. In the next couple of weeks, they’ll start offering a class for youth from the organization to come train with their big brother or big sister.
The Big Picture: Dayton says he grew up “in a difficult situation in a non-traditional family setting,” which has contributed to his commitment to helping others who might have had a similar upbringing.
“I can sympathize with each and every one of them, and I can provide a little bit of personal experience and opportunities,” Dayton says. “Through the power of fitness and CrossFit, we can offer them opportunities they might not otherwise get. That’s where my heart is, trying to help as much as possible.”
Featured image courtesy of Fred Dayton