Some couples might dread the thought of working with their spouse.
The opposite is true for Scott and Christin Panchik, who run their affiliate, CrossFit Mentality, and focus on training and raising two young children.
Remind me: Scott is a 10-time CrossFit Games veteran and a fixture in the sport as an athlete and mentor in the community. Christin was on a Regionals team in 2017 and has more recently competed in the Age Group Semifinals competition, finishing in 88th place out of 170 spots.
The couple’s first date was a CrossFit workout in 2013.
Christin had no clue what the sport was at the time and recalls it being a 10-to-1 workout involving toes-to-bar, overhead squats, and burpees. Scott had already been to the Games once already at that point.
- “It was so hard. But I also loved it so much, and I remember being so sore the next day,” Christin told Morning Chalk Up in an interview. “I thought it was really cool that Scott was doing CrossFit. I still didn’t understand that there was a competition side to it; I just knew it was a gym and a really cool fitness program.”
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From there, the two started dating and Christin found herself deep in the world of CrossFit.
Scott was running CrossFit Mentality, and Christin began dipping her toes in the workouts and finding herself in the gym more and more. The couple has now been running their affiliate for 11 years.
- “We started dating in 2013 when I first opened the place. And over the course of those three years, we just kind of continued to work together in here. Our roles got bigger, and my brothers branched out to open their own gym with my dad, and then Christin and I took over CrossFit Mentality,” Scott said.
The couple started having kids about four years ago and have since shifted to working out at home to accommodate coaching schedules and nap time.
Scott now coaches Christin, helping her get back into competitive CrossFit after having her second child.
- “We started training a lot more at home, and I had to figure out how to be a little more efficient with my time in the gym. I do a full week of training, and then she does the same week I do but the following week. So I’ll spend a little extra time in the gym creating that template and writing the workouts, and be able to coach her through the workouts, because I’ve already done them,” Scott said.
Scott retired from individual elite competition but is continuing to compete as a Masters athlete.
- He took fourth place in the 35-39 division at the Legends CrossFit Games this year.
Christin has been on her own fitness journey since having her second baby and is trying to help other women who are going through pregnancy and who are postpartum.
Christin had C-sections with both pregnancies and has learned so much from both (very) different experiences.
- “I stayed very active throughout both my pregnancies. I did CrossFit the entire time through both. I did have two C-sections, which some people are hush-hush about. I am a very open book. I am not afraid to share my journey and experience, and I’m not ashamed of that,” said Christin.
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She was diagnosed with gestational diabetes during her second pregnancy, which she says was a huge learning experience and an opportunity to educate other healthy women who get that diagnosis.
The two have managed to balance gym ownership, training, and marriage, and now both are heading to Arizona to compete at the 1st Phorm Legends Championship in December. Scott and Christin both qualified and will be competing at the premier masters competition in a little over a month.
- “We both did the qualifiers. It was kind of just a fun thing that we got to do. Our kids were in here. Sometimes, it was a little chaotic, but, you know, we figured it out. And really, it’s just about showing up and doing the best you can,” Scott said.
Scott knows that CrossFit will always be a part of his life. While training isn’t his first priority, it is still important to him as it ultimately changed the trajectory of his life.
Christin shares that she and Scott often joke they never thought they would find somebody as crazy as they are to spend a life with because they are both so obsessed with health and wellness.
- “I never thought I would find somebody as crazy as me. But he says the same thing. It’s just really special that we get to share this passion together, and we have such a strong bond in our relationship and marriage,” said Christin.
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Featured image: Christin Panchik, Beyond the Script Media, @beyond.the.script / Instagram
