Derek Newman
Head Coach
Florida Smoke Diver Have done 600 Burpess in 1 hour.
Have performed a burpee-mile while wearing a 20# vest.
Once upon a time I performed 21 unbroken Ring Muscle Ups.
Competes in 67kg weight class in USAW
Qualifications
CrossFit Level 2 Trainer
USAW Level 2 Coach
CrossFit Gymnastics
CrossFit Programming
CrossFit Dumbbells
CrossFit Spot
The Flaw CrossFit Scaling
About Coach
I grew up a baseball player. In July 2009, entering high school, my Dad and I found CrossFit. From that point on, we created what we believe to be the best garage gym there is and are proud to always represent “CFGS, CrossFit Garage Style”. To me, it’s a sense of not forgetting where you come from. CrossFit helped me tremendously in my abilities as a baseball player. The Olympic lifting in CrossFit led me to become a weightlifter in high school as well. I have been part of the CrossFit Games Southeast Regional Gear Crew from 2010 to 2017. I attended FGCU where I was a Resident Assistant for 2 years, and graduated in 2017 with a B.A. Degree in Sociology. Wanting to pursue my love for helping people, being constantly active, and following in my Dad’s footsteps, I went to Fire School in Ocala, FL. 2 years later I successfully passed The Florida Smoke Diver Program. Florida Smoke Diver is a physically and mentally demanding program designed to challenge the most elite firefighters. After 6 of the toughest days I have ever lived, I passed, just 30 years after my Dad passed. Along this journey, CrossFit was my constant. I got my first CrossFit coaching job in 2015 at Sphinx CrossFit. I then fell in love with coaching more than I can imagine, which inspired me to get as many certifications as I could to become a wealth of knowledge for any member that came through the door. I recently became an assistant coach to the Fort Myers High School weightlifting team. Needless to say, helping others and fitness are my passions. Those couple with being married to the best wife, Megan, and our new son, Rory, I am blessed for the life I have.
Turning Point
We always look to the outside for answers. We love to look up to heroes and unfortunately have some enemies. It’s a natural thing. However, I believe internally, we have our answer, you just have to find it. We can be our own heroes and our own enemy. Your mind will give up long before your body will, it’s up to you to turn that voice off and keep moving forward, no one can do it for you. My turning point came on Day 3 of Smoke Divers, on the 14th flight of stairs during the 9/11 stair climb. I thought I had reached my physical limit, and my mind was beyond that. Starting to think my training had failed me. But I blocked the voice in my head and continued on. In the end, I completed the terminal objective, which was my turning point not only for the course but for my outlook on everyday life. The “darkness” seeks out the “quitter” in us. It’s the little voice inside your head telling you to quit because you’ve “reached your limits”. It’s up to you to figure out how to silence that voice when it starts to arise. With that mindset, no matter the task, you can do anything.
Motivation & Passion
My purpose for coaching is to simply help people become healthier individuals so that they can feel good about themselves and live a better quality of life. Seeing the pure joy when someone does something they think they never could do is one of the best sights. Whether it be a first push-up, or a personal record for a seasoned weightlifter, knowing that I helped them accomplish that brings me joy that I can’t explain.
