Athlete of the Month: June 2015
Jordan Ciccarello
Nickname: JSick
Member Since: March 2011
Jordan was already an accomplished athlete when he arrived at Windy City 4+ years ago. As a talented -- and young -- former Division One collegiate athlete, Jordan had no problem acclimating to our style of training. Over the course of his time here, Jordan has become one of Windy City's most talented athletes with regard to the Sport of Fitness. And while he continues to progress with his training, what's more impressive is how much Jordan has grown as an individual. We've watched him rise in his career, meet and date his future wife, and become a core member of the Windy City community. We're proud to call Jordan one of our own!
"No matter what Sheena may tell people, I am not responsible for any of the current holes/dents in the walls at Windy City." - Jordan Ciccarello
Jordan: Training at WCCF has allowed me to meet a group of great individuals (including my Fiancé, Johanna!) who have helped me grow as an athlete and as a person. When I joined WCCF, I was 22 years old and had been living in Chicago for less than half a year and mostly knew the people I was working with. WCCF has not only provided me with a supportive group to work out with, play in sports leagues with and grab a beer with, but also to run ideas by with regards to career/life decisions.
Recent Adventures
During March/April, I was able to participate in the NPGL Pro Day in San Francisco and was subsequently invited to the NPGL Combine in Washington D.C. based on performance. For those of you who haven’t heard of Grid, make sure to check out the races Tony and Austin are planning on having at Windy City sometime in the future to get a feel for it. It’s fast-paced and a fun team oriented take on participating in functional fitness.
On the trip I was able to hang out with J$, pick the brain of the CEO of the league, a team owner (and former WCCF Member, Cal) as well as one the team’s head coaches (and Austin’s coach, Mike Lee). Besides getting to compete with a bunch of awesome athletes it was an awesome experience to see where they see the league going both on and off the Grid.
Future Adventures
Besides returning as an improved athlete to a future NPGL Combine, I want to continue to explore some of the countries national parks with Johanna. Our planned trip to Zion was cancelled due to the government shutdown a couple years ago so I think we are going to try and make a trip as a mini-honeymoon this fall with a longer trip overseas next spring.
Personal Goals
At the gym / Athletics: Honestly, stay healthy and continue to improve. A couple of years ago, I had more concrete goals of qualifying for the American Open which I was able to do. Having switched from an OLY focus back to more of a functional fitness regimen, I haven’t set any concrete goals. Last year was the first year that I managed to stay injury free (generally) in a few years and I saw and continue to see marked improvements. I have some numbers in my head for the big lifts but beyond that continue to compete, learn and have fun. Oh, and never let Tony beat me at anything.
Professionally: I moved from Big 4 Accounting to a ‘start-up’ last summer and we’ve grown like wildfire in the past year. The next couple of years should be busy and exciting so I’ll worry about longer term aspirations once things slow down. Until then, I’ll continue to enjoy working in an ever changing environment and continue to grow in a manager role.
Personal: Get married this fall; This assumes I don’t drive Johanna mad before then by not doing what she asks with regards to wedding planning.
Words to live by:
I’ve never been a big quote guy so I’d just like to say thanks to Justin and all of the coaches for building a great place to work out at.