Member Of The Month – August 2023
Our August MOTM award goes to James Camsell!
James has really gone from strength to strength recently in his training, and competing too! He has nailed his gymnastics and now smashes out bar muscle ups for fun in competitions, he is getting stronger and stronger on a barbell, he has a great engine and has been really pushing himself each time he trains. He also is always here to have a good time (even if that does mean getting told off for talking during briefings ;)) and is always up for a laugh, supporting and pushing other people and getting involved with all things M Squared. He and his competition partner James Hampson made the podium in the RX category at the summer M Squared competition this summer – really showing just how much he has come on after he placed 3rd in the year before in the scaled category! So well done James, lets find out a bit more about his CrossFit journey so far…
M – How long have you been doing CrossFit?
JC – Just over 2 years now. I did my beginners course in September 2021.
M– What class time do you usually attend and why does that work for you?
JC – I work close to the gym so 5pm is when I choose to grace everyone with my presence! I also do Team Training on a Thursday night #BringBackJSav. I’m not a morning person and training at 6am is for crazy people.
M– What is your why? Why do you put yourself through it each day? Do you have goals you want to achieve?
JC – I’m a competitive person and very self critical. I wanted to be fitter and stronger and I enjoy the challenge of the workouts each day. I enjoy the feeling of learning a new movement or pb’ing a lift and that fuels me to come back for more. No goals, just be better than I was yesterday. 
M – What advice would you give anyone wanting to start CrossFit but is either unsure or nervous? We get people all the time saying they need to get fit first or they could never do what we do? Any advice for those people?
JC – Jump in with both feet and commit to it. The gym has a great community and no matter what level of fitness or ability you have, when you are in the class you are in the workout together. Everyone will be supporting each other to get through it.
I was nervous as hell on my first class and I’ve never looked back since.
M – What is your biggest achievement so far in CrossFit and what are you most proud of?
JC – I was lucky enough to be allowed to borrow Paul’s C’s weight belt in this years M Squared FeMale comp. Legend has it that the secret to his success as a CrossFit wanker 5 years on the bounce is woven into the stitching. Either way, I pb’d my deadlift that day at 200kg after never even touching that kind of weight before and we came 3rd overall. Shocked myself!
M – Haha brilliant – Paul C is gonna have to start renting his belt out! Seriously though – mega well done James – you’re absolutely smashing it. But keep your hands off the M yeah?
