The Iron Triad of Woolfenden, Little and Cox or how I met Jake's Hot Dad...

As you may have surmised from the title of this blog post, Jake Woolfenden's dad is a straight up silver fox. Like, George Clooney looks like a schmuck. Jake's dad isn't even photo shopped. And George Clooney doesn't even lift on the reg. I'll bet he only lifts for a role. I'll bet he has a Segway that he rides up and down the shores of Lake Como. I'm willing to bet he stops his squat at parallel.
 

But, I digress.
 

Last fall, THIS came across my News Feed:

 

Take your time.

 

This is Jake Woolfenden's dad.

His DAD!

 

Now, Jake is one of the nicest men I know. I met him at CrossFit Springfield. And when Jake's friend Cindi Little posted this picture, I had one thought:

 

"Please let Jake's Hot Dad do the Open and kick ass so that I may someday write about him."

 

And, he did kick ass. Every week for 5 weeks.

I had two choices: One-I could stalk Jake's Hot Dad.
 

 

Well, stalking is exhausting. Plus, Jake's mom is awesome and so is my husband. There went THAT idea.

Or two-share the wealth and write about him.

 

So I chose to write about him. I met Ken and his wife at the Tanger Throwdown. They are a truly wonderful couple. So wonderful that I almost felt guilty about referring to him as Jake's Hot Dad. Almost. But I got over it.

Come to find out, as usual, there was tons of incredible stuff going on at CrossFit Springfield.  They had 3 athletes who qualified for the Masters. I HAD to know more!
 

 

SO! Here is what I found out about the amazing Ken Woolfenden, Cindi Little and Clift Cox-Masters athletes competing at the 2013 CrossFit Games.

 

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Jake's Hot Dad prefers to be called Ken to his face. I'm sure Jake's mom prefers it, as well. Go figure. Also, Clift and Cindi are equally hot.  BUT-Cindi, a 3x Games veteran and Clift's girlfriend Kara, also a Games veteran, could squash me like a bug. I fear them. I'm inappropriate, not stupid.
 I am currently hiding from Jake's lovely mom, who I respect enormously.  

Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

The Iron Triad

 

 

CrossFit Springfield has been pumping out Regional and Games level athletes since they opened in 2008. It is no shock to drop in and see some of the fittest people in North Central doing what they do best. And, it’s sweaty business. Shirts are shed. Guns and abs are exposed on the daily. With the quality of athlete CrossFit Springfield has the reputation for turning out, it takes something extraordinary to stand out from the crowd. Enter Ken Woolfenden, Clift Cox and Cindi Little-CrossFit Springfield’s Masters Division athletes. All three proved their fitness on the worldwide scale and will be taking their skills to the 2013 Reebok CrossFit Games in July. The road to California has been anything but smooth.

 

Ken Woolfenden caused a sensation in North Central when his son, coach Jake Woolfenden was tagged in a Facebook photo of Ken doing double-unders without his  shirt.

“I hate my dad…” joked the younger Woolfenden. “Seriously, he sucks.”

 Not many 61 year old men sport abs like the 8^th place finisher in the 60+ division of the Open. Truth be told, neither do many men half his age. And not many had to fight for their fitness like Ken Woolfenden.

 

“On January 12, 2000, I was involved in a job site accident,” said Woolfenden.  “A 1,200 pound steel column fell on me, shattering my pelvis, pulverized my right buttocks, injured my right shoulder and neck.  The doctors had their idea of rehab and I had my own.  They told me I would never be able to do the physical activities I did before.   In six weeks I started my own rehab plan which included speed limping, lifting weights, and swimming.   After two years I was 80% recovered but was unable to reach 100% until my son introduced me to CrossFit two years ago.”

 

Initially leery, due to lingering complications from his accident, Woolfenden cautiously dipped his toe into the CrossFit Kool-Aid. With gentle encouragement and coaching from his son, the grandfather of 7 and former martial arts and boxing enthusiast found that with functional fitness, his lingering health issues were being slowly erased. Gone were the pain and mobility issues from his accident and his problems with high cholesterol and high blood pressure.  “My Life Insurance rates have dropped in half which pays for one year of CrossFit,” Woolfenden happily reports.

 

In 2012, Woolfenden placed 25^th worldwide and set his sites on the 2013 Games. Fueled from encouragement given by his wife of 34 years, he trains 5 or 6 days a week and does two a days twice a week. Although he travels often for his job as regional manager for a steel company, Woolfenden manages to fit it all in, finding creative ways to utilize hotel gyms. His older son Len, encouraged by his father and brother’s accomplishments, became involved in CrossFit and is now an affiliate owner in Chesterfield, Missouri. It is the opportunity to train with his boys and athletes of all ages that helped drive Woolfenden down the road to Carson for the 2013 Games. “I love working out with all age groups because they push me,” he said.  “Their energy level stirs the competitiveness in me and challenges me daily.  I think of CrossFit as the fountain of youth.  Being able to climb ropes and box jump is like being a kid again.  I will never give up on trying to beat my sons in at least one event at CrossFit.”

The younger Woolfendens have their work cut out for them.

 

The second member of this iron triad is 46 year old Clift Cox. 2 years ago, Cox didn’t like what he was seeing in his reflection in the mirror. “I was in my mid 40’s and starting to see signs that what was once an athletic build was quickly becoming soft and weak. It was definitely not what I envisioned for my life,” he said. Fast–forward two years and Cox, along with girlfriend, Kara Wallace-Racz would catch your eye in any room. But in a room full of sweaty generalists, this couple shines. Wallace-Racz is a former team Games athlete and 3 time regional qualifier, so her advice has been invaluable to her boyfriend and the Open’s 17th place 45-49 Masters Man. They spend nearly every Sunday evening with Wallace-Racz’s sons, meal prepping for the week and discussing their training. “We’ve turned it into a great family day and it makes us feel good that we are feeding our family a healthy diet that isn’t processed.” When time permits, the couple enjoys riding the 6 horses Cox keeps on his farm. “It’s a lot of fun, sharing this passion with her and having her as a fellow competitor,” said Cox.  “It is rare that I beat her in a WOD, but it does on occasion happen. Her two boys, Gavin and Malakai are just now getting to the age that we are hoping to introduce them to CrossFit. If only we had started at their age.”

 

Cox’s first love was the water. He began swimming at 8years old and competed for Drury University in Springfield MO. He was the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Swimmer of the Year in 1988. He held 5 school records at Drury and 3 NAIA records. After college, he started training and competing in triathlons and was competitively successful though his mid 30’s. “In 2002, I was ranked 3^rd in the world in the Triathlon Clydesdale division,” said Cox.  “But, an injury sidelined me from running and at some point I started becoming okay with not being an athlete any longer.”

 

Cox was encouraged to try CrossFit by a college buddy who coaches at CrossFit Springfield. “I saw what CrossFit was doing for his body and realized quickly that there must be something to their workouts. I’ve been involved in insurance sales and rental property for the past decade and, due to work demands, time to do those long swims, training rides and runs that a triathlon calls for was really not a possibility any longer. The appeal of working out 3 or 4 days a week for just one hour had a huge plus side for me.” After the better part of a year, Cox was able to handle most workouts Rx’d and decided to participate in the 2012 Open. To his delight, he placed 86^th in his division. “From that point forward, I felt like I had a new sport to compete in,” said Cox.

 

The biggest challenge Cox faces, in his opinion, is recovery. “If I try to WOD more than 5 days a week, I start having tendon and ligament issues,” said Cox.  “My muscles require more rest now.” On occasion, he will add in an additional workout, but as a lifelong athlete, he finds that listening to his body has been the most effective tool in his training arsenal. “I don’t want to have to give this sport up because of an injury,” said Cox.  “Therefore, for me it has become more about the right amount of rest. The greatest reward of CrossFit is health and fitness. I look at so many of my contemporaries and feel like I am half their age.”

 

In the back corner of CrossFit Springfield, a quiet, lithe woman teaches rowing at 5am. Ironically, this 5’11” coach is named Cindi Little, but rest assured, there is nothing small about this athlete. Little is returning to Games for her third year running and placed 5th in the 60+ Women's Division during the Open. Little also took 1^st place in Event 5, with 123 total reps-that is four rounds plus 3 thrusters.

 

“One of the great things about CrossFit is when you walk in age barriers disappear,” says Little. “Everyone is the same on the floor at our affiliate, in that respect. No one says, “Oh you’re old, you better scale this.” Everyone is treated the same.”

 

When Little was raising her six children, “Jane Fonda was my workout coach.” Like many women, she would pop in a VHS tape and exercise in her living room. She also enjoyed bike riding and eventually taught a spin class at her local YMCA. Four years ago, the grandmother of 13 found CrossFit. Within a year, she was competing at the 2011 Games. “I was not prepared for what the experience was to bring as far as speed and short term endurance. I have always been better at the long term endurance,” admits Little.  “I got better as the week went on. I finished in 12^th place and was thankful.”

 

In 2012, Little competed again, this time with a hair line fracture at the top of her right foot. Little admits she should not have gone that year. “It was a very miserable week. I was in lots of pain the entire time,” she said. “I made it through every event, usually placing last or close to it. But I did finish. I ended up with more damage than just the foot and it was October before I was back to par. Lesson learned.”

 

In training for the 2013 Games, Little has been sticking with 1 hour sessions, six days a week, adding an extra hour or two weekly until July. She had also incorporated yoga into her routine and works with a sports cranial chiropractor to correct her uneven hips. As with Woolfenden and Cox, mobility, a clean diet and rest have been the cornerstones to her success as a Masters athlete.

 

All of her training is done before 9am, after which she goes to her job of 30 years at a direct sales company where she is a National level executive. She and her husband enjoy to travel and working in their 5 acre yard, flower and vegetable garden. Several of Little’s adult children have followed her example and have become avid CrossFitters. “You have to live it for them to want it and continually pursue it. They see what it can help you become,” she states emphatically.” I have great health for my age in life. I’m more fit than any other time in my life time. I have qualified to go to the Games three times!”

 

Ken Woolfenden, Clift Cox and Cindi Little are 3 of the 15 Masters athletes from the North Central region that will be heading to the 2013 CrossFit Games this July.