We are a family that lives by faith and we love Jesus!  Our journey with functional fitness began in 2011. We returned to the U.S. from being missionaries in Guatemala for a year. We had the amazing privilege of helping start an elite soccer training facility in a poor village called Buena Vista. It was here that we learned that living for Jesus outside of a traditional ministry setting was what we were called to do.

Upon returning home we started a fitness ministry that we were a part of for the past six years. During that time we launched two successful nonprofit gyms and help to revive another. After that Anthony moved into a role where he oversaw gyms nationwide.

Denea was athletic and never much of an athlete. She was a cheerleader and dancer her whole life, cheering professionally for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2000 & 2001. She stayed active, though wasn't a huge fan of the gym. After gaining weight, developing complex hormone issues and losing a lot of confidence, she reluctantly decided to join Anthony at a park for a metabolic conditioning workout. Denea has never been the same and hooked ever since!
 
Anthony has always been active and worked out regularly. He was a college athlete and remained active into his adult life. He thought he was in shape until he did a 15 minute metabolic conditioning workout that changed his life.

Not only have our physical bodies changed, first and foremost: our mindset has changed. That is why we believe that combining faith and fitness is so powerful! We look forward to moving with passion and purpose with you! 

In 2019 a good friend of mine, Brock Johnson, asked if he could pass along to the missionary community of Guatemala the resources of Crash Fitness.  Within a couple of days a tremendous amount of responses came back with the urgent need for help physically.  It was during this time that our focus turned towards Crash Community and providing online workouts that could be done anywhere/anytime for Christians, especially missionaries all over the world, and infusing each workout with a focus on Christ all throughout.  Our purpose has  been to help others get healthy and stay healthy, so that the gospel continues to go out, and disciples are continuing to be made. 

We have learned over the years from many missionaries and missions organizations the amount of stress one is under, and how it affects their health and day to day living.  Due to the decline in one's health, many are forced to leave the mission field and come back home to receive medical care and treatment.  

Most people have no idea the amount of stress our missionaries face their first year in the field, and how much stress long term missionaries face as they continue to persevere.

The Holmes and Rahe scale was created in 1967, by psychiatrists Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe to determine whether stressful events cause illnesses.  Patients ranked a list of 43 life events based on a relative score. Each event, called a Life Change Unit (LCU), had a different ‘weight’ for stress. More events mean a higher score. The higher the score, and the larger the weight of each event, the more likely the patient would become ill.  In their study, they found that if you reached a level of 200 on the scale in a year, the cumulative stress would have consequences for some time to come.  In fact, they found that 50% of those who reached this level were hospitalized within two years.  The reasons included heart attack, diabetes, cancer, and other severe illness.

If ever the level reached 300, the person was almost certain to end up in the hospital within two years.

Back in 1999, Drs Lois and Larry Dodds (of Heartstream Resources) were studying the levels of stress on the mission field, using a modified version of the Holmes-Rahe Scale.  The Dodds wanted to find out what the typical missionary went through.  As you might have guessed, the news wasn’t good.

Within the first year a missionary could experience an extremely high level of stress, reaching close to 1000!  

Most long term missionaries will balance out on the scale, right around 600.  That's incredibly high, double what puts most people in the hospital.

What can help lower stress levels?  Daily exercise!

Knowing most missionaries don't have access to a gym, and even some are confined to their homes for long periods of time, it's our hope to provide an online resource that helps missionaries intentionally move.  Each workout leads off with a biblical devotional to encourage all in their pursuit after Jesus, followed by a dynamic stretch that prepares each person for the strength and metabolic workout.   These workouts are designed for minimal equipment (body weight and light weight dumbbells or a sandbag) so that all can participate.   All throughout the workout everyone will be encouraged by Gods word, and the thread of the biblical devotional will be woven throughout.   After the metabolic workout is complete all will finish out with a cool down stretch and prayer. 

Despite the fact that being the second largest mammal after the elephant, the rhino is just FIERCE!  These amazing animals can run at top speed of 40 mph...that's crazy!  What's even crazier is that these animals have a blurred vision beyond 35 feet.   A rhino alone will never attempt to run at top speed by itself, due to this blurred vision.  

 Did you know that the group name for rhino's is called a Crash?  

When rhino's are around other rhinos they will run at full speed not worrying what they can't see beyond 35 feet.  They know that with others they are an unstoppable force that can crash through whatever lies ahead. 

This unique group name is why we chose Crash Fitness.   We believe the Christian faith is meant to be lived out in community with others.  In the virtual world that we live in, community can be achieved in person and online. Crash Fitness provides a virtual community and support for people living all over the world.