Check out Neil Halpen, one of our Garage Games Ambassadors (GGA) from the Northeast, and his 505 lb. dead lift PR. Awesome, right? Don’t you worry, though. You don’t have to have a 505 lb. dead lift to play in The Garage Games. Anyone can throw their hat in the ring. In fact, for Neil, it’s more about team work and camaraderie. And we couldn’t agree more.
“The Garage Games is a great venue to showcase your ability, and show people what you’re made of. It’s a great way to build team dynamics when you have three other people in the trenches beside you giving it all they’ve got to achieve one common goal. And, it’s just downright FUN,” Halpen told us as he commented on what participating in the Garage Games means to him.
Neil is a proud member of one of the Northeast Garage Games-partner CrossFit affiliates, CrossFit Milford (CFM), and he was present at their most recent event, the Team Throwdown, last fall. He called the experience, “pure insanity.” According to Halpen, “CFM was jam-packed with athletes, judges, spectators, media, and vendors. The energy created there was magical.” Halpen was inspired as everyone was cheering for each other, and athletes were pushing each other. In the final event, he recounted there was a tie for first place, so they moved on to a final tie breaker WOD. It was everyone’s favorite CrossFit WOD–Fran. “The place was going crazy,” Halpen said. “My memory of that moment just gave me goose bumps. It was a glorious final day…a day I will certainly never forget!” he continued. We know what you mean, Neil.
You can find Neil either training others or working hard in his own training at CrossFit Milford, in Milford, Connecticut, under the watchful eye of his coach, Jason Leydon. For 2013, Halpen hopes to help his affiliate team advance from the Northeast CrossFit Games Regionals to The CrossFit Games in Carson, California. We have a sneaking suspicion of who may be selected for any future dead lift WODs on Team CrossFit Milford! Good luck, Neil, and Team CFM!
Want to keep up with Neil? Follow him here:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/neil.halpen
Neil’s home away from home: http://crossfitmilford.com/