15 Years as an Affiliate, A Culture of Fitness

University of Nevada CrossFit is located on campus at the University of Nevada, Reno. The affiliate opened in 2009 and will celebrate its 15th anniversary this year — an impressive span only a few affiliates can claim. Alex Baker is the facilities coordinator at the university and also coaches at the affiliate. Baker says it’s the coaches, community, and culture that make the affiliate a success.

By Alex Baker, Facilities Coordinator at the University of Nevada

Upon entering the E.L. Wiegand Fitness Center, you are immediately struck by the impressive architectural design of the facility, complemented by an abundance of state-of-the-art fitness equipment. To the right of Mt. Weigand, our state-of-the-art fitness stairway, you will find yourself looking at an open floor space known as the Functional Training Zone. This area is home to University of Nevada CrossFit, the foundation of the E.L. Wiegand Fitness Center.

University of Nevada CrossFit was established in 2009 at Lombardi Recreation Center. Lombardi Recreation Center was where the Campus and Recreation Department was established at the university, currently known today as the Fitness and Recreational Sports Department. This year commemorates the 15-year milestone of the affiliate, an impressive journey of establishing a culture of fitness.

When I arrived at the university in 2009, I was unaware of the existence of our recreation center, let alone the CrossFit affiliate. Back then, CrossFit was still a novelty, and social media had not yet taken off, so its existence was not well-known. Like many students, I found myself adrift, searching for my connection on campus. The recreation center soon became my outlet, a place where I felt a sense of belonging and discovered the path to a healthy lifestyle. It is where I forged lasting friendships and meaningful connections.

As I was exiting the Lombardi Recreation Center, taking a sip of water from the hydration station, I caught a glimpse of the action unfolding in the center of the gymnasium. I will never forget what I saw: a pull-up rig positioned in the center of the floor, resting on mats atop a wooden surface, surrounded by a diverse group of students, faculty, and staff throwing weight overhead, urged on by their coach. That coach was Jim Fitzsimmons, the Fitness and Recreational Sports Department emeritus. At that moment, I did not know that my life was about to change.

At the time, Jim was noticing a trend in the fitness industry where students were getting more into Olympic lifting, and instead of resisting, he decided to get ahead of the trend and got his CrossFit Level 1 Certificate in 2007. From there, Jim started running classes in the middle of the gymnasium. In the first class, eight people showed up; the next day, that number doubled, and the following day, 30 people attended. The curiosity grew, and the demand was quickly exceeding the space. Jim knew they needed more space and equipment. This eventually led to the construction of the 108,000-square-foot E.L. Wiegand Fitness Center. I highly recommend checking out the video “University of Nevada, Reno: Healthy Culture” on YouTube to gain a more in-depth understanding of the transition into the current facility.

University of Nevada CrossFit

When someone asks, “What is CrossFit?”, the best way to grasp its ethos is to ask them, “What are you doing at 9 a.m. tomorrow?” Experiencing CrossFit firsthand is truly the most effective explanation. It is more than just a fitness program, it is a lifestyle that challenges individuals to push their physical limits beyond what they thought possible. Through CrossFit, individuals not only build physical strength but also enhance cognitive abilities and strengthen the mind-body connection. It serves as a sanctuary for individuals seeking a pause from life’s external stressors, offering a structured outlet managed by dedicated coaches who guide them through detailed, planned sessions. The CrossFit community cultivates camaraderie, fosters accountability, and provides a sense of social belonging, creating an environment conducive to overall health.

At the foundation of University of Nevada CrossFit, you will find an amazing group of coaches who have been with the program since it started back on the gymnasium wood floor or have left and made an impact in the CrossFit world. The coaches are the ones who really make our program feel like home. Their passion for the CrossFit methodology is infectious and keeps the members fired up. You will often catch the coaches leading by example, jumping into each other’s classes to push themselves and members to be their best. And they do not clock out when class ends. They stick around, offering tips on nailing those tricky gymnastics movements or just chatting about life. They are not just coaches, they are friends and mentors who make our journey in fitness and beyond all the more rewarding.

Day in and day out, I have lived and breathed this ethos for 15 years. Students, faculty, and staff from diverse backgrounds, past and present, have dedicated themselves to the CrossFit methodology and process. Fitness is not just a moment captured during an individual’s time at the university, it extends across their entire lifespan. That is an expression of true health, and that is precisely what University of Nevada CrossFit provides: a culture of fitness.