Please present yourself in a few words…

My name is Vaklin Krastev, I work in a big IT company. I have no particular hobby that has become an obsession for me. I am normal and ordinary, in two words – a "young" family man ? I love sport and have been interested in sport from an early age. I respect all athletes, no matter what kind of sport they are into.

How did you start with CrossFit?

It happened accidentally. I didn’t even know where I was going, I had not read, nor researched anything about it which is not the typical situation nowadays. As a result of my busy daily routine and stress I had accumulated a lot of overweight, which made me feel a hell of a discomfort with myself. I wanted some change. So I accidentally came across the CrossFit gym, a colleague took me, not having a clear idea of the sport himself.

Did you like CrossFit from the very beginning, or you were hesitant for some time?

I personally got to like CrossFit after the first three workouts. I had switched quite a lot of fitness gyms and I had come to the point of going there reluctantly, mostly because of boredom. In CrossFit things are different. There is variety and almost no repetitive workouts. Very quickly and unwittingly you start being curious about what would be the next workout and how would you manage to perform it. The feeling is incredible!

What is the difference between, say, fitness, and CrossFit?

A damn easy question ? It is the same difference as between boredom and fun. I have started to do fitness several times before. After a few visits, I've always stopped for a couple of reasons: it's boring, you are on your own, you don’t always know what exactly you're doing and how to do it. At CrossFit it's easy: the activities are in a group, it is interesting, you have a constant contact with people, there is someone else who thinks instead of you for the next exercise, for the next training. Diversity and dynamics have defined my choice.

How do you fit into the community?

It happens naturally, there is no need to think about it, again the coaches have thought about it for you. In the beginning, before my first visit to the gym, I’ve always worried about fitting in and becoming part of the community, especially due to the fact that I do not possess any outstanding sports skills. I had the feeling that I would be the weakest and everyone would laugh or make fun of me. Nothing like that happened … Right after the first workout I felt being among young and positive people ready to help and offer advice, I felt a friendly atmosphere, which is perhaps the most important thing. It is hard to describe how everyone has left their own ego somewhere else and what kind of cheerful atmosphere is being created entirely in the spirit of sport results.

Tell me a little more about the coaches – how did they attract you and what did they do to keep you in the gym?

The first thing that made a pretty good impression on me was the fact that these guys knew and remembered the names of absolutely everyone. It was truly unbelievable, especially to people who were worried about their limited sports abilities. This "special" attitude towards everyone, combined with good manners and incredible professionalism of the coaches, really cannot help but impress.

What is CrossFit for you?

First of all, my community where we gather to get rid of routine and format ourselves in a fun and healthy way. The next working day always goes more easily and efficiently, there is no typical office loop. Last but not least, CrossFit is self-confidence. There’s no way to fail mentioning the incredible condition that you feel after several months of training, combined with a visible change of the body and constant compliments from others.