Greg Raber

As an older athlete I never dreamed of being a CrossFit coach at this stage in my life. I’ll be 56 years old this year and some could argue that I’m in the best shape of my life. I’ve had success, failure, triumphs, and let downs but with perseverance comes results. I’m Greg Raber, Trainer and Nutrition Coach at CrossFit CTRL and this is my story.  I’m the youngest of three boys that were raised on a farm just outside of Morgantown. I was a bigger kid who struggled with my size at a young age. Always told to clean my plate and got into bad habits from early on. I was always active though, playing four sports through high school (football, baseball, basketball, and cross country).  After high school I got married at a young age and started a family. Just like many of you I put my life on hold to raise kids and provide for them. By 2006 I had ballooned up to over 350lbs and had a panic attack. I thought I was dying that day. I had all the symptoms of a heart attack and thought I was a goner. I didn’t have a heart attack then but did find out I was pre diabetic, had high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and a slew of other things. I went from taking no medications to 7 different prescriptions. This was my wake up call. I started my fitness journey as soon as I got out of the hospital and have continued it to this day but it hasn’t all been easy. Nothing worth fighting for is.  I started walking daily then slowly transitioned to jogging. I tried eating better and knew I wanted to be a better example for my kids. I got down to around 300lbs on my own before I started looking for gyms to join. I’ve lived all over the state and tried several gyms along the way. I was working with a personal trainer for close to 9 months when she told me I needed to try CrossFit. Just like you, I was petrified! I’m not that athletic, I can’t do those movements, everyone is going to be ripped, I’ll get made fun of.  It was also around this time that I began dating the woman that I would later marry, my wife Debra. She told me that a new CrossFit gym was opening close to her house. She went and talked to the owner and encouraged me to go check it out when they had their grand opening. So I showed up, knowing no one and weighed about 300lbs at the time. I believe I was the last member to sign up on the Grand Opening so I am one of the originals.  Debra and I both have been with CrossFit CTRL since the beginning. We have both went from people who did it three days a week to a minimum of five days a week and some of those days we do two workouts a day. From this we decided to get into coaching as well. We both love to help people in any way, shape, or form. I now coach all the afternoon classes with the exception of one day when my wife coaches. I’m a CrossFit Trainer and also the Nutrition Coach at CrossFit CTRL. I know the benefits that CrossFit has and believe in it fully. I’m also fully certified in CPR and I truly care about your safety and your progress.  When people tell me they don’t have time, have injuries, or just can’t do it, I tell them the rest of my story. First off, make the time. We owe it to ourselves, our children, our grandchildren, our friends, and the rest of our families to be the best and healthiest version of ourselves. I want to be here as long as I can for all of them. It’s only an excuse if you let it be one. I chose to use my story as motivation.  I am not special, just a determined and stubborn Dad, Pappy, Husband, and Brother who wants to be here for many years to come. It’s never too late to start your journey with me.