By Les Morris
Will Ramey now owns a CrossFit gym and is a coach, but he’s aware not everyone sees the activity as positive. And he wants to change that.
“One of the negative vibes about CrossFit is people get injured and that’s because of poor coaching,” Ramey said.
Ramey will have ample opportunity to change perceptions at his newly renamed Legacy Athletics, formerly known as ThriveFit, at 400 Alpha Dr. in Westfield.
“(Good coaching) looks at the member and meets them where they’re at and not just throwing them in a class,” Ramey said. “We want to understand the members’ goals and help them achieve those goals.”
For Ramey, 30, it has been an interesting path to owning Legacy Athletics. Two years ago, after sales successes in other industries, he was brought in as a partner at Legacy Insurance Enterprises, an insurance company with products in personal, commercial and life insurance.
The insurance business gave him more time to explore his passions, which included CrossFit. He quickly started working out in his home gym but wanted to become more competitive, so he joined ThriveFit in February 2021. He loved it and began coaching there last summer. By October, he learned the facility was for sale and, after a few false starts, purchased the assets and rebranded as Legacy Athletics Feb. 1. His approach seems to be working. Ramey said Legacy Athletics has added 40 new memberships in the last three months.
Three different classes are offered. Legacy 60 is the core 60-minute performance class that includes barbell strength and technique training; Legacy 30 is a 30-minute workout consisting of cardio and endurance movements for all fitness levels; and Legacy Barbell is a 60-minute barbell program for competitive weightlifters and those who want to simply improve their technique.
The staff includes four career coaches. A grand reopening event was held at the facility April 30.
