Sunshine CrossFit

09/03/2025

Continue your fight to the top with Event 2!

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 15 • 8:00am
Link in bio to register!

MIXED-SEX TEAMS OF 2
$200/team
Open, Masters 45+ & Scaled Divisions
Spots will be limited! Cash prizes.

08/21/2025

08/07/2025

We LOVE Member Spotlight day! This is where we chat with a member & learn about what makes them a unique part of this community. This month I spoke with Michelle!

Michelle has been a member since October 2023. She originally found us through a neighbor of hers. While trying to workout at home with 3 kids, she started looking around for a spot that could help her focus on a quick workout & that was kind of close to home. Her neighbor at the time said “hey I’ve done crossfit, wanna do it with me?” So she said “yeah, let’s try it out!” Since being here, Michelle’s goals have moved around a little bit. At first, she wanted to just be consistent with her attendance. But now, the goal is just to beat Kristen in workouts!

My fav topics revolve around things they’re proud of & fun memories. Michelle is most proud of her ability to listen to & understand instruction (skill work, barbell work, etc), & then be able to perform those movements over time. It’s really nice to learn something & then have the confidence to continue working on making that “thing” even better. One of Michelle’s favorite memories revolves around last year’s Smackdown! She loved connecting with so many people & had fun doing it all with a partner.

And speaking of favorite things, she’s a fan of the different machines (except the bike, of course – which she’s learning to love). “I feel like I’m good at them & can get them done.” But thrusters can sort of go kick rocks. “Feels like I’m not stable, can’t go fast. I feel like I’m not good at ‘em,” (Michelle, I wholeheartedly agree). But outside of the gym, favorite activities include active things with the kids! Think amusement & water parks.

So to wrap this up, I’ll end with my favorite Q for people: What would you say to Day 1 you? “Just keep working at it & it’ll come. I remember looking at the board & thinking ‘ugh, I don’t even know what this means’ so I’d google everything. But you keep working at it, & you get it. And Nik has been great. Most of my classes are with him, so the education & focus on safety & form has been really helpful. Also him calling you out!" There we have it folks! Be sure to give her a high five when you next see her!

07/31/2025

Attention Friends! Guess who is going to be at the CrossFit Games?! Fred and the Live Like Lou team along with us!! Cheer us all on (and maybe give some high fives) as we work to recruit for the coming Lou and raise awareness for the battle against ALS.

We at Sunshine Athletics wanted to shine a spotlight on a cause that is near and dear to our hearts: The Lou, and more specifically, The Live Like Lou Foundation. The past 3 years you’ve seen us talk about The Lou. You’ve seen the hundreds of pullups, burpees, dumbbell snatches, and wall balls that athletes across the country (and YOU) have put in. But we wanted to take a moment to discuss WHAT that workout is for and the very real results of everyone’s contributions.

The Live Like Lou Foundation (LLL) was founded in honor of Lou Gehrig, noted “Luckiest Man” and baseball Hall-of-Famer. Their motto is to “Leave ALS Better Than We Found It,” and to do this, LLL has put several initiatives in place which provide support for families, opportunities to further ALS education and research, and several events each year to raise awareness of ALS. One of those special events is The Lou (the workout we all know and love) which happens each January. Gyms and teams come together to complete the partner workout designed by Coach Deb which is 44 rounds of 4 reps each of the 4 core movements: pullups, burpees, dumbbell snatches, and wall balls. The workout is infinitely scaleable and inclusive for all athletic abilities, and is a great start-of-the-year fundraiser! But what’s after that?

To start, Support for ALS Families is a major goal of LLL. This comes in the form of different grants. They help with home improvements and quality of life adjustments to make life a little easier to navigate, such as hands-on support in and around the home. Additionally, funds are used to provide wheelchairs to families in need. Lou Gehrig’s Day is celebrated at MLB parks across the country, and LLL takes that opportunity to present families with these chairs, as shown in some of these photos! Along with these grants, there are hundreds of volunteers across North America who have registered to support the ALS families within their communities – everything from spring cleaning and yard work to hanging holiday lights and making outdoor repairs. Furthermore, LLL has made significant donations to ALS family futures in the form of scholarships to children of families affected by ALS.

Furthering ALS research and searching for a cure is another fundamental pillar of this organization. LLL works to develop partnerships to facilitate learning and provide opportunities for graduate and post-doctoral students via scholarship. These two fellowship programs are designed to encourage these new researchers to continue their studies and provide new insights into the research and development of ALS treatments and cures. The Career Development Award is presented to scientists who are focused on pre-clinical research and helps further their opportunities to study ALS, current treatments, and possible cures. The foundation also places a focus on ways to bring researchers, scientists, and doctors together; most recently through the LLL’s annual ALS Research Symposium. Lastly, Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s “A Whole New Ballgame for ALS Research” initiative represents the foundation’s effort to create a dedicated ALS research hub at that location

The Live Like Lou Foundation is also focused on raising awareness of ALS and this disease’s impact on people’s lives. Together with Phi Delta Theta, Lou Gehrig’s Fraternity, they created the Lou Gehrig Community Impact Team which recognizes 9 collegiate baseball players each year for their giving character and community impact. These students are not only excellent athletes on their respective teams, but they embody the generous spirit and character of Lou Gehrig and demonstrate an extraordinary commitment to their communities through service and philanthropy..

So, what do you do with all of this information? Well, here are a few options for y:
• Do the Lou in January! Put a reminder in your calendar to check out our socials or ask a coach. Join Sunshine’s team, your gym’s team, or create your own.
• Donate directly to the Live Like Lou Foundation! You can go to livelikelou.org/donate and make a one time or schedule a recurring donation.
• Follow them on social media to keep in touch with all the amazing things they are doing to help ALS families. Interact with them, engage them, ask questions. Learn 😊
• Volunteer your time. If you head to livelikelou.org/als-families, you’ll see where you can register to volunteer.

We’ll see ya around, Sunshine Fam.

06/30/2025

⭐️Coach Spotlight ⭐️

Time to re-introduce you to Kelli! She coaches on Monday nights, and she’s in almost every other day of the week so we wanted to highlight our one and only Kelli S for you!

How long have you been coaching? Almost 3 and a half years now!

Athletic background & Personal achievements? I’ve always been active – playing soccer, was a runner. Nothing to brag about. But a couple of big personal achievement that came from crossfit are conquering my fear of heights on the quarterfinals rope climbs, and finally getting muscle-ups… and stringing some together!

How were you introduced to CrossFit? And how long have you been doing it? My husband and I wanted to give it a try as we were getting bored with traditional big box gyms. Best decision I ever made, and I’ve been doing it for 8 years.

Favorite movement to do: Handstand pushups, overhead squats, cleans, and double-unders.

Favorite movement to coach: All the squats. And Bench press!

Favorite Meal: Yikes, that’s tough. I like food a lot! A big fat lobster roll. Oysters and a cocktail! Haha.

What do you enjoy about coaching: The wins! Being a part of the hard work and payoff the community experiences. And it’s fun! Taking something I love so much and being able to share it with others makes me feel so lucky.

If your name was a WOD what would it be: Well, “Kelly” is a WOD, and it’s TERRIBLE! Gets me every time. But, if I could choose what “Kelli” is, then it’s absolutely gonna be the old BHCF Twin Chipper partner workout:

99 barbell hops
88 sit ups
77 kbs
66 lunge steps
55 hand release pushups
44 t2b
33 medball cleans
22 burpees
11 power cleans
555m row

06/20/2025

MURPH:
1 mile run
100 pull-ups
200 pushups
300 squats
1 mile run
* Completed with a weight vest, if you have one *

This workout is completed each year by crossfitters around the world. It means a little something different to each of us. For some, it’s a time to think about and honor those they’ve lost. For others, it’s a test of their physical and mental toughness, and an opportunity to gauge progress year over year. To everyone, Murph is about grit, community, and remembrance.

Sunshine athletes, along with their families and friends, came together in May to complete this workout for the 5th year. Led by our one and only Coach Nik, and with a special “Hello and you got this” pep talk from our own Aaron S, we all dug deep to complete our personal version of this iconic workout. Whether you had a weight vest, completed ring rows, did a short run, or did the entire workout straight through - we appreciate your commitment and dedication.

We again used this gathering as an opportunity to raise funds for Endeavor Therapeutic Horsemanship Inc., located in Bedford Corners. Thank you, everyone, for your generosity!

05/06/2025

HEY YOU GUYS – IT’S MEMBER SPOTLIGHT DAY! This is where we chat with a member about their lives, their goals, & what makes them a unique member of this community. Today’s Member Spotlight is someone that is never shy with jokes & smiles, & is quick to cheer you on when a workout gets tough. Let’s all take a sec to say hi to John T!

John became a member of this gym back when it was Bedford Hills CrossFit, & stayed during the transition to Sunshine CrossFit + Athletics. All total, almost 10 years now. He found this location since he was looking for gymnastics classes.

When being asked about John’s goals & how they may have changed over the years, he surprised me by saying they’ve not changed! “I want to sit the bottom of an air squat for a minute while I pet my dog.” He also mentioned other metrics such as sitting comfortably while cross-legged & being able to sit in an OHS position comfortably.

This conversation moved into his favorite/least favorite movements: Loves anything that doesn’t require a lot of moving, like powerlifting movements. “I don’t have to do much, just have to push.” Conversely, his 2 least favorite movements are OHS, because they are challenging, & burpees. (Same, tho)

We spent a lot of time talking about life, about fitness, about dogs, & when I asked him for a favorite memory from over the years, he smiled fondly & told me about an experience at an in-house competition that continues to make him laugh. Partnered w/ Colin, he was doing his portion, & people were screaming at him to do XYZ, but he didn’t know they were saying. “Ana was watching & just walked up & said whatever it was RIGHT IN MY FACE & I heard it! Rob G did the same thing during an Open workout. He got right in my face & yelled ‘KEEP GOING!’ & I’m like ‘OK!’ & I kept going. It’s funny for me because I have no idea what’s going on, I just hear noise, & they get me & then I go ‘oohhh that’s what they said!’”

We then rounded our chat out with the most important Q of all: What’s your superpower? “Hrm, when I figure that out, I’ll let you know.” Ok, John, keep your secrets :P Oh but one thing that ISN’T a secret: If DMX’s “X Gon’ Give it To Ya” comes on, it’s time for MAXIMUM EFFORT.

And now for a quick round of This or That:

• Dogs or Cats: Both
• Morning or Afternoon workouts: Noon, definitely
• Barbell or Dumbbell workouts: Barbell
• The Runner or the Hills: the Hills
• 100 pushups or 200 Air Squats: 200 Air Squats
• Broccoli or Spinach: Spinach
• 5 Devil’s Presses or 2 Man makers: Official answer is F* Off. haha
• Road trip or a Flight: It would be the train, but in the US, I’d have to say current preference is flying.
• Sn**ch or C&J: Clean & Jerk, and I hate the jerk! Clean, all day, but I hate snatching more than jerking.
• Sit down to Read or to Watch a show: A show. Big fan of K-Dramas
• Pizza or Ice cream: Ice cream – specifically Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Swiss Almond
• Call a friend or Text a friend: Call
• Coffee or Tea: Both, though, specifically espresso.
• Partner workouts yes or no: yes
• Run a 5k or Do a Mud Run: Well, I hate running, so whatever Nik tells me to do. If I had it my way, I wouldn’t run, but I’ll just do what I’m told.
• Warm weather or Cold weather: both

03/12/2025

⭐️Coach Spotlight ⭐️

Meet Coach Steph Butler! You've worked out with her, and you've been in the classes she coached. Now you get to find out a little about her!

How long have you been coaching? I became CrossFit Kids certified in 2018 so that I could bring that to the PE Classes I was teaching, and also wanted to begin coaching the kids classes at Downstate CF. In 2019 I received my Level 1, and then in 2020, began coaching adults!

Athletic background & Personal achievements? There are a few that I’m proud of:
• SUNY Cortland All-American Field Hockey
• Central Park Half Marathon Best Record 1:53
• CrossFit Masters Championship Tour 2nd place 2020
• Breast Cancer Free A little under 2 years

How were you introduced to CrossFit? After 3 kids and before turning 40 I needed a change from running so I decided to try group hiit classes. I loved working out with other people and it reminded me of being on a team again. So I joined in 2017 and signed my children up for CrossFit Kids classes too. My husband is a good supporter of CF but finds his exercise through fishing.

Favorite movement to do: Burpees, cleans, and pull-ups.

Favorite movement to coach: The pull-up! This was a movement that I never tried or thought I could do until I was in my 40's. Being there when a member or even a student in my Physical Education class learns to do their first pull-up, band/strict, is so exciting and contagious in class.

Favorite Meal: Pizza and anything Sweet.

What do you enjoy about coaching: Crossfit came into my life and helped me get over huge hurdles and find confidence in myself. So when I coach and have a chance to help a member find their confidence it becomes rewarding for me too! It's been a welcomed change working with adults since I have been teaching and coaching children for the last 25 years. There are many opportunities to talk to members about more than just crossfit. They become a circle of friends that you get to see everyday.

If your name was a WOD what would it be: It would have a title, not my name, but something like:
"It's 6 AM, do you know where your MOM is?"
5 RDS for time of:
400m Run
10 HSPU
3 C&J
1 BMU
~ Cash Out 50 Burpees ~

03/03/2025

Year 3 was one for the books! My my, how we have grown - from 7 gyms our first year in 2023 to now 110 registered gyms nationally. What a day, and we are happy to announce that everyone raised $75,000 for the Live Like Lou Foundation!!

Sunshine is so proud to be the Home of The Lou, with our partnership growing stronger each year, and we reiterate our vow to continue our support of leaving ALS better than we found it.

We are so grateful to Fred Reimer, Sunshine member and Live Like Lou board member, for bringing this cause to our attention. Coach Deb, Sunshine’s owner, was quick to hop on board and design a workout that is thoughtful and inclusive to all fitness levels and abilities. Thank you for making The Lou fun and accessible to everyone. Additionally, a big thanks to all our guests who participated with us. We loved having you!

And a few special thank-yous to some folks who helped make the day a little more memorable: Our photographer, Jen Mullowney, graciously donated her time to capture all the hard work and special moments. Be sure to click the link in bio to view all the photos and purchase the ones you love! Additionally, we are grateful for the coffee and pastries donated to us by G. E. Brown, and for Bedford Grab & Go’s generous donation to the cause. We couldn’t accomplish all this without the help from our friends in the community.

Get ready for a BIG year in 2026 - year 4! I think you know the significance of that number for us. Let’s knock it out of the park!




e.brown

02/12/2025

Hey Sunshine Fam! We wanted to bring something very important to your attention: IT’S MEMBER SPOTLIGHT DAY! We are taking some time to chat with members about themselves, their goals, and the things in their lives that make them a unique member of this community.

I sat down with Jen Chau Fontan a while back to chat a little bit and spend some time getting to know her outside of class. Jen has been a member since May of 2023 (oooo that 2 year is coming up!) and when I asked her about how she found herself at Sunshine Athletics, she mentioned that she was hesitant at first.

“Kelli always talked about how amazing it [the gym/crossfit] was and my husband, Gerry, joined about 6 months earlier. But for some reason, I had it in my head that I just can’t do crossfit, so I just kept doing what I was already doing, which was not effective. One day Kelli just asked ‘Can you just come one time?’ And so I did, and immediately loved it. It’s so supportive here.” This tied in with her thinking that anyone can enter this crossfit space “where they are at, and get support and good coaching to get better.”

During her time here, she’s surprised herself with her constant improvement. Though, she joked that she is surprised how she’s become a morning person, because that just isn’t her! “Morning workouts, all the way, which is completely new for me!”

One favorite question I like to ask people is what kind of music gets you going when it pops on during a class. In Jen’s case, she really loves 90s hip hop, or anything with a beat really. She did mention she gets some friendly ribbing about loving techno, “but it’s a favorite!” Honestly, same, Jen. Same.

After talking for a bit, we played a quick lighting round of This Or That for a little bit of fun. Make sure you head to the comments for the full list of answers!

Thanks a bunch for talking with me, Jen! We see her often in classes, and watched as she smashed it in last year’s Smackdown. It was also great to have her with us when Sunshine gathered together to run the Mt Kisco 5k! So, the next time you see her, give her a hello and a high five!

10/10/2024

EVENT 4 RELEASE! You knew there was a lift.
60 athletes, 30 teams, 1 max lift. LFG!

Prizes for the top teams in each division. Athlete gift bags & t-shirts. Pizza Truck, protein ice cream, cookies, vendors, and more! Can’t participate? Spectate! It’s going to be a great, energetic day!

Interested in being a sponsor or vendor? DM us for more info!

       

09/30/2024

EVENT 3 RELEASE! Are you the angel or the devil? Or both? 😈 😇

Spots are filling up fast! Mark your calendars, find your teammate, and get ready to unleash your competitive spirit at the Sunshine Smackdown!

MIXED-SEX TEAMS OF 2
$200/team
RX & Scaled Divisions

Prizes for the top teams in each division. Athlete gift bags & t-shirts. Pizza Truck, vendors, and more!

Interested in being a sponsor or vendor? DM us for more info!