Meet Patrick O’Donnell of Fit Life Challenge at CrossFit PPG in Peachtree Corners

Today we’d like to introduce you to Patrick O’Donnell.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Patrick. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Helping people rise above challenges to achieve their dreams has always been a passion of mine. Whether it’s seeing a 7-year-old’s eyes light up after they learn to hit a baseball for the first time or feeling the true excitement when one our CrossFit PPG members loses 40 pounds in our Fit Life Challenge and says it transformed their life.

For background, I’m a life-long resident of Atlanta and have always had a passion for health and fitness. In high school, at The Marist School, I played sports each season. I graduated from Georgia Tech with a degree in Management, where my passion was confirmed with the coursework in Health and Performance Science. Since then, I’ve been fortunate to become a best-selling author and run several businesses.

With a lifetime of involvement in sports and a desire to help others succeed in life, CrossFit and the Fit Life Challenge are ideal outlets for helping others live fit, inspired lives.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Struggles and challenges are a part of life and that’s what makes us stronger. When the previous owners of CrossFit PPG put the gym up for sale, my brother Scott and I had been active members and loved what CrossFit did for us and for others, so we looked into the opportunity and purchased the gym. When siblings do anything together, there can always be conflict. Of course, we had our disagreements on things, but we now have a very clear delineation for who is responsible for which specific aspects of the business. At the beginning, our expenses were significantly higher than revenue, so we implemented several key marketing and operational initiatives to spread the word, increase membership and retain members. Then, it became more than just exercise and moved into really transforming lives – for our members, but also for those beyond our gym – and that’s where the Fit Life Challenge came in.

Please tell us about Fit Life Challenge at CrossFit PPG.
It really all goes back to transforming lives, so people can live the best life they can imagine. Most people are not as fit as they want to be and they don’t know why what they’ve been doing is not working. Most who start a diet or exercise program don’t stick with it because it lacks the key elements that we as humans need. We’ve designed ours so it has the key elements.

You need knowledge from coaches to know the correct strategy to follow. Accountability from coaches and peers to stick to it, and it needs to be fun, so you will enjoy it and want to continue. These are breed into our culture at CrossFit PPG. Also, safety is a huge component for us. From our Youth Program through our adult classes, having proper instruction for beginners and experienced members is critical.

As we progressed in the business, we saw more and more, it was not just about exercise or even just diet and exercise, but rather, mindset, sleep, nutrition and exercise.

Therefore, the Fit Life Challenge was born. It still mixes the key aspects of providing knowledge, accountability and fun. It’s a 40-day challenge where participants earn points for activities completed in each area. The results have been amazing. I’ll read off a few here:

“I started at CrossFit PPG and was introduced to high-intensity group workouts and proper nutrition. At first, I thought it was hard, but then I fell in love with it. Within 6 months, I lost 40 pounds and now, I’m in the best shape of my life.”

“I lost 24 pounds on the 40-day challenge and I can say that with the dedication to my diet (I’m not going to change it anytime soon) and a steady workout regimen, I am confident that I will be able to lose more and more until I hit my dream weight. I just have to keep moving forward one day at a time.”

“Before, I was not as careful with food, so put on some unwanted pounds. I loved the challenge! I loved the meditation and will continue that. I have been sleeping great and have lost 9 pounds. I’m planning on sticking to this all my life.”

“During the challenge, I was participating in classes at CrossFit PPG. I lost a total of 17 pounds and 8% body fat. Before, my sugar levels were slightly high in the low 100 range, but during the challenge, I noticed my levels were around 85, well within a healthy range. The best part has been going down 3 belt sizes since starting at CrossFit PPG.”

…so those are some pretty impressive statements from our members who have changed their lives, so that’s what we’re all about and like I said at the beginning, that’s what I’m passionate about.

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
Good question. I guess everything you do is a learning experience and you get better because of it, so I’m thankful for what I’ve done and experienced, but doing it again, I would have started earlier. I think we all have passions in life and a reason why we are here, so while we are all trying to make a living, provide for families, etc., if we take a step back and look at the big picture, we should focus more on the things that really make us feel alive. We just have to make them happen. Like my grandfather wrote in letter to me before he died, “You have everything you need to be successful in this world; just put yourself in God’s hands and make it happen.”

Pricing:

• The Fit Life Challenge is $19 for the first month and $9 per month thereafter.
• CrossFit PPG membership starts a free intro session, before 1-on-1 sessions for beginners and a monthly membership, currently discounted to $175 for unlimited classes.
• Private 1-on-1 fitness and health coaching, complete with personalized program and assessments are $399 for the first month, $299 each month thereafter.

Contact Info:

• Address: 4505 Peachtree Industrial Blvd, Norcross, GA 30092
• Website: CrossFit PPG = http://CrossFitPPG.com/ Fit Life Challenge = http://FitLifeChallenge.com
• Phone: 770-696-6774
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crossfitppg/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CrossfitPainPrideGlory
• Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx8sYtrKd4OS_AvSObWkzjw

Image Credit:
CrossFit PPG (http://CrossFitPPG.com)