- Tell us about yourself.
Jordan Stone Berroteran - I’m a software developer for a company named CSRA and from Shreveport, Louisiana. I live in Salt Lake City now and train at Salt Lake City CrossFit.
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Favorite CED shirt or tank?
My favorite shirt is definitely the Watch Me/Make It Big shirt. Every time I read the back, it fires me up to go train hard. When I was younger I got bullied a lot because I was small, so the quote makes me think of the people that probably thought I’d never make it to where I am now and it lights a fire under me.
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What’s one fitness / health goal you’re working toward?
Since the Games, I’ve been very focused on dialing in my nutrition. I weighed around 218lbs going into the Games and throughout that entire training season. Now I’m down to around 205-208lbs and about to start focusing on eating to maintain this weight for next season.
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What’s one BIG (non-fitness) goal you’re competing to achieve right now?
I’m just trying to enjoy life. We spend a lot of time outdoors now that we live in Salt Lake City, so I wouldn’t say I’m competing to achieve this (because I am already doing it), but I would say that I am making it a point to experience the things I couldn’t in Louisiana. Camping, biking, hiking, and once it snows, skiing and snowboarding, have/will become a common weekend activity.
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What’s one obstacle you’re proud to have overcome in life?
When I look back on the past five to six years of training for CrossFit, I think I’ve had plenty of opportunities to switch gears, pick up something else, and stop competing. I’ve had two surgeries on my right knee (meniscus and ACL), tendonitis in my left knee for the last year and a half, and many years of being a lot slower than my friends in this sport and not really understanding why. Instead of giving up, I’ve always just taken things one step at a time and figured out how to overcome each individual obstacle, and because of that, I still love this sport.
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Favorite quote
“How bad do you want it.” It’s such a simple thing to say, but it means everything. Do you want a better job? A different lifestyle? Want to lose weight? Become the best version of an athlete that you can? It all comes down to “How bad do you want it?” If you want it “as bad as you want to breathe,” then you’ll go for it.
- What does Compete Every Day mean to you?
Compete Every Day means giving everything you have, each and every day. Don’t half-ass the work, if you’re going to do it, do it to your full and best potential. This isn’t just in the gym, this applies to everything. Be the best at your job, be the best for your family, do your best each and every day so that you become that much better every day.
- Who/what do you compete for?
I compete for a lot of things. Myself, for sure. I enjoy becoming a little bit better everyday. I love it when I see something pop up on Facebook from a year, two, or three years ago where I thought I would never be able to do it, but now that’s something I do regularly in training.
When I can’t find the motivation to compete for myself, a lot of times I compete for the people that believe in me more than I believe in myself sometimes. My mom, dad, and brother have always pushed me more than they know just because they tell me I’m capable of things that sometimes I’m not even sure of. The same goes for my girlfriend, Morgan, and a few of my other close friends.
And finally, I compete for the people I don’t know that still look up to me as an athlete. Even if I can’t find motivation in myself or my family and friends, I can always remind myself of the random messages I sometimes get about someone that has followed my journey and it has inspired them to take a step towards a healthier lifestyle. Messages like that from a stranger will always keep me motivated.
Jordan Berroteran, @akagroot