Get Fit contestant wants to stay healthy for his kids
Christine Pocratsky
Zach Hixson does a deadlift during week 10 of the Get Fit Challenge at Crossfit U-town.
Christine Pocratsky
Zach Hixson does a jumping jack during week 10 of the Get Fit Challenge at Crossfit U-town.
Christine Pocratsky
Zach Hixson does a smurf jack during week 10 of the Get Fit Challenge at Crossfit U-town.
Christine Pocratsky
Zach Hixson does a deadlift during week 10 of the Get Fit Challenge at Crossfit U-town.
Christine Pocratsky
Zach Hixson does a deadlift during week 10 of the Get Fit Challenge at Crossfit U-town.
A teacher at Laurel Highlands, Zach Hixson has been athletic his whole life, participating in various athletic teams in high school and joining gyms, off and on, throughout his 20s.
“I met my wife, and we had a baby and life got busy so I pretty much stopped working out through my early 30s,” he said.
But his desire to stay healthy for his daughter really hit around his mid-30s after his uncle was diagnosed with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) and passed away and his mom was diagnosed with dementia and passed away.
“Within six years of each other, a brother and a sister died with two horrible diseases,” Hixson said. “I know there’s no stopping it, but I figure I need to be at my best because the future is uncertain and the end is always near.”
Hixson actually heard about the CrossFit competition at U-Town Crossfit on social media but also through a fellow teacher who is the wife of gym owner Jason Tungate.
“This winter I ran into Amy (Tungate) there and she was talking about how the previous year’s challenge was a weight loss challenge, which I didn’t need, but how they’re challenge was going to focus on getting fit,” Hixson said.
“That piqued my interest because I didn’t have a lot of weight to lose,” he added.
When he applied for the challenge and was accepted, Hixson was anxious to get started.
“I really like CrossFit,” he said. “I thought it would be tough, and it can be, but it’s different every day, which I really like. You just never know what you’re going to get into.”
One of the things he’s come away with so far is that eating the right foods isn’t dieting.
“I’ve lost my gut, but I’ve gained weight, and I eat more than I ever have,” Hixson said. “You just have to eat healthier — make better choices.”
This aspect alone has affected his entire family for the better.
“Because of how I’m eating, now my 6-year-old is eating vegetables and fruits that she wouldn’t eat before.”
Hixson said he doesn’t know where his CrossFit journey will take him after the contest is over, but he does know one thing for sure — “I plan on winning this.”