We are excited to announce that the CFH Staff Team is growing! Please give a warm welcome to our newest Coach, Coach Patric!

Patric, a military worker based at NATO, completed his CrossFit Level 1 Trainer Course at CrossFit Heerlen in November last year. Initially he joined the course after being an athlete for 5+ years to improve himself, but looking from a coach perspective he started to enjoy the experience of being a coach and helping others improve themselves. After months he decided to apply for a coaching position at CrossFit Heerlen to gain experience as a coach. A useful working experience also for his military career. His next goal is to become a CrossFit Level 2 Trainer. Unfortunately Patric will only be coaching at our box until January, since he than will be employed abroad for his military job again.

Patric is a no-nonsense coach, who speaks only when he feels words are better than silence. His coaching style is like a fresh breath of air. Patric doesn’t speak to impress others, and his military background suits him well. Add a great sense of humor to it and you have a great coach with a coaching style we haven’t experienced yet. We are very proud to add Patric to the team and wish him all the fun and fulfilment that comes along with his new role as coach.

Get to Know Coach Patric!

Name: Patric Gimmy
Age: 35

Can you tell us a bit about you and your sporting background?
Mostly silent but always keeping track of my surroundings. I did mostly ball sports since I was young, started with Handball for a long time, then American Football, and after that I joined the military. During my military services I started functional fitness, and I also like to play football and basketball. I also tried Golf and started learning Tennis here in the Netherlands last year.

When and how did you find out about CrossFit and CrossFit Heerlen?
I discovered CrossFit in 2013. I tried it at some places in Germany, but that was more like functional fitness (not really CrossFit). After moving to the Netherlands I finally got the chance to really join a CrossFit affiliated gym. A few months later I joined CrossFit Heerlen, and that was what I was looking for. I never left ever since.

What made you want to try CrossFit when you started your CrossFit journey? How did you experience your CrossFit journey until now?
In my former position I needed to got overall fitness for all the military missions and trainings you have to do with all the battle gear and equipment. During this time I learned how important it is to stay fit and healthy. CrossFit was the perfect training method for me, because it trains all facets of fitness and makes you stronger.

What made you apply for the coaching position at CrossFit Heerlen?
Since doing the CrossFit Level 1 Trainer course and seeing the coaches at CrossFit Heerlen doing their job I thought about a coaching position, and asked myself “How would I teach this?” or “Why do they speak about this?”, “Could I add something to the team?”. That’s actually why I applied to join the team. And ofcourse, it’s a really good chance to learn and get feedback from different experienced coaches about how to coach someone.

How did you experience the hiring procedure and coach development program at CrossFit Heerlen?
One word: Great! The coach development program is great and really helps you If you want to be a coach. It gives a chance to learn many important things even before you do the CrossFit Level 1 Trainer Course.

What is your ultimate goal in CrossFit and/or at CrossFit Heerlen?
To stay – and help others stay – Healthy and Fit!

What are some of your favorite activities outside the box?
Going out to eat. Then I also got a reason to train again 😉

Can you tell us something about yourself, or is there something you would like to share, people do not expect?
No big secret, but most know or see mee like a silent guy. I might even look like hard to approach, but that’s not the case. I’m always up for a talk and definitely as a coach you may always approach me.

What is your favorite aspect of being a CrossFit coach?
That I can help people and see how they improve. Also receiving feedback from members that my coaching helped them is a really good feeling, and makes coaching even more fun.

Finally, as a coach, would you like to say something or share something with our members that hasn’t already been said during previous questions?
I do not speak Dutch. Happily the default language in our box is English. But if you continue to speak Dutch to me, I can speak German! 😉 Hope this is somewhat okay. Not my strongest point to write about myself.