Humans of LoLo: Ben Wagg

We sat down to get to know our quiet regular, Ben Wagg, for this weeks Humans of LoLo. Ben was one of our OG members, he purchased his membership in our pre-release sale before we had even opened. He has attended over 100 classes at our Victoria BC Gym since we opened in November, 2018.

What brought you into CrossFit LoLo?

“I always wanted to try CrossFit and I finally ran out of excuses. It has been super supportive space with a good sense of community.

I boxed for a year, kind of casually but CrossFit has definitely been the most serious athletic endeavour. After I graduated from UVIC, I tried to fill the void from previous clubs and social groups that I had been in before – CrossFit has been great for that!

I was worried at first about going too heavy but I feel supported by the coaches here at LoLo. I am considering competing in a couple years.”

What is the happiest moment of your life thus far?

“I have a couple, I was really into writing in college and I was pretty excited when I got my first article published in “Senior Living Magazine”. At 19, I wrote about how seniors were stronger than ever. My grandma was a valuable research asset. I’m from Campbell river and my highs cool didn’t have a newspaper club so I pitched the local newspaper hoping they would pick it up. It was an opportunity to profile “cool” seniors and share their life stories. Moving in with my girlfriend, Taylor, was another great moment. We moved in together September of last year was kind of nerve wracking but it’s exciting.”

What has been the saddest moment in your life?

“My grandfather passing away in high-school was a very hard moment for me. He was an interesting guy – easy to talk to and was the inspiration for my senior living feature. He was super active and I would say he definitely inspired me to be active also.”

Who is the most influential person in your life?

“Probably my Dad, he was super into writing so I picked that up. He was also into boxing so I did that too.”

Kelsey: “Has your Dad also done CrossFit?”

Ben: “*laughs* No, he’s not into CrossFit.”

What are you most afraid of?

“Finding a career – I’ve been freelancing forever and although it’s fun bouncing around, I would like a stable career. Something writing related, 9-5 would be ideal.

Journalism is my favourite. Working for a newspaper would be a dream job if it paid well. I was writing for Victoria Buzz for a bit and sometimes write business proposals and grants for UVic. Who knows, maybe one day I will have my own platform!”

We can’t wait to see more of Ben’s writing!

Ben’s published piece in Senior Living Magazine