Radix - The Origin Story

Coach Dan here, kicking off our new website with a blast from the past with the Origin Story of Radix Gym - all about how Rach and I met and why we opened a CrossFit gym.

I always think it’s important for newer members to know what Radix is and where it came from so you can understand what you are a part of.  It’s so so much bigger than just a gym or training style, its a community and lifestyle! It's so amazing to see so many new faces in classes and I wish I had more time to get to know each and every one of you better. Every time I get to work with one of you personally, through a challenge or a PT or as part of my personal programming team, I’m always blessed with a friendship and I love being a part of your health journey.

So today I'm going to tell you how Radix came to be, the hardships and struggles, the good times and monumental moments over the past decade that have led us here, so sit back, relax and enjoy, this story has a lot of ups and downs.

I found my love of coaching in the fight world after competing for over 10 years and falling in love with the process of training, eating clean and competing. I knew I wanted to spend all my hours in the gym. After getting multiple strength and conditioning certifications and nutrition certifications, I became the Head Strength & Conditioning coach at Kombat Arts in Mississauga, training pro and amateur boxers. 

After a bad concussion in 2012, I hung up my gloves and started training a client base out of my home gym. My business was officially opened as Core Performance, but I got an email from a guy in the States with the same name threatening to sue me so I changed the name and found this Latin term I really liked and what would become the ethos of everything I’ve done and re-done over the years. Radix is the life flow and energy that comes from within, giving energy to all movement. So Radix Performance was born, and my next goal was to open my own facility.

Personally, I didn’t know what to do with my own training as that concussion rocked my world with 6 month of bad symptoms and being out of shape for the first time since I was 15. My friend sent me a video of guys working out but competing doing it, and I was intrigued. I'm not gonna lie, with my strength and conditioning background and having already worked with the best Oly Coach in the Province I was a bit of a CrossFit hater at first. I had been in the ring in amazing shape in combat sports what could these guys show me?

BUT I was intrigued and my curiosity had me search out my local CrossFit gym. I showed up to my first session and to my surprise a little in-shape lady about 130 pounds said “Hi, I’m Rachael, I'm going to teach you CrossFit” I almost asked for my money back cause I didn’t sign up for this, remember I fought for fun, what could she teach me?! Little did I know that Rach was one of the best female CrossFitters in the country and that one day we would have 3 boys together… That hour she destroyed me, I was out of breath, I was sore, I didn’t know what had happened but what I did know is I would be back and I would get better. I was addicted and I didn’t even know it.

Over the next year and a half, I trained my clients, signed a lease on my first building, and did CrossFit 6 days a week with Rach and we started dating at the end of that period.

As I was renovating my newly leased building for the grand opening of my first facility, I got a email from the town of Oakville saying that building I was reno’ing had changed zoning and I had to apply for a building development permit… I said ok, they handed me the paperwork and a bill of $140,000! That day I cried. I felt led on by the landlord, the real estate agent and ripped off by the town. I had $50,000 in this renovation and I couldn’t find a way out of this fee. The landlord said I was on my own, and then threatened to sue me.

After 3 months of lawyers and trying to get the fee reversed and grandfathered in and being rejected over and over, I shut down the gym and went back to training people out of my garage. I lost my life savings, my dreams and my mojo.

There was a period of a week where I had a hard time getting out bed and knowing what to do.

So I decided to keep CrossFitting, keep coaching and find a new location, no feeling sorry for myself, just a different path. When you get knocked down, you get back up and you adjust and come back stronger.

Rach went to CrossFit Regionals in 2014 and I coached her, she killed it. That weekend, we started dating and she started working out of of my garage gym. I asked her if she would want to open a gym with me on my second try and she said yes.

In 2015 we signed the lease here at 427 Speers Rd Unit 21. The OG Radix members who were working out with me in my garage and still workout with me today helped me set everything up for the Grand Opening. Jacob P., Nick K., Nigie Bear, my bro Nate and his wife Danielle, I'll never forget those times. I proposed at the Grand Opening in front of them and a hundred other friends, family, and clients, it was beautiful.

For the next 2.5 years we coached 90% of the classes and spent all day at Radix, building this gym, community and lifestyle. 14 hour days were normal and we always worked out, too.

Rach got pregnant with Malachi and we met Tyler, the timing was a God send as I couldn’t do everything on my own. Ty started as a member and quickly became one of my favourite members, he’d come in from a long day of landscaping, load the bar up with 225 and start back squatting, no warm-up. He asked me if I had any coaching opportunities and I quickly said yes.

It didn’t take long before he was our main Coach and the members' favourite person. I was ok with that, I prefer people fear me than like me hahahaha. I was so happy to have Ty here and part of our team and family.

There's lots more to the story but I'll leave it here for today and save the second dramatic twist (Covid) for another day...

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Coach Dan.

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