Meet the Schmidt family! Adam and Vickie as well as their daughters Maggie and Ella are the definition of a "fit family." Whether it's crushing workouts in the gym, a balanced and healthy lifestyle out of the gym, or teachable moments to be role models for their daughters, this duo has embraced what it means to find the heathiest, best versions of themselves as athletes and as leaders in their household!Who are you? Tell us a little about yourself or something that would surprise us.
We both have careers in retail and met “on the job” at Foley’s Dept Store in 2000. Adam now works for Macy’s as a District Merchant and Vickie as a Buyer for Academy Sports+Outdoors. We’ve been married for 12 years and have lived in Houston, Miami, Dallas and then back to Houston 4 years ago. We have 7 year old twin daughters Ella and Maggie that love Behemoth almost as much as we do and you will see them at the box with us regularly!
Vickie has always enjoyed team sports and fitness and has been involved in everything from volleyball and softball to Pilates and running. After years of participating in 5k runs, she finally worked up to completing her first (and second) half marathon last year.
Adam was a swimmer throughout high school and has spent the past few years trying out different athletic endeavors. He has run 6 half marathons since 2009 and in 2014 completed his first triathalon and rode in the MS150.
How and when were you introduced to Behemoth?
A: I was looking for something to improve my running. I wasn’t sure if Crossfit would be a fit for me. So on a random day about a year ago I pulled into Behemoth to check it out. Leah and I chatted about Behemoth. Right away I could sense her passion for teaching and training CF fundamentals. I did an intro class with Aryan, met Aja and knew Behemoth was the place for me. I remember Aryan saying during my on boarding that running was ok but CF and strength training was superior. At the time I thought he was crazy but within 3 months of joining Behemoth running was a distant memory.
V: I had always wanted to try Crossfit but was always involved in other activities. After 6 months of Adam raving about Behemoth and seeing his results, I decided I had to give it a try and I haven’t looked back.
What are you most proud of, physically, mentally or both since beginning with us?
V: I wasn’t sure how much I could accomplish with Crossfit due to my back. I was diagnosed with scoliosis as a teenager and had surgery in 2002 in which the doctors put rods in my back to correct the curve, resulting in a complete 100% spinal fusion. In 2006 I had to have the surgery redone - rods removed, vertebra re-shaped and new rods installed. After the surgeries, I was hesitant to run too far or lift too much. In 2013 I decided I needed to get myself in better shape and started Pilates where I improved my flexibility and found a renewed passion for fitness. In 2014, after being a professional marathon spectator for 5 years, I decided I wanted to be the one out on the course. I trained for 9 months and ran my first half under my goal time of 2 hours, and beat that time in my 2nd race 2 months later. After all the running and Pilates, I felt like I could push myself to do more.
6 months ago, after hearing Adam rave about Behemoth and seeing his incredible results, I decided to give it a try. After my first session with Leah I was hooked. The time she spent going through all the movements and identifying modifications as needed gave me a great comfort level as I entered the group classes. I try to face each class and each movement with intensity and a mindset of doing my best. I’m also super proud of getting my Double Unders and my goal is to increase the number I can do unbroken. I am most proud of being an example of health and fitness for my daughters. We don’t talk “skinny” in our house…we talk strong and powerful!
A: I had zero experience with strength training before Behemoth. The amount of progress I have made with the awesome coaching and support is nothing short of amazing. I couldn’t do a pull up or push up before joining Behemoth. Now those are second nature. I’m adding a ton of muscle and most importantly I feel I’m in the best shape of my life.
Why Behemoth?
It’s an amazing community! Aja, Leah and Aryan all have a passion for teaching and the whole fam has been so welcoming! It is inspiring to workout alongside folks that are passionate about improving their health and pushing their limits.
What next? What are you excited about pursuing here in the future?
V: I have so far to go! I need to build strength and my goal is to be able to lift at RX weights.
A: This is just the beginning. Looking forward to continuing my fitness journey and conquering the elusive double under.
“3, 2, 1…Go” Mad Lib section
-My favorite lift is…
V: Power Clean
A: Thruster!
-My most frequent class I come to is…
V: 5am! Adam & I fight over who gets to attend the 5am. It’s a weekly negotiation
A: Well… used to be 5am…we know who won that fight! Now it’s usually 6pm.
-I have always wanted to…
V: Travel Europe.
A: Sail around the world
-When I’m not crushing weights, my favorite thing to do is…
V: Wish for more time in the day? Seriously, between “crushing weights”, a full time job and being a mom, my life is scheduled from sun-up to sundown so I just try to enjoy the time I have with my girls while carting them to soccer practice, girl scouts, bday parties…. I do love to read and we enjoy cooking and trying out new restaurants.
A: Spend time with my family and cook/grill.
-Favorite “application of fitness” outside of the gym is…
V: I’m always up for any sort of game or competition! We also like to take family bike/scooter rides and swim as much as we can in the summer.
A: Being active with my family. I want to be a healthy role model for my girls.
-Favorite Pandora station…
V: 90’s Alternative during workouts, Miranda Lambert/Kacey Musgraves or Eddie Vedder at work.
A: Pearl Jam or 90’s Alternative
-Beast mode engaged when this song comes on…
V: So many answers here: Anything 90’s Alt Rock with a fast beat (Foo Fighters, Weezer, Offspring, Pearl Jam) or Hip Hop (Jay Z, Ludacris)
A: Pretty much anything by Pearl Jam
