Training for Life: How Jami Karper Found Strength, Balance, and Longevity

Kyle Nagy will joke that his PhD in Mechanical Engineering has been “absolutely no use” in his current role, but if you ask him, being a full-time stay-at-home dad to three kids requires plenty of problem-solving. At 43, Kyle spends his days holding down the fort while his wife Regina works an intense schedule as an OB/GYN. About a year and a half ago, when he transitioned into dad-duty full time, he realized two things: he wanted to improve his fitness, and he needed something to do outside his home to keep his sanity. As it turns out, walking into Blackbird was exactly what he needed. Since then, Kyle has made incredible progress! He has lost more than 40 pounds and completely shifted how he thinks about health. What started as a weight-loss goal has evolved into a new mission: building strength, adding muscle, and passing on the importance of making incremental changes that make a big impact to his children. Along the way, he’s learned that what happens outside the gym matters just as much as what happens during a workout. One week in particular stands out to him, when several things he’d been working on clicked at once - and those moments reminded him that progress shows up when you stick with it. These days, Kyle loves rope climbs (even if he says he’s “not very good at them yet”), along with deadlifts, back squats, and any workout that involves running. Snatches? Not so much. Rings and double-unders? Still in the courting phase. After tweaking his shoulder during Murph last summer, he’s become more intentional about listening to his body and training for the long haul. Outside the gym, he dreams of tropical getaways, squeezes in the occasional gaming session, and treasures family game nights. His advice to anyone new to CrossFit is simple, but wise: don’t compare yourself to anyone else, and focus on your own steady progress. For Kyle, it’s not about getting to hit the RX button every day - it’s about getting a little stronger and setting a healthy example his kids can grow up watching. We love having such a kind and funny family man as a part of our community! Read More About Kyle... Tell us about yourself: My name is Kyle Nagy. I’m 43, and I have a PhD in Mechanical Engineering, which has been of absolutely no use in my current role as a full-time stay-at-home dad to our 10-year-old son, our 9-year-old daughter, and our 3-year-old youngest daughter. My wife, Regina, is an OB/GYN with an insane work schedule. What made you start CrossFit? What has kept you doing it? Has your motivation changed from when you first started? I started at Blackbird about 1.5 years ago because 1) I was unhappy with my level of fitness and 2), as I was transitioning to being a full-time dad, I needed something outside of the house and family in order to keep my sanity! I’ve since lost over 40 lbs., and I’ve become much more aware of and careful about my diet. My goals have now changed from losing weight to bulking and gaining muscle mass and strength, while limiting fat gain. What have you learned about movement, fitness, and yourself since joining Blackbird? The most important factor when it comes to fitness is diet, and the next important is sleep. You can work as hard as you like in the gym, and while you might gain in strength, your overall fitness goals will be much harder if not impossible to meet. What is your proudest moment in the gym? I had a week where things kind of clicked all at once. I kicked up into a handstand against the wall for the 1st time in my life, climbed a rope about halfway to the top, which I had never even attempted before, and did my first strict pull up. What is your favorite CrossFit movement, lift, or WOD? Is there something you dread seeing on Wodify? I love climbing rope, even though I’m not very good at it yet. I also enjoy deadlifts and back squats, and any workouts with running. Snatches are very challenging. I usually do level 2 workouts, but if I see snatches are involved, I know I’m lifting at least 20 lbs. less. I hate anything having to do with rings, and double-unders are a struggle. What do you enjoy most about Blackbird or CrossFit in general? I’ve been to a number of different CrossFit gyms throughout my life in various parts of the country, and what always stands out to me is the quality of the coaching, and the overall positivity of the members. I will also say that we at Blackbird are pretty spoiled with our facilities. More often than not, a CrossFit box is an old, converted car garage, where you’re freezing in winter, baking in summer, and finding free workout space among the equipment and other members can be challenging. We have a nice HVAC system, that insane fan, high ceilings, and tons of marked and ordered space! What impact has CrossFit had on you inside and outside of the gym? My overall mood is much better, I have more energy and feel great, and I get some nice compliments on my appearance! What are your CrossFit or fitness goals? How close are you to reaching them? I would love to be able to do Rx workouts, but that seems pretty remote at this point. More immediate goals are gaining overall strength, plus I’ve been doing supplemental body-building exercises post-WODs. When you are not in the gym what is your favorite thing to do? I love to travel anywhere tropical. Puerto Rico and Hawaii are my happy places! Once or twice a week, I’ll find a free hour to turn on my Playstation. My wife has an insane work schedule, so I’m usually by myself with the kids, but some weekends when she’s home we’ll do Family Game Nights, and those are fun and special. What is the one tip you would give someone considering CrossFit or new to CrossFit? Be realistic and don’t compare yourself to others! It might be tempting to compare yourself with people on Wodify, but the reality is that there are people who enter with many different histories and varying levels of fitness, from lifelong athletes to people, like me, who enter later in life, looking to overhaul their fitness. While I’m in awe of what people in the gym are capable of, I’m also aware that I likely won’t be able to reach certain levels of strength and athleticism. And that’s OK, I’m here to have fun, do my best, gain and maintain a healthy lifestyle, and pass that onto my kids. I choose to focus on my performance for each workout, and to make consistent, incremental changes. What is your favorite workout fuel? What’s your favorite indulgence? For daily workouts, I make a concoction of Kaged Pre-workout, BCAA, and creatine powders, and I'll eat a small box of raisins. My favorite indulgence is candy! Holidays, from Halloween to Christmas, are torture for me! Have you rehabbed an injury? If so, what takeaways or insight into training for longevity has that taught you? Has your long term approach to your training changed as a result of your experience? I did the Murph last summer, and aggravated some chronic issues with one of the ligaments in my right shoulder rotator cuff. It is very slowly improving, and I’m very careful with it, especially when workouts involve pushing, such as bench presses. The takeaway is to listen to your body! Leading up to the Murph, I would sometimes feel tenderness, but chose to ignore it, which was not smart when doing 200 pushups and fatigue sets in and form goes to crap. Now, while I push myself each workout, I won’t risk aggravating something if it doesn’t feel right.

Taylor is the kind of athlete who embodies what it means to just show up … and then keep showing up, even when things feel hard. Since joining Blackbird in 2023, Taylor has brought a steady, positive presence to our community, consistently putting in the work and trusting the process. With her quiet humor and consistent effort, Taylor’s growth has been a reminder that progress doesn’t have to be loud to be powerful. One of the most impressive things about Taylor is her mindset. She approaches challenging movements with patience and grit, knowing that what feels difficult today won’t feel the same tomorrow. That perspective has led to some big wins, including conquering the fear of kicking up into a handstand on the wall and making huge strides in lifts in the ever exciting snatch. While daunting to some, Taylor loves to see a workout with mixed movements pop up on Wodify, and is always willing to scale, learn, and improve, which makes her a smart athlete with lots of longevity. As Coach Justin Metzger said, “We love Taylor because she works hard, tries new movements, challenges herself, and most importantly … makes great choices!” Beyond the physical gains, Taylor truly shines as a member of the Blackbird community. She’s encouraging, appreciative, and genuinely grateful for the people around her, both coaches and athletes alike. She’s a staple of our evening classes, and a reliable member of Committed Club month after month. Her pride in putting in the work each day perfectly captures the spirit of CrossFit. We’re thrilled to recognize Taylor as Athlete of the Month and celebrate the strength, consistency, and heart she brings to the gym every single day. Meet Taylor... Tell us about yourself (name, age, education, family, work, etc.) Hi, I'm Taylor! I'm a 32 year old Pet Relocation Agent and I live in Winfield with my boyfriend, Kevin, and our 2 cats, Punk & Dobbins. What made you start CrossFit? What has kept you doing it? Has your motivation changed from when you first started? I joined Blackbird with my sister, Katie, in 2023. She took the first steps and feeling that it was now or never, I hesitantly took the leap with her and I'm so glad I did. What started as telling myself to ""just show up"" has easily become the best part of my day. What have you learned about movement, fitness, and yourself since joining Blackbird? Since joining Blackbird, I've learned that I am capable of so much. Movements that are hard today, won't be as hard tomorrow and that's a mindset that I try to keep in everyday life. What is your proudest moment in the gym? My proudest moment was totally the first time I kicked up into a handstand on the wall lol it's wild to think of how scary that was at first! What is your favorite CrossFit movement, lift, or WOD? Is there something you dread seeing on Wodify? Days with mixed movements like box step-overs, machine cals, lunges, etc. are my favorite. I used to dread snatches but they're getting better! What do you enjoy most about Blackbird or CrossFit in general? I really enjoy sharing the experience with everyone and the feeling of accomplishment afterwards. What impact has CrossFit had on you inside and outside of the gym? CrossFit has shown me that I CAN do hard things and feel better for it afterwards. What are your CrossFit or fitness goals? How close are you to reaching them? I just want to keep getting stronger while moving well but if I had to pick a specific goal, it would be strict pull-ups! When you are not in the gym what is your favorite thing to do? I'm a homebody! It's reading, crocheting and video games for me. But in the summer, I'm always down for a kayak trip! What is one fun thing about you that we may not know yet? Probably that I love kayaking. Moving water is my favorite! What is the one tip you would give someone considering CrossFit or new to CrossFit? To just try it. Show up, learn the movements and the lifts, and just give it a chance. There's always someone cheering you on and there's always a scale. The mottos of "Don't be intimidated, be inspired" & "Just show up" really helped me in the beginning. What is your favorite workout fuel? What’s your favorite indulgence? I love my Frog Fuel pre-workout pouches. After class, its a big ole coffee or smoothie! I'm all around just proud of myself for coming in and doing the thing. Every day is an accomplishment and I'm proud of that! Let's celebrate some of your wins! Tell us about any results, milestones, or moments that made you proud! I'm beyond grateful for CrossFit and Blackbird as a whole. Since the start, coaches and members have always been so welcoming and supportive and I would not be at this point in my journey without this community. I truly appreciate everyone here 💜