To all of my friends at CrossFit Fire,

It is with great sadness that I sit here and write this today. As some of you already know, Jennie and I were faced with a very difficult decision recently. You see, long before I had ever even heard of CrossFit, I began chasing the dream of becoming a Federal Law Enforcement Officer (“Special Agent”). In the fall of 2005, I applied for a position with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). After a very long application process, I finally received an offer of employment from the ATF on Friday, December 12th. After a few very long days of going back and forth, Jennie and I decided that we could not pass on this once in a lifetime opportunity.

This means that I have to report to the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC), in Glynco, Georgia, for training, beginning on Monday, February 2nd. I will spend the better part of six months down there. Upon graduation, I will have to report to the Columbus, Ohio Field Office.

While away at training, I will still be involved on a daily basis, just not in person. If any of you have any questions or just want to stay in contact, please don’t hesitate to call or email. I will miss everyone and the Fort more than I could ever express!

Jennie will be in charge of coaching classes through August. Therefore, we will have to cut our hours back to what they were when Jennie and I were both working full-time jobs outside of teaching CrossFit. In addition to cutting hours, we will also be utilizing Zach’s knowledge and passion to share the training load with Jennie. It is merely a coincidence that Zach was already scheduled to attend the CrossFit Level 1 certification the first weekend in January. I ask all of you to be open minded and patient during the transition period. Jennie and Zach are both excellent coaches, but will have their own unique styles. We have many more members now than when I was first learning how to run classes. That will make it a much more daunting task, but I know that all of you will do your best to help them grow as coaches.

Over the next several months, we will have to begin planning for when Jennie and I have to relocate to Columbus. As soon as we decide on the path to take, we will be sure to let all of you know. Please don’t assume that this is the end!

I want to make it very clear that this was not an easy decision at all. I have grown to absolutely love coaching all of you and watching every single one of you work hard towards your goals. I will truly cherish the countless hours we have all spent training and laughing together at the Fort.

Yours in friendship (and the occasional training),

Bill