By Thomas Sellers Jr.
Head trainer/owner Jessica Borowski (left) and trainer/majority owner Nicole Kilgore opened Flag City CrossFit in January offering the new style of getting in shape.
Most New Year’s resolutions involve some body transformation goals. The list might include muscle gains, strength training, healthier eating habits and of course weight loss. This past January 7, the Millington area received a business that targets all those things and more — Flag City CrossFit. “There was no CrossFit affiliate around here,” CrossFit Level 1 Coach Jessica Borowski said. “There are a few in Memphis and there’s one in Bartlett. But there’s nothing out this way. “And we knew of quite a few people who have come from Millington and Tipton County who did CrossFit,”she added. “We felt Millington would be a really good spot to put one. Especially with the Navy Base close by. We wanted to bring health and fitness to Millington.” Borowski has joined forces with fellow Coach and Flag City CrossFit owner Nicole Kilgore to open the 8586 Highway 51 location, near Chris Ford State Farm office. The duo is offering the alternative workout to the residents of North Shelby and Tipton counties. The CrossFit trend started in 2000 with founder Greg Glassman and Lauren Jenai. The workout style combines physical exercise philosophy and competitive fitness sport incorporating elements from high-intensity interval training, Olympic weightlifting, plyometrics, powerlifting, gymnastics, girevoy sport, calisthenics, strongman, and other exercises. CrossFit started in Santa Cruz, Calif., and has spread across America practiced by thousands. Now many are doing their WODs — workouts of the day. “The thing with CrossFit that makes if different from a lot of other gyms is the scene of community,” Borowski said. “CrossFit if a very close-knit community. It’s hour-long classes. You’re working with other people consistently, working together. It’s different from your traditional gym. It consistently vary, It’s functional movements. You’re never doing the same thing twice. It’s high intensity all the time. “I’ve met so many people,” she added. “ The community is what really drew me to CrossFit. You meet new people and everybody is cheering you on.” The Flag City CrossFit location has all the equipment for WODs. There are climbing ropes, Olympic-style weights, kettle bells, stretch bans, Olympic rings and more. The location is open Monday through Saturday. During the work week, Borowski offers hour-long sessions at 5, 6, 9 and 11 a.m.; noon; and then 5 and 6 p.m. On Saturday the sessions are at 8 and 9 a.m. Borowski said along with physical health and building friendships, CrossFit will just improve your everyday life. “You feel better,” she said. “It’s functional movement. You’re learning how to move properly. If there’s one thing I can do to help people, it’s help people move and perform better at their daily tasks. “We dead-lift because we want people to be able to lift heavy things at home,” Borowski continued. “We just want to help the movement patterns of people that have become so poor because people have desk jobs. They don’t move as much.” Borowski and Kilgore want residents to get up and move toward CrossFit as the alternative to improve their lives. “I care about people,” Borowski concluded. “I take the time to really think about the programming and to help people. That’s what I want to do for Millington. I want to bring fitness and health to this community. CrossFit is a great place to foster a healthy community, especially in this city. And it’s fun and it’s different.”
For more information, call 209-2210.
