TRINH FAMILY FEATURE - A Journey of Fitness, Romance & Family
No need for any introduction to this crew, the building stones of CrossFit OneFifty - Jason & Sarah Trinh (and Thomas & Nora too). Their story is about the journey of fitness, romance and family.
Let’s start back in 2002, when Jason found his first gym routine at California Fitness. He had just moved to Saskatoon from the small town of Raymore, SK. and was a regular goer for a couple of years, but then dropped off. He didn’t seek out a gym again until March of 2009, when CrossFit came into his life.
Jason: Before starting CrossFit, I was the least fit and most overweight I had ever been. There were times where I was motivated to do something but was unsure of what I would like, so I tried an MMA class with a friend. After finishing the warm-up, I would disappear into the bathroom where I would lose my lunch and hide out until my friend came to check on me at the end of the class. (If you didn’t know, Jason was well known for his puking episodes in his earlier CrossFit years, who knew it started way before that lol). The next time I decided to try something new would be to train to run 5km. After I had found some success in that, I decided to complete my CrossFit Foundations and within 9 months of starting I decided to pursue a Kinesiology degree (while coaching part-time) working towards a career in the fitness industry.
About a year later (2010), Sarah got her first introduction to CrossFit. At the time, her dad’s (Randy Hills) office was above the same gym Jason was now a member and coaching at. His curiosity had been roused by the sound of barbells dropping (and the smell of popcorn from someone’s afternoon snack), so he checked it out and decided to join. Soon after he asked Sarah to come try it out too.
Sarah: I had recently moved back to Saskatoon after temporarily leaving for school and was working to try and secure a permanent teaching contract in the city. It was a time of transition in my life – I was no longer cheerleading, something that I had been competing in for the past 10 years, and I didn’t have much going on outside of work. I remember one Sunday while having supper with my family, my dad mentioned that he was trying out a CrossFit gym and was really enjoying it. I had no idea what CrossFit was, so he invited me to a bring-a-friend day. I was immediately hooked. The support and encouragement I got from people made me feel right at home. I had struggled to find enjoyment in exercise on my own and this felt like the perfect fit for me. It felt like a team.
If Randy hadn’t joined the gym at that time, Jason & Sarah’s life would look very different than what it is today. Jason & Sarah started to experience life as coworkers, teammates, cheer-persons for each other’s athletic endeavors and then their romance bloomed in 2012. They were enjoying fitness, friends and life together... Then 2014 brought what is marked as the most impactful experience of Jason’s life - the sudden passing of his father due to a drunk driver.
Jason: I had not had a loss close to me prior to this and I was at a place in my life where I was coasting along, enjoying fitness with friends. [It made me feel] a greater sense of urgency to reach more people and have a bigger impact on them through doing what I did best - teaching them how to exercise. After a short stint as a gym co-owner from 2015 to 2016, I made the abrupt decision to leave the gym that had started me on my path and in that same year, I became a husband, restaurant manager, gym owner, and father. We went from working out in our garage (what we called “CrossFit 6’ And Under” as our ceilings were quite low) and a few months later we opened the doors of StrongFit YXE.
It was a busy few years, building a gym community and a family! And as life is, there are always hurdles. The Trinh’s are not exempt from the struggles we all have; dealing with body confidence, getting their own fitness in (even when you own the gym), and setting a good example for their kids.
Sarah: In my first year of university, I [remember seeing a girl] who had the most amazingly jacked arms I had ever seen, and I turned to a teammate and told her that I wanted arms like that. She looked at me like I was crazy and could NOT understand why I would want muscular arms like a man. It made me insecure about my desire to be strong. [What I love about CFCL is that] being a woman with muscles is not something that is judged, but instead celebrated because it’s a sign of the dedication and hard work that goes into workouts everyday. I love that my children get to grow up surrounded by strong, muscular women who can out-lift and out-perform men, and those men support and celebrate those accomplishments. I want my son and daughter to grow up loving and embracing their bodies and all of the wonderful things they can achieve with it. Not long ago, Thomas got on a rower and worked for 30min, rowing over 171 calories. He was sooooo proud of what he accomplished with his body. I was so happy and celebrated his success just as we do for each other in a WOD. [That said], getting to the gym hasn’t always been easy and I struggled to re-engage after both our kids were born. My body had been through a lot; 2 c-section births in 19 months and I was struggling to manage my new life as a mom of 2 under 2. Both times I returned, members were there to celebrate my post-baby PR’s and slowly I started to get my confidence back. I saw small gains every week and with each success I had, it drove my desire for more. As we enter 2023, the year I turn 40, I am proud to say that I am the strongest and fittest I have ever been in my life.
Probably one of the biggest hurdles that came would be the start of the COVID pandemic in 2020. Jason was very grateful for the government assistance that that allowed for the gym to stay in business, but the community is really what pulled them through.
Jason: I’m incredibly grateful for the community that supported us through the closures (and restrictions), as we certainly would not have survived without that support. This has only helped me appreciate, even more, the people that we choose to surround ourselves with. It continues to motivate me to make the sometimes difficult decisions that help keep the overall health and wellness of our members. In a day when there is so much competition in the health and fitness industry, we’ve doubled down on the member experience and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Jason has never once questioned his decision to be a coach as his career. He has learned important leassons through his own experiences as an athlete, his desire for self-development, and creating an environment that has a positive impact on all involved.
Jason: My lack of athleticism really prolonged my CrossFit journey, as I spent many years moving inefficiently and with a focus on counting reps rather than making the reps count. All of the time I had spent struggling to learn kipping movements, skipping, weightlifting, to breathe, brace my core, and strategizing workouts had really helped me understand more about how to coach. I could feel what someone new to the movement was feeling and it helped me help others find success. I’ve been coaching CrossFit for nearly thirteen years and I am still learning about how to communicate different cues to different people, but I still remember and feel what it’s like to be new and learning these movements. Another things that motivates me to keep coaching is helping people to do things that are scary at first (like competing) and gaining them these ‘aha’ moments. A quote from the CrossFit Journal, from one of my first competitions back in 2010, still rings true today:
Every day I am grateful for the opportunity to do what I love by building relationships with people, helping others build relationships between themselves, and have some fun doing some healthy exercise while we’re at it. Part of my motivation in pushing so hard to make sure the gym is an enjoyable place for everyone is knowing that I want my kids to enjoy fitness in a fun, judgment-free, safe and supportive environment. Thankfully, I have so many people in my life that are excellent leaders and role-models that help turn this vision into reality.
As you may be able to tell, CFCL is not just a business or a place of fitness for the Trinh family. It is place they continue to grow, live life and call home.
Sarah: Although we didn’t start our CrossFit journey at Onefifty, I feel like the gym has been part of my life since I met Jason back in 2010. It has always been part of him, even before we had a physical space to call home. The sense of belonging I felt and friendships I formed when I first started, has grown into family over the years. Many of the members have been in my life since the beginning – they were at our wedding, threw me baby showers when the kids were born and have provided unwavering support throughout the years to me and my family. This community is not something that happened by accident. Jason has always had a vision for the kind of gym he wanted, and he worked tirelessly to ensure that dream became a reality. Every new member that walks through the doors gets to experience the community that Jason has worked so hard to develop and grow. I hope they can look back 10 years from now and feel the same sense of family that our long-time members do.
Jason: A lot of the changes I’ve experienced are because I am seeking ways of enjoying my life with what I have in front of me. I am very thankful for my family and friends who have provided me with the opportunities to challenge myself. If my wife wasn’t so supportive and my in-laws so helpful in raising a family and running a business, I would not be able to enjoy so many new adventures. Since 2020 I discovered I really enjoy uphill and downhill mountain biking (both terrifying and exhilarating) and discovered a joy for long-distance running (going from the maximum distance of 10km to 21km and then 42km in one running season). I am always keeping inspirational and motivational quotes in mind because they’ve helped me in so many ways. I’ll leave you with a few that have helped guide me through the past few years:
“This too, shall pass.”
— Abraham Lincoln
For as long as you are alive, you will face hard times. Focus on what you can control and move on from the rest.
“The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.”
― Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
Your thoughts will influence your words, which determines your actions. Your actions will determine your habits, which will create your character. Your character attracts the people in your life that will support who you are. Therefore, if you are unhappy with where you are in life, pay attention to your thoughts.
Jason has always found enjoyment in personal development, with books from Ryan Holiday, Dale Carnegie, Simon Sinek, and Brene Brown leading the charge.
Jason (38) is the Owner and Head Coach of CrossFit OneFifty and Sarah (39) is a High School Physical Education Teacher at Mount Royal. They have two kids; Thomas (6) and Nora (4). If they aren’t at the gym, you can find them hanging out with other community members, having Sunday supper with their extended family and going on small and large adventures.