Member Spotlights: Danny Hayes & Nikki Raspa

Don’t be fooled by the wedding dress and suit – when Nikki & Danny aren’t working, they’re doing all things active and fitness related!

Happy 1 year anniversary (married & with CFDC!), Nikki & Danny! Thank you both for being part of the CFDC community. Cheers to infinitely many more burpees with us!

How long have you been doing CrossFit (and what inspired you to begin)? How long have you been at CFDC? Why did you chose CFDC?

Nikki started coming to boot camp in February 2016, and then Danny (grudgingly) joined in March. We had such a good experience that we decided to take the plunge and finished Elements in July. Our first CrossFit class was the July 4 workout, which was a shockingly brutal – and fun! – way to start.

Who inspires you (in the gym or beyond)?

Nikki: My mom, who at 67, still kicks my butt in the gym. And Danny, of course, who is real good.

Danny: My insane big sister, who does things like race her bike across the entire country. My insane little sister who is funnier and more compassionate than I could ever hope to be.

Favorite post-workout meal?

Nikki: Takorean, tofu slaw bowl.

Danny: The Navy Yard pizza from 7th Hill.

Favorite CFDC memory to date?

Nikki: Beating Danny at the boot camp workout on January 21, 2017.

Danny: Not January 21, 2017, a day that will live in infamy.* (See me for the asterisk.) My favorite is probably the day we did Fight Gone Bad. At the end, Nikki and I both sprinted outside together to barf. Gotta keep the romance alive.

Proudest accomplishment (in the gym or beyond)?

Nikki: Probably getting my current job after years of applying and getting turned down.

Danny: When I married Nikki in May, and then we did post-ceremony lunges in my parents’ back yard.

If you had a spirit animal, it’d be…

Nikki: ALL OF THEM

Danny: … frustrated to be trapped inside me.

Burpees: yay or nay?

Nikki: Yay, for sure.

Danny: Double yay.

Tell us something that might surprise most people at the gym.

Nikki: A long, long time ago, when I was young and fast, I won a national championship in track cycling.

Danny: A group of parrots is called a pandemonium. (I did that for Nikki, who loves animal collective nouns.) Oh, you mean about me? This summer, I’m running the Leadville 100-miler, which is all above 9,000 feet in Colorado. I’ve made a terrible mistake.

Tell us about one coaching cue that has helped you the most.

Nikki: Elbows up and knees out on front squats.

Danny: Driving the knees out on squats. I’m still working on it (Tom and Lance and Tess and Steve and Sarah and everyone!).