Sara Merrymon walked into CrossFit Allure not knowing what to expect. She knew she wanted to continue her fitness with CrossFit as she had been doing for the previous three years, but would CrossFit Allure be welcoming of her and her family? Would it be the same as what she was familiar with in Arizona? Would this be a place she and her family would feel welcomed while in Reno?
Sara and Tim Merrymon, along with their youngest three children, moved from Sierra Vista, AZ to Reno, NV in January 2019. Tim, a civilian contractor with the Army, had been transferred to the Sierra Army Depot in Hurlong, CA. While the Merrymons looked at housing location options from Reno to Susanville, they thankfully have settled on the Reno area and CrossFit Allure is thankful they have chosen to continue their fitness journey in Sparks, NV.
Sara and the family are no strangers to packing up and moving their family. After an original 20 years living in Alaska, Tim’s job took them to a small atoll in the Pacific named Kwajalein. The atoll is part of the Marshall Islands and is so small it doesn’t allow vehicles. Biking and walking are the main modes of transportation. You can read about Sara’s research of her family's new destination here.
In fact, it is on that island when Sara had first heard of Crossfit. Her fitness background at the time consisted of aerobics while Tim liked to run 5k’s. She began going to a gym on the island for aerobics and would see things like “WOD” written on the board and people flipping tires. What a strange culture she thought.
After 2½ years on the Marshall Islands it was time to transfer again. This time to sunny Sierra Vista, Arizona. Ah yes, to the mainland. After settling in, they noticed a CrossFit gym close to their home. They had a WOD. They had tires. Wow, something so foreign on the island now looks so familiar in Arizona. Sara had to try it and became a member of CrossFit Huachuca. One month later, their daughter Kathryn joined and both were hooked. The infinite scalability, the variety, and not having to plan their own workouts were an immediate draw. On top of that, the friendships and instant community in CrossFit were unparalleled. A year later Kathryn became a coach. Not long after that, their son Reuben (17) began Crossfit, followed by Josiah (15) and Levi (13). Tim had been weightlifting and moved into Powerlifting. Fitness became a family affair. There are also two older siblings, one in Arizona with Kathryn (also doing CrossFit), and one married living in Michigan.
The Road to Reno
Fast forward to 2019 - another transfer, another move. This time to Hurlong, CA. Hurlong is located midway between Reno and Susanville. Sara, Tim, and their youngest boys packed up and drove their fifth-wheel trailer to Reno. Undecided on whether to stay in Reno or head up to Susanville, they checked them both out – including some of the local CrossFit offerings. Their tour included a drop-in to CrossFit Allure. There seemed to be an immediate connection with CrossFit Allure. The friendly atmosphere welcomed them and they joined the gym just before the 2019 CrossFit Open, Sara and the boys have never looked back, while Tim continues to pursue Powerlifting at American Iron gym. They all continue to make huge strides in their fitness and abilities. They have found a new home with Crossfit Allure – or at least as long as they call Reno home – and CrossFit Allure has welcomed the family with open arms.
Now with Spring and Summer on the way, they look forward to enjoying outdoor activities with their 2 dogs, and hiking and visiting Lake Tahoe. In their spare time Sara likes to cook while the boys are gamers and like to be online. In fact, they have their own YouTube channel - JRK Studios. And for a special treat you can find them interviewing athletes after last year’s CrossFit Open at CrossFit Huachuca on their sister’s channel - Kathryn Merrymon. The kids are a tad younger but you can tell they love to have fun, and Allure loves having them.
Welcome Merrymons!