Helping improve the quality of life of each member who walks into the CrossFit Algoa gym is something very close to the heart of coach Deane Ketzner.
The 26-year-old undertook a close on five-year journey in the sport, which has culminated in him becoming one of only four coaches across the country to achieve a level-three CrossFit qualification.
It took Ketzner almost a year to prepare for the fourhour, 160-question exam. He took the exam earlier this month, and without knowing what to expect, managed to ace it at the first time of asking. It was something very difficult to achieve, he said.
“I am really honoured and privileged to be a part of this group,” he said this week.
Ketzner’s journey in the sport began at the end of 2013 when he worked as a personal trainer at Virgin Active. He was approached by a gym member who suggested he give CrossFit a go.
“I did my first workout that evening at CrossFit Algoa [in Newton Park] which just happened to be a benchmark workout called ‘Randy’, which is 75 power snatches for time.”
Ketzner said he had been taken aback after gym owner Dave Levey instructed him to use a pipe for his workout.
“Nevertheless, I listened to Dave and after the workout I had never been so humbled. I literally couldn’t feel my shoulders and arms, my lungs were on fire,” he recalls.
Ketzner said he had fallen in love with the sport from that day and knew it was something he wished to pursue.
The Summerstrand resident left his job as a personal trainer a few weeks later to continue his interest in the CrossFit industry, doing the level-one certification course.
“A few months later I applied for a head coaching position in Dubai where I lived for the next three years, coaching and running a CrossFit gym,” he added.
He also did a few speciality courses such as CrossFit weightlifting, gymnastics and mobility.
In these, he learnt from the best coaches in the world before later completing his CrossFit level two certification.
He returned to South Africa in 2016 and went back to CrossFit Algoa, where he still works as a coach today.
In the latter half of last year, Ketzner decided to do the levelthree certification and said that the process was vastly different from the previous two certification levels.
“Level one is a basic introduction into CrossFit’s methodology and foundational functional movements, while level two is based more on the coaching side of things . . . coaching, teaching, seeing and correcting.
“Both levels one and two are two-day courses and are led and coached by the best in the business, ending with a theory exam.”
Level three does not consist of a practical part.
Ketzner explained that in order to write the exam, prospective coaches had to prove they had coached more than 800 hours.
“On average it takes a year of studying from the CrossFit journal to have a chance of passing this exam and still you have very little chance of getting through.
“The journal is basically an encyclopedia for CrossFit with over 500 articles to study from with little guidance to what is actually in the exam,” he said.
Ketzner now wants to impart the knowledge he has acquired over the years to help improve the lives of others and believes that through CrossFit, this will be achievable.
Levey, who is in the final preparations ahead of his appearance at the Reebok CrossFit Games in Madison, Wisconsin, next week, said: “All of us at CrossFit Algoa are really proud of coach Deane’s achievement.
“At CrossFit Algoa we are constantly striving to improve the coaching ability and knowledge of our coaches to deliver high quality coaching services to our members.”