Aug. 6—Ten years after Johnstown resident Kristina Marinkovich started to share healthy living with the community as she competed in pageants, she is continuing to share the same values as the owner of Bold Athletics, formerly CrossFit Excursion, 60 Walnut St. in downtown Johnstown.
“I guess my CrossFit journey started six years ago when I walked in for my first class,” she said. “I loved it on the first day. I liked being challenged and the community aspect. I literally fell in love with it ever since then.”
Marinkovich said that how she became interested in health and wellness is more of “a complicated story.” It started when she entered the world of pageantry in 2013.
“I needed to get myself on track and confident enough so I could be onstage in a pair of shorts and a sports bra competing for a title,” she said, “so I sought the help of a personal trainer, and I worked with a personal trainer for a couple of years. I really enjoyed health and wellness, and I became an instructor and got involved with group fitness classes.”
Having been a dancer her entire life, Marinkovich described being in front of people and teaching as second nature.
“I just really embraced the lifestyle, which led to my HEALTHY (Helping Everyone Achieve a Healthy Lifestyle) platform in pageantry,” she said.
“I published a cookbook, and grasped the healthy living, wellness, the eating portion, the physical portion, and then enjoyed educating people on how they can make their lifestyle healthier. So it went from pageantry to really developing a love for health and wellness.”
Marinkovich said she worked at Greater Johnstown Community YMCA in the Kernville section of Johnstown as the membership director and then the health and wellness director. She coached her first CrossFit class two years ago.
“I think what is important for me is that my platform became my way of life,” she said.
“It’s almost like I have to talk myself out of doing a workout or taking a rest day, just because it has become so habitual. The biggest part of my platform is that I’m not only living it, but I’m teaching and helping people who want to pursue a healthy lifestyle and helping people make better food choices.”
Since Marinkovich became the gym’s owner in November, the facility has seen the addition of children’s and teens’ programs.
“Starting the kids’ program is huge because you start kids early, and they learn the foundations and the importance of movements and having fun,” she said.
“We play a game. They interact with their classmates. We do a ninja course quite often with them. They’re doing and learning strength and functional movements and what they’re capable of.”
Marinkovich added that a program for those 50 and older will be added soon.
“It’s going to focus on functional movements, not necessarily using the barbell, but we are going to be using some dumbbells and kettlebells, and really just educating people on how to move with proper form and technique for everyday living,” she said.
Marinkovich added that the gym sees participants of all ages.
“Our youngest member is 4 and our oldest member is 72,” she said, “so when people tell me, ‘I’m too old for this,’ or, ‘I’m too old for CrossFit,’ I call them out on it because they’re not some of the older athletes here. They can get ropes faster than I can. They can run longer. Their endurance is great and their grip strength is greater.”
