The founding of CrossFit Liberty Lake is a story as intense as the workout itself.

Just 72 hours after deciding to open the largest CrossFit facility in the area, Chris DiCicco, one of the four founders of the business, moved his family and entire CrossFit business to Liberty Lake from Wyoming.

"It was quick," co-founder and CrossFit Coach Jennifer Richey said of the entire process. "The thing about us is we make a decision and go."

A CrossFit Coach, DiCicco's desire to return to the area prompted the idea to open the gym, or what is referred to as a CrossFit "box." He approached his good friend, Luke Richey, the founder and CEO of Gravity Jack in Liberty Lake, about his idea this October.

"I've always wanted to start a gym," said Richey, who is an amateur MMA fighter, skydiver and sport bike racer.

DiCicco, Richey and Richey's wife, Jennifer, quickly began flushing out the idea. Their research showed that of the 12 CrossFit facilities in the area, none were in Liberty Lake.

"There is a gap from Post Falls to Pines without a box," DiCicco said. "It's a window of opportunity."

DiCicco started looking for a facility on Craigslist, doubting the possibility of locating a facility large enough.

"We needed a big, giant, tall warehouse space - not attached to any other tenant so they're not annoyed by the stereos," DiCicco said. 

While searching "Liberty Lake warehouse," the first ad in his Craigslist search was for a large facility off of Appleway Avenue.

"I tell Luke to look at this building, not realizing it's two blocks down the road from Gravity Jack," DiCicco said. "He talks to the Realtor and - this is the hilarious part - the name of the person who owns the facility is Luke's partner."

Richey contacted his partner to explain what he was doing and was able to work out a deal.

"We got a facility; we got the deal," DiCicco said. "I tell Luke, you say 'go,' and it's done."

Within 72 hours of Richey giving DiCicco the go-ahead, DiCicco closed his CrossFit box in Cheyenne, Wyo., packed his family and started out for Liberty Lake.

"I went into my box, stripped it down and threw it into the truck," DiCicco said. "The next call is I'm just crossing Coeur d'Alene with 29,000 pounds of equipment."

"It's no joke," Jennifer Richey added. "I get a text from Luke: 'Get to the warehouse we need to unload the moving truck.'"

On Dec. 3, two and a half months after DiCicco's initial call to Richey, the facility opened.  

"We probably would have launched two weeks earlier, but I was working on the website," said Richey, who handles the marketing and business side of the box.

DiCicco said the 10,000-square-foot facility is the largest CrossFit facility in the area. 

He noted that while a number of CrossFit facilities take activities outdoors, this facility gives athletes indoor space to endure the toughest challenge, including flipping 500-pound tractor tires. 

"There is nothing outside of running longer distances we can't do in the box," Jennifer Richey said of the size of the facility. "Our ability to expand inside this box is huge."

Currently, there are seven weekday classes and one class offered on Saturday mornings, along with open gym from 10 a.m. to noon. 

The hour-long, high-intensity programs consist of a warm up, a skill set and the notorious workout of the day (WOD). The 8- to 15-minute WOD consists of variations of CrossFit's nine foundational movements to build cardiovascular and respiratory endurance, strength, speed, power, balance, agility, stamina, coordination, accuracy and flexibility.

"I like the variety (of the WOD)," said Jennifer Richey, who also coaches a ladies-only class weekday mornings at 10 a.m. "It's not stagnant. You don't know what's coming."

Classes are structured in a group setting of 10 to 12 athletes and are open to any age and fitness level.  

"It creates like this brotherhood you can't describe until you've all suffered together," Luke Richey said. "People get really close." 

A certified coach is present at all times, ensuring each participant is using the proper technique. Every movement can be scaled back to the athlete's performance level. 

"The biggest misconceived notion about CrossFit is scaling," Jennifer Richey said. "What I mean is if I can't do a full push up, then drop to your knees. Every workout can be scaled back to the needs of the athlete."

DiCicco gave an example of an 88-year-old woman who joined CrossFit. When she started the program, she was unable to perform a squat without using assistance.  Within a four-month period, she was able to perform a full-depth squat.

"How more rewarding is her life," DiCicco said. "We can't completely reverse age, but we can slow the needle down."

Utilizing the Wodify App, each CrossFit workout is tracked on the computer or smart phone. With the app, athletes track progress, what weight has been done in the past and what to do in the future, and improvement over the course of time. According to Luke Richey, the facility is the only gym using a software system to track workouts.

Just 10 days after opening, 27 people have already joined the facility.  

"It's over double what I projected," Luke Richey said. "I expected 10 at this point."

Richey projects membership to potentially reach 200 by the end of the first year.

"You give us at least three days a week for 30 days, and I guarantee you the person you are at the end of 30 days will be absolutely nothing in comparison with the one you started with," DiCicco said."You're never going to be better than the person you can create here."

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