Member of the Month: YouTuber Mark Gustov Credits Kea Athletics for Physical Fitness, and Bringing him Closer to his Dad

As a kid, Mark Gustov never really played sports.

The only sport he ever really tried was tennis, but he was more into playing the piano.

Other than that, “All I did was work on my YouTube channel,” said the 25-year-old, laughing

“And I hated going to the regular gym,” he added.

Needless to say, Mark never thought he would start going to the gym five days a week, let alone actually enjoying it. And he definitely never thought he would be able to deadlift more than 300 pounds and squat more than 250 pounds.

But that’s exactly what Mark can do today.

A few years ago, Mark got into CrossFit through his friend Josh, a former coach at Kea Athletics. He took to it immediately, so much so that when he moved to Burnaby, he quickly found a new CrossFit gym to call his home.
Two years ago, when he moved back to South Surrey, Mark didn’t hesitate to join Kea Athletics. Since then, he has continued to become even fitter in an environment he said he hasn’t really experienced at other gyms.

“It feels like a family. It feels like the most family community out of all the gyms I have been to,” he said.

But for Mark, CrossFit, and specifically Kea, isn’t just about the physical fitness he has achieved. It’s also about what it does for his mind.

“It brings me mental clarity, and helps me just stay calm and relaxed,” said Mark, who works on his computer all day as a filmmaker and YouTuber.

To say he’s successful is an understatement: At just 25 years old, Mark has already built and sold two YouTube channels, one of which had 50,000 subscribers.

Today’s he in the process of building a new channel that aims to “inspire and motivate others to seek more and become the best version of yourself.”

A Then CrossFit Became a Family Affair

When he first started CrossFit, Mark’s dad was skeptical. He was worried his son would get injured.

“It’s too intense. You’re going to hurt yourself,” Mark remembers his dad warning him.

But after watching Mark become fitter and fitter through the last few years, his dad agreed to let Mark “drag” him to the gym last September, Mark explained.

Fast forward eight months, and today Mark and his dad train together at Kea, and Mark’s dad “can’t stop talking about it,” Mark said of his 52-year-old father, who often leaves work early in the evenings to make sure he gets to the class on time.

Training together multiple times a week since last fall has been a huge bonding experience for Mark and his dad.

“Coming to Kea has gotten us much closer,” Mark said, adding that they actually spend quality time together now.

Needless to say, Mark doesn’t hesitate to recommend Kea to anyone and everyone.

“It’s a real community, and I don’t think there are many other fitness programs that encompass everything like this. It’s a full pie.”

written by: Emily Beers