“Death leaves a heartache no one can heal; love leaves a memory no one can steal.”
– Irish Proverb

Deep Squats (Thoughts)

Loss is a funny thing in life. And not the HaHa kind. We want to “lose weight”. But we don’t want to lose anyone. Especially, when that loss feels too soon or unfair.
Yet life is a series of wins and losses. Last week CFPA lost one of its brightest lights when our friend James Yang lost his battle with depression and ended his life.
I don’t know how I can do justice to James’ 12+ years of friendship and memories without filling this with stories and pictures of him smiling. I’ll try by including emails from James after his first month and first year of CrossFit. He started with us Tuesday, 4/1/2014.Progress!

Hey Tim,

Just wanted to drop you a note. It’s on to month 2, and I’m having a lot of fun in class (although you may not realize by how i look in class). Your classes are awesome. I can definitely feel my cardio making progress and I absolutely love fixing my form in the strength exercises. I’m a slow learner, so the repetition is immensely valuable. I still have a long way to go in terms of where i want my fitness level to be, but the last month has shown significant progress towards that goal. Thank you so much.

10 workouts down, 990 to go. Looking forward to continuing the journey at CFPA.

Reflections On The Past YearTim and Graeme,

April marks not only the end of the open, but on a personal note it’s my one year anniversary at CFPA. Thank you both so much for this past year.

I distinctly remember my first workout, 7 rounds, 7 box jumps, 7 snatches of an empty bar, where i stopped after 3 rounds. During workouts where we needed to run 400m I could not even complete the jog without stopping. Thinking back to the person and athlete i was a year ago, i could not imagine doing the things i do now even in a regular class. During The Open of 2014, I remember Kelsey talking to me about the workouts, and i told him “That is ridiculous. What kind of person would do that to themselves.” The James of last year would not even think about participating in The Open. Looking back at the progress over the last year, i’m in disbelief at how many times i have set goals, and those goals have been exceeded, and I set newer higher goals, and again and again, those goals are met and then left behind.

Aside from the personal progress in fitness, building bonds with Tu-Th 6pm and other members of CFPA that uplift my spirits in days that are difficult, and make what seem like super challenging workouts possible, and as a group cheer for our accomplishments and push through our weaknesses. Some friends have asked me why I don’t go to an earlier class and get the workout “out of the way”. My response recently has been, “Because i don’t think of my time at CFPA as something that i need to get out of the way”. I truly look forward to my time there, and it’s my treat for the end of the day, to go to an amazing box, with thoughtful programming, excellent coaching, and classmates that i truly adore. Knowing that i will be challenged and can push myself to my limits in a environment full of care. What else can anyone ask for?

Thank you both so much. I can’t really express what a difference CFPA has made in my life with words, but I did my best to share, as you have both done so much for me.

Looking forward to many more years.

James

Reading these two emails tells you everything about James. He LOVED CrossFit and his friends. James sounded like this every day I have known him. I am blessed to have known him and honored to call him a friend.
We are planning a Memorial Workout for James and will have details coming out soon.
See you in class.
Tim

What’s Going On?

CrossFit Teens Returns

Tuesdays and Thursdays
4-5pm
July 7th – August 13th
w/Coach Ron

Email: [email protected]

250 Years of Fitness Freedom
Saturday, July 4, 2026
9am

2026 CrossFit Games
July 24-26
SAP Center, San Jose

CFPA Thorne Supplement Store

Overheard in Class:
“There’s a madness to the method.”

Timfluencing

From Hildy:

James. Love that guy. Hate that he’s gone.

James Yang was a vessel of light on this earth. He always made you feel like you were his favorite person–whether you were his best friend, or a casual workout buddy, he met you with warmth, genuine delight, and radiating love. He gave huge and enveloping hugs. When I see him in my mind’s eye, he has a big, joyful smile. I can’t see him any other way.

One of James’ most incredible gifts is what an open book he was. He would share his joys and his sorrows with equal frankness and desire for conversation and exploration. He expressed his love openly and freely.

Almost as great as his love of his friends was his love of chalk. He carried his own chalk bag with him to his workouts, to make sure he had easy access and sufficient volume. He used chalk abundantly for his lifts, of course, but we used to joke that he would also use it for box jumps and running.

James also had only one gear—all in. Getting ready for a workout, he would say he was just going to take it easy, move well, but when 3-2-1- GO happened, he would go HAM, and then collapse in an epic way after the workout. James’ post workout thrashing about like a fish out of water, or face down on the floor for long after the workout ended were the stuff of legend.

James was a big guy, and he did everything in a big way. The most loving, the most openhearted, the most chalk, the most post workout thrashing. James loved his people powerfully and fully, and we loved him right back. In having conversations with people who knew and loved him, the unifying theme is how big his heart was, and how very much we loved him.

I am heartbroken at the loss of such a beautiful human being. It’s hard to imagine a purer, more loving-hearted person than James. But I am also so grateful for the privilege of having gotten to be his friend. I’ve learned a lot from him. A huge lesson is the importance and joy of telling the people you love how much you care, and I’m inspired by him to carry that piece of James with me from now on.

In the Jewish tradition, when someone dies, we say “may their memory be a blessing.” Thank you, James, for blessing us with so many joyful memories.

We’re so lucky to have people like James in our lives, for however long we get to bask in the light that they bring. I hope that you are at peace, James, and I miss you terribly.

Thank you for your support.

I look forward to what we will do together.