Shane Davis and Michael Livingston were stuck in careers that didn’t fulfill them. Then they made a decision to change their lives. In October 2013, the two opened CrossFit Luminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Now their lives are constantly varied.
“Part of why I like (owning an affiliate) is it allows me to do so many different things on a daily basis and constantly challenge myself,” Davis says.
But in April 2014, disaster struck. The affiliate caught fire and almost everything was destroyed. CrossFit Luminary was forced to close for nine months in order to clean up and rebuild.
With unrelenting optimism, Davis and Livingston tried to find the silver lining.
“It happened three weeks before my wife gave birth to our first son,” Davis says. “I got to spend six months while we were closed down at home with my child—that was an amazing experience that most dads probably don’t get.”
In an attempt to stay in touch with their clientele, Davis and Livingston salvaged what they could and hosted parking-lot workouts reminiscent of old-school CrossFit in the dirt and gravel—no walls necessary.
“At least this happened when we were approaching springtime and summer and the weather was nice,” Livingston says.
Today, the two are thrilled with the community that was rebuilt along with their affiliate.
“We’ve poured our heart and soul into this place—twice,” Davis says.
Video by Mike Koslap.
7min 31sec
Additional reading: Rebuilding Hackleburg by Andréa Maria Cecil, published May 4, 2012.
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