The CruciFit Pod

Train hard. Stay humble. Love people.

In Episode 40, Aaron and Crystal sit down with Hannah Blair Jansen, CrossFit athlete and co-owner of Train HUMBL on Australia’s Gold Coast, for a warm conversation about faith, fitness, and the people who make life richer.

Hannah shares her journey from professional ballet to CrossFit, the unexpected beginnings of owning a gym with her husband Theo, and their desire to build a place where people feel welcomed, encouraged, and loved. She reflects on how everyday kindness can open meaningful conversations about Jesus.

After a serious knee injury at the Torian Pro, Hannah found herself learning a different kind of strength: patience, asking for help, and allowing others to care for her. Through meals, visits, and practical support, the community she helped build showed up for her—and a slower season created more room for prayer and Scripture.

An honest, joyful conversation about staying humble, receiving love, and living your faith through the way you treat people.

Key Topics:
• Hannah’s journey from professional ballet to CrossFit
• Building community at Train HUMBL
• Sharing faith through kindness and everyday actions
• Recovering from a serious knee injury at Torian Pro
• Learning to ask for help and receive support
• Making room for prayer, Scripture, and patience

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This week, Aaron and Crystal trade the guest interview for a conversation on the couch, answering questions sent in by CruciFit listeners. They begin with one of the hardest: If I believe God has forgiven me, why do I still feel guilty?

Aaron shares a story from his past to explain the difference between justice, mercy, and grace. Together, they discuss why accepting forgiveness can take more than understanding it intellectually. They talk about repentance, bringing hidden shame into the light, forgiving yourself, and the daily practice of praying and returning to Scripture when your feelings haven’t caught up with what you believe. Crystal also shares a personal moment that makes their conversation about forgiving others more than a theoretical question.

Then they move into the questions people often hesitate to ask out loud: Why believe in Jesus when other faiths hold their beliefs just as strongly? How can you tell whether you’re feeling God’s presence? What do you owe a partner spiritually? Why does Christianity treat sex as sacred? Does science leave room for God? They also discuss right and wrong, modesty, evil, and a few unexpected rapid-fire questions.

Aaron and Crystal don’t claim to have every answer. They share what they currently understand from Scripture, where their own experiences have shaped them, and where they’re still learning. If you’re wrestling with grace, carrying a question about faith, or wondering whether you’re allowed to ask it, this conversation is for you.

Have a question for a future couch episode? Send it to CruciFit or leave it in the comments.

Key topics: grace versus mercy; guilt and forgiveness; faith and other religions; recognizing God’s presence; right and wrong; relationships, sex, and modesty; and whether science leaves room for God.

Are you running ahead of Jesus, or holding back when He’s asking you to move?

Brandon Shook joins Aaron and Crystal to talk about what it means to follow Jesus at His pace. Brandon shares how he came to faith, why he stepped into ministry with college students, and what it has taught him about trust, patience, and obedience.

They also discuss Sabbath as intentional rest, the difference between introducing someone to Jesus and walking with them as a disciple, and the importance of a community that stays with you as your faith grows.

• Moving when Jesus leads—and slowing down when He does
• Brandon’s faith story and his work with Fusion
• Spiritual growth, repentance, and being shaped over time
• Sabbath, rest, and making room for God
• Following Jesus with intention in everyday life
• Why conversion is the beginning of discipleship
• Helping college students find Christian community
• Raising children who come to own their faith

Dash Wong was born into paradise - but raised through hell.

After a childhood marked by addiction, abuse, homelessness and abandonment, Dash found belonging as a Navy Special Warfare Combatant-Craft Crewman. Special operations gave him purpose, identity and brotherhood - but it couldn’t answer the deepest questions created by his past.

Then a Christian teammate gave him a simple challenge: stop relying on what other people say about God and ask Jesus directly if He is real.

In this episode, Dash shares his extraordinary journey through military service, supernatural encounters, cancer, losing his identity, surviving a devastating construction accident and learning to forgive the parents who weren’t there.

This isn’t simply a story about everything Dash survived. It’s about the God who was present through all of it - and how our testimony should always point beyond us to the King we carry.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• You don’t have to take someone else’s word for who Jesus is—ask Him yourself.
• God’s silence doesn’t necessarily mean God’s absence.
• Your career, accomplishments and titles are things you’ve done—not who you are.
• Following Jesus doesn’t promise an easy life; it gives suffering purpose.
• Forgiveness can still hurt while being necessary.
• Your testimony isn’t meant to elevate you—it’s meant to carry people toward Jesus.
• People often encounter the gospel through how Christians live before they hear what Christians say.
• What feels like the end of your service may be preparation for a greater assignment.

CHAPTERS

00:00 – A Bible carried through war
05:35 – What a Navy SWCC actually does
07:30 – Born in paradise, raised through hell
17:40 – Homelessness, foster care and abandonment
32:05 – “That’s my son”
43:55 – The zero-option mentality
55:55 – When military service becomes your identity
58:25 – “Ask Jesus if He’s real”
01:01:55 – The first lightning strike
01:05:50 – Confronting God over his suffering
01:09:20 – Finding peace for the first time
01:13:10 – Loss, hatred and becoming a weapon
01:17:20 – Cancer at peak physical condition
01:28:40 – Selling everything and hitting the road
01:30:40 – Breaking down in Aspen
01:36:15 – Christianity as an insurance policy
01:39:50 – The prodigal son changes everything
01:44:10 – A life worth living through hardship
01:46:15 – The donkey carrying the King
01:48:10 – A greater kind of service
01:55:30 – Choosing joy regardless of circumstances
01:57:55 – Becoming the fifth Gospel
02:06:20 – Reconciliation and the bitter cup of forgiveness
02:14:55 – PTSD, adrenaline and losing your identity
02:21:55 – Who are you without the title?
02:25:45 – There is still hope

KEY TOPICS

Christian testimony, Navy SWCC, special operations, childhood trauma, foster care, homelessness, spiritual warfare, encountering Jesus, faith and suffering, military transition, PTSD, identity, cancer survival, forgiveness, reconciliation, purpose, discipleship, Christian leadership and sharing the gospel.

KEYWORDS

Dash Wong, CruciFit Podcast, Christian testimony, Navy SWCC testimony, special operations veteran, military faith story, ask Jesus if He is real, finding Jesus, childhood trauma survivor, foster care testimony, veteran PTSD, military transition, identity after the military, Christian forgiveness, faith through suffering, cancer survivor testimony, spiritual warfare, prodigal son, Christian podcast, Christian men, faith and discipline

CONTENT NOTE

This episode includes discussion of childhood abuse, addiction, sexual violence, suicide, combat trauma and serious injury.

In this episode, we sit down with competitive CrossFit athlete Anna Meredith to talk about the quiet obedience that can change more lives than we ever realize.

During one of the darkest periods of her life, a friend repeatedly invited Anna to church. Anna eventually said yes—and that invitation began a ripple that would later reach Ty Jenkins, Fee Saghafi and many others within the CrossFit community.

Anna shares how her faith carried her through three consecutive years of family loss, moving 13 hours from home at just 18 and learning to separate her identity from her performance as an athlete.

She also takes us inside the moment her heart unexpectedly stopped twice just days before competition. After receiving a pacemaker and being unable to lift even 20 pounds, Anna was forced to surrender the plan she had built and trust the one God was writing. Six weeks later, she returned to the competition floor—and somehow hit a new snatch PR.

This episode is about interrupted plans, persistent faith and the extraordinary ripple created by one ordinary invitation.

TAKEAWAYS

• One invitation can influence far more people than we may ever see.
• Sometimes showing up before we feel ready is the first step toward transformation.
• Our performance may reveal areas for growth, but it does not define our identity.
• We can make plans while still surrendering the outcome to God.
• Hard seasons can deepen our faith when we choose to lean toward God instead of away.
• Sharing our faith becomes easier through repetition and seeing its impact.
• God can use interruptions to reshape our priorities, perspective and purpose.
• The next generation is increasingly willing to speak boldly and unapologetically about Jesus.

CHAPTERS

00:00 – Welcome Anna Meredith
04:49 – Discovering CrossFit and competitive training
07:29 – Moving 13 hours from home at 18
10:11 – Learning to trust God’s plan
11:02 – Losing three family members in three years
13:38 – The friend who kept inviting Anna to church
15:39 – Keep showing up, even when it feels mechanical
18:04 – Anna’s decision to be baptized
22:31 – The ripple effect of one invitation
24:57 – Bringing faith into the CrossFit community
26:51 – Building confidence to talk about Jesus
28:32 – Sharing faith behind the competition floor
29:32 – Separating identity from performance
33:08 – The unexpected trip to the hospital
36:05 – Anna’s heart stops twice
36:46 – Receiving a pacemaker
37:51 – Wrestling with “Why me?”
38:55 – When God interrupts your plan
40:22 – Starting over with an empty barbell
41:31 – Returning to competition six weeks later
42:12 – An unexpected snatch PR
43:07 – Why Anna’s dad needed to be there
45:03 – Anna’s upcoming competition goals
47:12 – Helping athletes navigate grief and adversity
50:15 – Trusting God without immediate answers
51:20 – A generation speaking boldly about faith
55:43 – Young Christians gathering at Passion
01:03:38 – Who should join CruciFit next?
01:05:13 – Anna’s current favorite worship music

This episode, we sit down with Adam Everett, founder of the Ndure Project and Desert City Classic, for a conversation that lands right at the heart of CruciFit: faith isn’t meant to make us comfortable—it’s meant to transform us.

We talk about why doing hard things matters, the power of shared suffering and community, and how physical challenges can prepare us to endure the trials life inevitably brings. Adam also opens up about burnout, doubt, marriage, and a season when everything looked successful from the outside while he felt completely empty on the inside.

From faith and fitness to leadership, relationships and learning to stop carrying everything alone, this conversation is a reminder that the testing isn’t always something to escape. Sometimes, it’s exactly where God is building the endurance we’ll need for what comes next.

Faith that isn’t tested can’t be trusted.

• Faith that isn’t tested can’t be trusted.
• Comfort can quietly become an idol—and hard doesn’t mean we’re on the wrong path.
• Physical challenges can train us to endure difficult seasons mentally, spiritually and emotionally.
• We weren’t designed to carry everything alone; community and shared suffering matter.
• Success on the outside doesn’t necessarily mean we’re healthy on the inside.
• Faith and fitness shouldn’t live in separate compartments—how we live matters as much as what we know.
• Strong leadership is less about forcing results and more about stewarding environments that produce fruit.

00:00 — Welcome & Getting to Know Adam
08:00 — Rucking, Faith & Carrying Weight
16:45 — Building the Desert City Classic
20:00 — When Faith & Fitness Collide
30:00 — Brotherhood & the Ndure Project
39:00 — Why Hard Challenges Change Us
43:00 — Adam’s Journey to Faith & Ministry
51:30 — Fatherhood, Leadership & Becoming Better
53:00 — Burnout, Doubt & Feeling Far From God
58:50 — Faith That Isn’t Tested Can’t Be Trusted
1:02:00 — The Idol of Comfort
1:04:40 — The Power of Shared Suffering
1:07:00 — Leadership That Produces Fruit
1:08:00 — Why We Need Hard Things
1:13:00 — Final Thoughts & What Comes Next

In this episode, David Corson shares his incredible journey from a Christian upbringing, military service in Vietnam, to pioneering missions in remote countries like Vanuatu and Afghanistan. His stories highlight faith, sacrifice, and the power of sharing the gospel in the most challenging environments.

Takeaways

• Encountering God's presence in nature
• The power of personal encounter with Jesus
• The impact of a Christian upbringing
• The transformative power of faith and prayer
• The importance of sharing the message of Jesus Christ Life is short, don't settle for second best
• Relationships are the number one ministry
• Go for it, live the adventure

Chapters

• 00:00 Encountering God's Presence in Nature
• 02:07 The Transformative Power of Faith and Prayer
• 02:48 The Impact of a Christian Upbringing
• 07:14 The Power of Personal Encounter with Jesus
• 09:51 The Importance of Sharing the Message of Jesus Christ
• 45:12 The Journey of Love and Friendship
• 46:12 From Vanuatu to Hawaii
• 48:31 Missionary Work in Hawaii
• 49:01 Impact in Vanuatu and Colorado
• 50:56 Dark Times and Struggles with Faith
• 55:14 The Power of Faith and Perseverance
• 01:02:07 Missionary Work in Afghanistan
• 01:14:45 Unlikely Opportunities and Impactful Moments
• 01:28:49 Words of Wisdom for Mission Work

In this episode, Ty Jenkins shares his inspiring journey of faith and CrossFit, highlighting how spiritual growth and athletic pursuit can intertwine. Discover how mentorship, overcoming doubts, and embracing God's plan can transform lives at any age. Ty Jenkins shares his journey of faith, athletic career, and how he integrates his beliefs into his sport and life. This episode offers insights into trusting God's plan, the importance of community, and living boldly for Christ.

Takeaways

• Faith and fitness intersect in powerful ways
• Mentors play a crucial role in shaping one's faith journey Personal experiences shape one's faith journey
• Contemporary Christian churches play a significant role in shaping faith experiences
• Mentorship and guidance are crucial in spiritual growth
• Younger generations have a powerful impact on the future of faith
• Open-handed trust in God's plan leads to meaningful outcomes Faith and Sport: Ty Jenkins discusses the intersection of faith and sport, highlighting the challenges and rewards of being open about his faith in the public eye.
• Mentorship and Community: Ty emphasizes the importance of mentors and community in his journey, showcasing the impact of relationships on personal and spiritual growth.

Chapters

• 00:00 Faith in the CrossFit Space
• 03:00 The Role of Mentors in Faith
• 10:58 The Impact of Testimony and Purpose
• 22:58 The Journey of Faith and Fitness
• 34:58 Personal Faith Journey
• 36:38 Influence of Contemporary Christian Churches
• 38:35 Mentorship and Guidance in Faith
• 42:41 Impact of Younger Generations on Faith
• 46:27 Open-Handed Trust in God's Plan
• 01:05:23 CrossFit Career and Faith
• 01:24:19 Favorite Worship Songs and Church Community
• 01:26:40 Balancing Faith and Sport

No guests this week, just a dive into the sanctification process, the voice of God, the power of repentance, the daily practice of sanctification, and building a relationship with God. Join us as we discuss the themes of personal transformation and refinement over the first year of our faith journey, and the impact of prior lifestyle on new perspectives.

Takeaways

• Sanctification is an ongoing process of spiritual refinement.
• Repentance and seeking advice are essential in the journey of faith.
• Building a relationship with God requires daily commitment and perseverance. Trusting God's plan
• Embracing personal transformation and faith journey

Chapters

• 00:00 The Sanctification Process
• 04:58 The Voice of God
• 09:22 The Power of Repentance
• 16:30 The Daily Practice of Sanctification
• 27:37 Building a Relationship with God
• 28:58 The Refinement Process
• 31:28 Trusting God's Plan
• 33:20 Emotional Regulation and Expression
• 36:20 The Role of Chat GPT and Self-Reflection
• 45:22 Seeking Good and Separating from Evil
• 46:54 Personal Transformation and Faith Journey
• 48:22 Impact of Prior Lifestyle and New Perspectives
• 55:27 Active Christianity in the Western World

In this episode, we explore the cultural differences between Australia and the United States through personal stories and observations from a recent trip. From food and sports to safety and everyday life, discover what makes Australia unique and what Americans might find surprising. Join us as we explore the unique gym and church cultures in Australia, the impact of faith on community, and personal growth from travel experiences. Discover insights on humility, faith, and living intentionally.

Takeaways

• Cultural Differences
• Food and Cuisine Cultural Differences
• Taxation and Pricing
• Wildlife Encounters
• Gym Culture
• Church Experience Cultural differences in religious practices
• Appreciation for intentional living

Chapters

• 00:00 Cultural Differences
• 02:02 Food and Cuisine
• 21:33 Cultural Differences
• 22:22 Taxation and Pricing
• 25:07 Wildlife Encounters
• 26:38 Gym Culture
• 38:03 Church Experience
• 43:11 Cultural Observations
• 44:11 Surprises and Insights
• 47:46 Lessons Learned and Takeaways
• 52:00 Reflections and Gratitude
• 56:06 Transition to Conclusion