The Silverback Media Podcast

What if you and your partner were completely on the same page around the importance of health and fitness?

What if that partner was, not only your biggest supporter, but walking the path with you every step of the way?

That describes my guests on the show this week, Reece Ellsworth & Sara Thomas.

Reece & Sara are members are CrossFit North Scottsdale and have been involved in CrossFit for a number of years. In this story with them, they share:

- The early health experiences that changed their outlook on fitness in their lives

- How they met (spoiler alert, it was at a CrossFit gym)

- What it means to each of them to have a supportive partner and how they each strive to be that much better for each other every day

- How being engaged in CrossFit has helped them in other competitions outside of the CrossFit space (Hyrox for Sara and Tactical Games for Reece)

You will laugh, you might cry, but most of all, you will leave this episode ready to take on any challenge that comes your way.

To connect with Reece and Sara on Instagram:

Reece: @reece.ellsworth

Sara: @sara_therese

🔗 Connect with Silverback Media

Instagram: @silver_back_media

Youtube: @SilverbackMedia

We are two months into 2026. How are those fitness goals and New Year's resolutions going for you?If you're reading this, and have already fallen off the tracks, or feel stuck with your progress, then this episode is for you. Kaitlyn Kenna Smith and I share the keys to properly tracking your progress to keep you in the game and on the path towards your fitness and health goals.We talk about the reality of how goals are typically tracked, focusing on the outcomes only, and how flipping the script on that can set you up for the long-term success you've been looking for all this time.This episode is a re-broadcast from Kaitlyn's podcast, The Powerhouse Mentality Podcast, as a part of our monthly "Coach's Corner" series. Connect with Kaitlyn:Instagram: @kaitlynkennafitness @thepowerhousementality @thepowerhousejournal Apple/Spotify: The Powerhouse Mentality PodcastConnect with Silverback Media:Instagram: @silver_back_mediaYoutube: @SilverbackMedia

My guest this week is Geo Ortega, better known as the "Scaled Athlete" on Instagram!

Geo is an Everyday CrossFitter in Virginia, and has been consistently doing CrossFit since the beginning of 2024, when he was challenged to try it and fell in love with it.

In this episode, we talk through Geo's backstory before he found CrossFit. We go over:

- What it was like for Geo to grow up splitting time between the US and the Philippines

- How he worked to overcome the intimidation he felt walking into gyms when he was younger

- What it is that Geo loves about CrossFit more than basketball or drag racing

- The rough moments in Geo's life that forced him to refocus on his own health- How the "Magic of the CrossFit Open" was what sealed it for him to stick with CrossFit

Geo is building his Scaled Athlete brand to help show more people that CrossFit, and fitness in general, are a welcoming space to seek out.

Not just for elite athletes or competitors, but for the everyday person looking to improve their life.

🔗 Connect with Geo:Instagram: @scaled.athlete

Fresh Off the Barbell Website: *Use the link in his Instagram bio*

🔗 Connect with Silverback Media

Instagram: @silver_back_media

Youtube: @SilverbackMedia

This week's guest is a 3x Master's CrossFit Games athlete, and CF-L2 coach, Lon Allen!While Lon has qualified for the Games 3 times, and competed twice, his fitness story leading up to that point is a story of persevering through hardship and finding purpose in the failures along the way.We talk about Lon's physical background and how he got started in fitness in early adulthood after serving in the Navy, how that led to him completing multiple Ironman triathlons, and then finding CrossFit in his 40's after burnout from triathlon training.We go over what drew him into CrossFit initially as a member, and then the road to him deciding to go after the goal of competing at the CrossFit Games on the biggest stage. If you have a big goal that you're working towards and are feeling frustrated with the hurdles and bumps along the way, Lon's story is for you!🔗 Connect with Silverback Media

Instagram: @silver_back_media

Youtube: @SilverbackMedia

In this week's episode, host Marco Mejia is joined by Saira Costo, an Everyday CrossFitter who is a member at CrossFit North Scottsdale in Phoenix, AZ. Saira was the winner of the 2025 Fall Nutrition Challenge that was run by Untapped Nutrition, so she joins to share her experience in the challenge, including her results, the major lessons and takeaways, and how learning to give herself grace along the way has helped her to gain consistency!Also joining us was Saira's nutrition coach from Untapped, Rocky DiPalma! Rocky shares the direction she worked with Saira on through the challenge, while also explaining how she approaches working with a wide variety of nutrition clients as well. You can also hear Rocky's own CrossFit story in Episodes 15 and 31 of the podcast as well!

If you've been stuck with your nutrition, this episode will show you why hiring a coach can be so valuable!

To find out more from the Untapped Nutrition team:

Instagram: @untapped.nutrition

Rocky: @coachrockyfit

Website: https://www.cfnsaz.com/programs/nutrition

🔗 Connect with Silverback Media

Instagram: @silver_back_media

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-silverback-media-podcast/id1820661742

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/50eSmu8iJlkakCIO0LADNZ

"This is the year I'm finally going to start exercising." "I'm finally going to start eating better."Do you find yourself getting stuck with the same resolution every year? Each new year, telling yourself the "New Year, New Me" story without it actually sticking? Then this episode is for you. With years of coaching experience, Kaitlyn Kenna Smith and Marco Mejia share their best guidance for making this the last year that you "hope" the changes stick, and actually make it happen.If you're serious and ready, get your notepads out and get ready to build those habits!This episode is a re-broadcast from "The Powerhouse Mentality Podcast" that is hosted by Kaitlyn. Make sure to subscribe/follow on there as we will be doing these Coach's Corner episodes regularly in the future.Connect with Kaitlyn:Instagram: @kaitlynkennafitness @thepowerhousementality @thepowerhousejournal Apple/Spotify: The Powerhouse Mentality PodcastConnect with Silverback Media:

Instagram: @silver_back_media

Youtube: @Silver_Back_Media

In this episode of the Silverback Media Podcast, host Marco Mejia sits down with Brad Schmidgall to talk about how CrossFit reshaped not just his fitness, but his approach to work, balance, and long-term sustainability in his career.

Brad shares how his professional life was largely driven by intensity, output, and constant forward momentum — traits that served him well at work but eventually revealed limitations when applied without balance. Through CrossFit, he began to recognize the importance of recovery, consistency, and pacing, lessons that carried far beyond the gym.

The conversation explores how training taught Brad to value sustainability over burnout, how learning to slow down actually improved performance, and why balance isn’t about doing less — it’s about doing the right things consistently. CrossFit became a framework for reassessing priorities, protecting energy, and showing up more fully in both career and life.

Connect with Silverback Media

Instagram: @silver_back_media

In this episode of the Silverback Media Podcast, host Marco Mejia sits down with a group of experienced CrossFit coaches, Jennifer Libby, Rocky DiPalma, and Courtney Samudio (all previous guests on the Podcast) for a candid, behind-the-scenes conversation about how workouts are actually scaled in real classes — not just on the whiteboard, but in the moment, athlete by athlete.

The coaches walk through common scenarios they see daily inside the gym: brand-new members, seasoned athletes managing injuries, older members prioritizing longevity, and athletes whose skills don’t yet match the intended stimulus. Rather than treating scaling as a downgrade, the conversation reframes it as a coaching tool used to preserve intent, safety, and progress.

This episode pulls back the curtain on what coaches are thinking when they suggest modifications — and why the best scaling decisions often have nothing to do with ego or shortcuts, and everything to do with long-term development.

Highlights from this episode:

• How coaches assess athletes in real time

• The difference between scaling and “making it easier”

• How stimulus drives smart scaling decisions

• Scaling for injuries without losing training value

• Adjusting workouts for age, experience, and capacity

• Why communication between coach and athlete matters

This episode is especially valuable for athletes who’ve ever wondered why a coach suggested a certain modification — and for coaches refining how they explain scaling with confidence and clarity.

To hear the stories of these incredible coaches, check them out on prior episodes of the Silverback Media Podcast:

• Jennifer Libby - Episode 1
• Rocky DiPalma - Episode 15
• Courtney Samudio - Episode 20

🔗 Connect with Silverback Media

Instagram: @silver_back_media

Youtube: @SilverbackMedia

Jennifer Jones joins Marco Mejia on the Silverback Media Podcast to share her experiences that led her to CrossFit including a cancer diagnosis and multiple surgeries. We hear how those events completely changed the way she views strength, fitness, and success over the long-term.This episode isn’t about pushing harder — it’s about adapting honestly. Jennifer talks about what drew her to CrossFit, the experiences that made it stick, and why in her own words she says that "CrossFit changed her life."👉 If you or someone you know is navigating fitness through illness or recovery, this episode offers an honest and grounded perspective.🔗 Connect with Silverback MediaInstagram: @silver_back_mediaYoutube: @SilverbackMedia

In this solo episode of the Silverback Media Podcast, host Marco Mejia shares a timely New Year’s message for CrossFit coaches and CrossFitters at every stage of their journey — from first-time gym drop-ins to long-time members resetting their goals.

Marco addresses the pressure that often comes with the start of a new year: big resolutions, unrealistic expectations, and the urge to go “all in” overnight. Instead, he reframes January as an opportunity to focus on consistency, sustainability, and self-awareness, rather than perfection or comparison.

This episode serves as a grounded reminder that CrossFit isn’t about flipping a switch on January 1st — it’s about building habits that last far beyond the calendar.

🔗 Connect with Silverback Media

Instagram: @silver_back_mediaYoutube: @SilverbackMedia

🧠 This episode is brought to you by Future Form:

https://futureform.store/⁠