Thank you for checking out the Community Conversation, brought to you by Prototype Training Systems, home of CrossFit Prototype! The Community Conversation highlights a different member of the Prototype Community each week and allows them to tell their story, share their life experience, and communicate their perspective on all things fitness.

We’ve all listened to podcasts and watched YouTube videos that highlight some of the world’s greatest leaders and visionaries. We believe we have some AMAZING people at Prototype and we want you to get to know them! (Check out our last episode here!)

This is our 64th episode of The Community Conversation and today’s guest is Damon Walsh! You won’t want to miss this episode as it’s a good one!

So, click the link below to watch this Community Conversation on our YouTube page! You can also check out The Community Conversation on all major streaming platforms including Spotify! Don’t forget to subscribe!

Mike Collette 0:01
All right, everyone, we have Damon Walsh on our Community Conversation today. I’m so pumped to have Damon on. We’re going back and forth for like, I feel like weeks trying to get this dude on the community conversation. Now he’s here. He tried to, like get out of it yesterday by using like his kids as an excuse. I’m just kidding. But, uh, but he’s here and I just want to welcome Damon. You know, welcome to the Community Conversation, man.

Damon Walsh 0:27
Thank you. Sup, everybody?

Mike Collette 0:30
Yeah, so dude, it’s awesome to have you on. Um, you know, we usually kick these things off with kind of sharing your story. Like, how did you find the gym? How’d you get involved with Prototype? You know, take us take us back to day one. And where you’re at today.

Damon Walsh 0:43
Well, it’s been quite some time. So my wife, and Dirienzo’s wife, went to Providence together. So I’ve known Mark for for many years. And when we moved to Westboro, he was telling me about CrossFit. And, you know, I thought, like many people that it was just going to be a bunch of gymnasts and really strong people, and it wasn’t going to work for me. But eventually, you know, I got sick of going to sports club and picking up weights and looking around and just putting them down and leaving the gym. I knew I had to make a change if I was gonna work out and get some results. So I came to class and I think, you know, Brent French was there, and she in and a bunch of people and, man, it was they would always be like, what was the hardest part? And it was like, the whole thing you kidding? You know, after a while, it’s just, you know, you fall in love with the community and the people and the workouts become more routine. And, you know, I really enjoyed them. So, over 1000 workouts in and about, I think six years coming up on six or seven, maybe six years in. Yeah, it’s been great, man. I love it. I’m always trying to sell the package to new people I meet, you know, around me and stuff. And, you know, I’m telling you just like, like me, I think it takes people a little bit of time before they say, alright, I could do that. Because, you know, when you go into class, it’s always fun to see new people start and get into it. Because when you go into class, it’s, it takes a little while to ramp up. But it’s fun.

Mike Collette 2:22
Walk us through kind of like that, you know, experience cuz like, you know, Mark’s a pretty fit, dude. So I can understand why like, you know, the interpretation of like, or I guess the thought of, man, like, it’s gonna be a bunch of marks, bunch of go-hard like Mark no offense. You know, I can take shots at mark, but at the same time, it’s like, you know, it can be a little like, oh, I don’t know if, like, this is for me, but like, kind of walk through that, like that experience kind of starting out. And like, what those first like week, two weeks, three weeks? Like when did you you know? When you start drinking the Kool Aid, I guess?

Damon Walsh 2:57
Yeah. You know, I was kind of hooked on on just the people early. And in the virtuosity classes, I thought were really great. Because, you know, the movements were foreign, and, you know, just doing like a kettlebell swing. You know, the way I think you do it, and the way you do it a very different. Double unders. You almost do nothing to do it correctly. You know, I think that there was just, you know, just just learning the movements was fun for me. And then, you know, strength starts to come back in that, you know, I love, I love the strength portion of what we do. And yeah, I think that’s it. You know, it’s like, the more you show up, the more you start talking to people, the more you you know, I found like, a great network in the gym. You know, like, I think that the gym for me is, it’s just as much about the network as it is about working out. You know, sometimes when I don’t even feel like working out, I just show up, I see people I talk and then, you know, probably talk more than the coaches want me to talk at times, and then I wind up doing a workout and I sweat. And, you know, no matter how well I do it, I’ve worked out and I feel better. I went to thrive yesterday for the first time in I can’t even remember and it crushed me. But the rest of the day, I felt like man, I just worked out really hard. Yeah, I love that. Oh, look, you know, shout out to Carl, Carl’s gave me some awesome career advice this week. And Dan McCarthy’s come over and helped me, you know, with things around the house that I couldn’t do with three other men. And Dan just does it himself really. Graham helped me train for a marathon. I mean, all these all these goals that all these things that I I’m not sure how to do on my own. Somebody else has done it and they’re, you know, it’s a great community in that regard.

Mike Collette 4:56
So cool, man, like the specific shout outs like even this as early as this week he said like, Carl’s like career advice you guys are I think you guys are in like seems like sort of field like med devices and like sales and that sort of stuff. I feel like Dan is like the, the token like helper, that guy will just show like, if you need something he’ll just show up. Like, even if you’re like, Nah, I got it. I’m here. And I agree it’s funny, he can do the job of like several guys. And then that’s cool, on Graham helping you train for that marathon. Yeah. And it’s like, it’s so funny. Like, it’s such a common theme with these conversations and having people on here and just talking is like the the community the people like, it’s important and you develop these relationships. And I think you said it best; you found like a great network in the gym and it seems like you kind of leaned into that too. You know some people. I don’t know about what you think. But like you mentioned, like new folks coming in, like- I think like, some people will come in and, and they might like kind of keep to themselves, it takes a little time to kind of like get involved with some people, but, I don’t know, like, based on, if you were like a new person again, or you had advice for like a new person, what would that be in that regard of, you know, getting involved or, like, you know, making those connections, and like the importance of that?

Damon Walsh 6:19
I was a lot like how you just described, you know, like I was I was excited that I was working out and it was getting easier, and I was getting fit. But you know, I wouldn’t call myself an introvert, but I’m not, I’m not nearly as outgoing as I am when I’m at the gym. So, you know, initially I was more quiet. And the more I warmed up to people, and the more I built relationships, now I just kind of go in there. And it’s like, it’s kind of like a free space to, to, you know, communicate, however you want to communicate. And workout is hard or is as mellow as you want to. And I would just I would just know what your goals are. And I think we we used to I don’t know how you onboard people these days, but we used to, like write down certain goals. And that’s why we’re up the marathon I half marathon in mind. And then eventually I did a marathon, but if you know what your goals are, and, you know, just jump in and talk to people about them.

Mike Collette 7:14
So cool. Yeah, the onboarding process, like we do, like, you know, sit down and kind of do the goal assessment, like we call it a Free No Sweat Intro Session. And then you know, folks do the virtuosity like the one-on-one kind of like on-ramp. We actually have moved it from four sessions to like five sessions now. So we get like an extra, or we’re trying to do actually, which is kind of cool is, um, include, like, you know, members into that fifth session, like a buddy. That doesn’t have to be like a friend but like, you know, someone that like, you know, could be you and now you got like a two-on-one session with a coach. You can work on skills, but it’s also you can build a relationship and almost help coach like the new-

Damon Walsh 7:51
Yeah, or I think even more important, or what would be more important to me is that, you know, you always feel like you know, somebody better after you’ve done a partner workout with them. You know when you work out with people, you workout with people every day, but when you’re going back and forth with the reps. I did a workout with Garrett recently and that was crazy. And, you know, Garrett, great coach, and you know, everything but just one of these like animal CrossFit people. And I’ve never worked so hard. Tthe workout started with Karen. And then it went into like 300 double unders, which he did I think two thirds of and but we never dropped the ball Karen our time was so fast. And then we got out of the gym, we had to we had to do two or three laps. And I think Garrett beat me. I slowed us down by like another three minutes. But the important thing is, you know, he made me go as hard as I could when I worked out and now I feel like I know him a little bit better.

Mike Collette 8:48
That’s awesome. That’s so cool. That’s good insight. Um, I think that takes it takes like, I don’t know about you, but like, I feel like it takes time to kind of get into that mode. It’s funny, I would love your perspective, like talking about like partner workouts, like some people avoid the partner workouts because they don’t like they don’t think they have a partner, someone can like partner up with them or they don’t know enough people in the gym or they’re like actually kind of scared or intimidated to let someone down. You know, you don’t feel like you’ve been here for six years. You know, you basically everyone knows you. You’re like the, you’re like the guy. You’re the guy that drives on the walls man your the dude that like decorates everything. Everyone’s like, oh, that must be Damon right there. Um, but like, I don’t know, what’s your perspective on that? Was it like we always like that, you know, like, kind of get right into the partner stuff you weren’t? Like, how did that?

Damon Walsh 9:37
No I mean, I agree. I get I think people feel like that in in that’s just in your head. It has, you know, everybody just wants you to work out and get the most out of it. And, you know, everybody’s also getting the most out of what they’re doing. So I mean, you never slow anybody down or, you know, ruining somebody’s workout. You show up. We’re all having great time and we’re getting through it together. We’re gonna sweat.

Mike Collette 10:05
So funny. I mentioned for you guys that maybe don’t know. I don’t think everyone does know but you’re like this Master graffiti artist that just draws stuff on the walls you guys are if you’re listening all the awesome artwork at the front of the gym on the chalkboard is basically done by Damon and it’s like his creative mind. Like how did you like have you always just been an artist? Like what is it? I think I know your background a little bit. You grew up in like New York, right? Like, like, tell us about that. Like, how did you get into art like and? Yeah. Oh, I remember you showing me that. Yes. It’s so cool.

Damon Walsh 10:44
Four-story building.

Mike Collette 10:46
It’s so cool. So you guys are listening to this on like, on like Spotify or Apple podcasts like gaming just kind of showed a picture of this. What he said four story building or story to tell the story. I’m not even gonna ruin it for you. This is the picture that he just showed me walking murals.

Damon Walsh 11:04
The mural is 20 feet high. 15 feet wide. It’s on a four-story building. And it says marry me hope. And so that was 12 years ago. And now we have three kids and live in Westborough we all go to Prototype at times.

Mike Collette 11:21
So if you guys are listening Daymond just basically just crushed every single other person’s marriage proposal, because he basically created like a massive mural to ask his now wife hope to marry him back 12 years ago. How long did that take you to do?

Damon Walsh 11:37
So that mural I had a ton of help with. It’s a day’s work really.

Mike Collette 11:43
One day?

Damon Walsh 11:44
One day. Yeah.

Mike Collette 11:46
Oh my God. Is that all spray paint?

Damon Walsh 11:48
That’s all spray paint. Yeah.

Mike Collette 11:50
How did you get into like the art, like, I want to know that. Like, I want to know how you got into like just doing all this stuff. And then you again, you just started like doodling around at the, at the gym and stuff.

Damon Walsh 12:00
There was this guy in my in my neighborhood in Queens, who was super into it. And I don’t know, I guess we all just got into it. He was a couple years earlier. And we see his murals around town and kind of introduced ourselves. And we we talked a couple times a week. So you know, it’s like, he massive artist. And then you know, including my buddy who did most of that mural I just showed you. You know, he’s Georgia and Crosby’s Godfather, and just a really close friend. And, you know, I got into it when I was little, and didn’t I think much of it. And, you know, went away to college, and then came back in the work life. And then I think I wound up having an apartment. My friend James lived with me in Manhattan, in an apartment that I grew up in, which was an old department store or huge loft in Soho. The neighborhood’s completely changed, so unrecognizable. But when I lived with my buddy, who was doing these art murals all the time, that’s when I just started doing it more frequently and getting back into it. And, you know, through him, he was commissioned to do that massive Biggie Smalls mural I told you about.

Mike Collette 13:19
That’s right. Yeah.

Damon Walsh 13:20
That was like, if you catch the biggie, Biggie. I don’t know movie on Netflix. It pretty much ends on this mural that I did with with my buddy. And that was commissioned to him by this old school subway writer, named Lee. And if you just like Google Lee graffiti on subways it’ll blow your mind. You know, he’s in like, all the Subway Art books and stuff. I got to meet that dude. And I don’t know, I think art is is awesome. And, you know, my son is drawing all kinds of stuff. And he’s got a great imagination. My daughter loves it, too. And, you know, I think it’s just something that kind of clears the mind.

Mike Collette 14:02
So cool, man. I love it how you’re like, sharing it with your family and stuff, too. Is that natural? Or did you kind of get them into like the hey, let’s watch dad draw and then or did they just naturally it’s like what they kind of leaned into naturally.

Damon Walsh 14:15
Well, so it’s funny because my son is now doing bubble letters and that kind of stuff, too. And they look pretty cool. But when whenever we draw stuff in the driveway, I had this like, draw to book and we do all these characters or monsters or skate parks and stuff like that. No matter what I was doing. I was always like, adding letters and stuff on top of it. So I think naturally just progressed that way.

Mike Collette 14:36
That’s awesome. That’s so cool. Dude. I love hearing that. I mean, we’ve been talking about like making like a well not me, but like the idea of like creating some sort of like, I don’t know, maybe a mural but some sort of like journey, some sort of thing on the wall, which we have to keep chatting about but I mean, you’re the guy, man.

Damon Walsh 14:56
Well, I think I can make it happen or we can make it happen. The thing is, we have to develop a storyboard. So we need like, I don’t know, if you if you were to create like 10 or 15 slides and you just write the message in the vision, then you know I’d be or not even the vision if you if you wrote the message or the memory, I’d be able to create the vision behind it.

Mike Collette 15:16
That is so cool. That is not how my brain works in terms of like being able to like take a thought and then make it into something visual, I can take, I can get thoughts but the making and creative I think that’s a special gift man. I want to circle back into the CrossFit side of things, typically, like in these conversations, like folks can kind of like recall some memories. I’m curious like, what are some of the things that stick out in your mind could be like events could be like particular workouts like some of the things that like stick out in your head of like your like, best memories and maybe like the not so best like you’re almost like I hate that hated that workout worse workout ever. Anything that comes to mind?

Damon Walsh 16:01
I remember getting through my first Murph or doing Murph. Getting through my first Murph was huge, and then being able to Murph under an hour was awesome. Obviously, for me not vested. But, you know, the last couple of times I’ve done Murph, it’s been in that, you know, 55 to 57 minute mark. So it’s, you know, it’s still fighting the hour. It’s not a natural workout for me. And, you know, for most people, I’d say, and when you show up for your first Murph, or any Murph, really, but the first one in particular, the gym is so electric, there’s just I mean, so many people, they’re just working out all over the place. It seems like it’s organized confusion, because, you know, everyone’s trying to jump on the rig at the same time. And then they’re just doing the other part of it anywhere. You know, so that’s really cool. My first Murph. I love the CrossFit Opens. One, like, I remember, we had this workout, you might even know what it was, but it was like, I think there was like box jumps and deadlifts. And then after, if you got past all that, you’d have to do all these pistol squats and then you had to do a clean and jerk at 225.

Mike Collette 17:20
Oh yeah, think I know you’re talking about. Yeah.

Damon Walsh 17:22
I couldn’t get past the pistol squats. But since we lowered the bar, that was my that was the first time I cleaned 225 and then I threw it over my head and Jon watched me and he said it. It looked like it went up in slow motion. Like it was just everything I had. So that was like a really cool memory. Yeah, I don’t even think that’s not even recorded in my regular numbers. Yeah, nothing sticks out of worst. And for me particularly nothing’s ever bad because you know I have a I have a radial 100 placement in my elbow some some movements I just can’t do and you know, there’s an opportunity to to you know, speak so highly of the coaches like no matter you know, no matter what’s hurting you and that goes for anybody, like just show up and work out because people are gonna do substitutes you know, they can provide substitute movements and then you’re going to be able to accomplish your goal for the day if it’s if it’s you know, getting good exercise winning and probably laughing with you know, someone’s gonna make you laughter. I love it. Yeah. I did want to say that you seem the hire really well like the coaches all different ages and all different people men women, and you know you’ve never missed it’s just incredible like everybody’s so great. So you know I have gotten to recently I’ve gotten to to spread out and just go to completely different my schedule has been different so I’ve been in the noon class more than ever working with Brian again and then haven’t worked out with Jon ina bit but I spent the last year working out with Jon and and then Ali’s awesome and Sam just crushed me the other day. And it’s awesome. Leah is incredible. I mean, just every coach is is awesome. And then you got Evan now. Is Jack coaching it’s like I did a workout with Jack too. And he’s like it just kind of like busting my chops on how bad he crushed me in the workout. But when you work out with people who you know, they’re just on a different level. You have a great time doing it and you laugh about it. So I don’t know. I think I just rambled on a little bit.

Mike Collette 19:44
No, no, that’s awesome, man. I mean, that’s all unfiltered. That’s cool. Yeah, the I appreciate that. Yeah, we definitely have a lot of good coaches that that care. I think you really emphasize that I mean back to Jack. Yeah, Jack’s come in, like our Learning Development Program. Kinda like a future coach, shorter deal. Started as like an intern actually started in our kids program got into our adult classes. He’s been leaning a little bit more into the competitive side of like the sport of CrossFit. That’s a goal of his. He has a passion around like coaching and wanting to be a coach. And so we’re kind of helping him. He’s definitely our youngest coach, or coach and training, I should say. And he started out by working with a lot of the kids in our youth program that we have, but yeah, man, that’s, that’s cool. I appreciate you saying that. If there was if anyone, there was a coach who’s listening right now, I’m sure you appreciate it. Appreciate it, too. That’s cool, man. I appreciate it.

Damon Walsh 20:40
My kids favorite memories are when when the mixed martial arts used to be in the back, I would, I would bring them in I’d workout and they would just run around like crazy on that. And that’s like, my dad growing up in in, in New York was he’s been doing Tai Chi my whole life. And I remember that him doing tai chi, and I will be running around on some mat. Well, what’s going on. So it’s kind of like, you know, I’m remembering my childhood when I bring my kids to the gym.

Mike Collette 21:10
That’s so cool man. Bringing it all full circle man. It’s all about community. It’s all about family. Um, I want to get into the rapid fire round of these questions. I hope you’ve prepared mentally. Especially if you’ve watched these before, I haven’t changed the questions. I always say that I’m gonna change them. I never change them. It’s a bad habit. But there are I’ve added parts so so first one favorite movie of all time, favorite TV show of all time. And then what are you currently binge watching? Those are three questions into one question one. Three parts of question one.

Damon Walsh 21:43
All right. So I recently True Romance came that came to mind. But if I say they get all time favorite movie, it’s probably have to be Goonies. Goonies. Classic. Hugo’s Anchorman was amazing to favorite TV show. What I think by Ozark is a series I’m really into. And if you want to binge binge watch something that is it’s really funny, but hit or miss. It could be like some of them are just, there’s they’re out there. But it’s it’s an old. It’s an old writer of SNL. It’s called I think you should leave and it’s made produced by Tim Robinson.

Mike Collette 22:23
Tim Robinson. Do you and Jon talk about that?

Damon Walsh 22:29
Sometimes I just text Jon ridiculous things. I text him a couple of skits, I think.

Mike Collette 22:34
And he knows because he watches that. I remember one of those skits which you’re still writing it is hit or miss but it’s it’s wildly uncomfortable. But there’s that one skit with the the movers in the house like stomping on the couch, telling the story of like, he’s like a lawyer. And he’s like-. If you’re listening this right now you have no idea what we’re talking about. So go and watch that show. Whatever the episode is, just Google it.

Damon Walsh 23:07
That’s season one, episode one.

Mike Collette 23:10
So funny. That part’s so funny.

Damon Walsh 23:14
He’s doing like a regular lawyer commercial.

Mike Collette 23:18
So elaborate and then the other one that’s funny is when he goes into tour the haunted house or a haunted mansion. And he’s like, swearing and asking those questions. Any Oh, you can say anything? And he just says like, whatever gets kicked out.

Damon Walsh 23:37
Trying to keep it related.

Mike Collette 23:39
So funny. Yeah, those are the two ones. I will leave it at that. Alright, so we got the movie. We got the show. We got the binge. Second question. I think you’re you’re gonna like this one. It may even be harder for you. A favorite musician, band, artist of all time, and favorite song of all time?

Damon Walsh 23:58
I don’t have any of those answers.

Mike Collette 24:00
I know.

Damon Walsh 24:01
Can’t answer it.

Mike Collette 24:06
Okay, give me the story then. Alright.

Damon Walsh 24:07
Alright. So in high school, I had the opportunity to intern for Def Jam Records. So all through high school, I had turntables and buying records and anything that came out in 1990 I have on hip hop. So in, in that experience, I was there when they launched a red man’s muddy water album. A lot of I met Warren G was one of the coolest one of the coolest guys ever. He was he wanted me to like just take them out on Eighth Street and just chill out with Warren J like walking around Manhattan with with like a famous rapper. And every everything we did, we were kind of on the street team. So what we did was package records and send them to DJ so they can get radio play before they launched. And, you know, two records of every Def Jam song was always free is incredible. You know, like, it’s a great experience for DJing And if there’s anybody else watching who couldn’t help me out, I did try to convince my Collette to set up a DJ booth at the gym so we could spin records and CrossFit at the same time.

Mike Collette 25:11
I would love that.

Damon Walsh 25:12
I would just show up and spin records, I wouldn’t even have to work out because I love the community.

Mike Collette 25:16
Well you know what. Maybe we’ll do that, man. You find one and I’ll buy it and then we’ll just do it. I don’t know what those things cost. I don’t know what they are. But

Damon Walsh 25:24
I’ve got two turntables under my stairs, we can start with dude.

Mike Collette 25:28
Dude bring them in and I don’t even care bring them in and do it on a Saturday. That’d be cool as hell. I think that’d be so cool. That would be so cool. All right. Well, that’s stories that does that mean the best story and I will take that as it as an answer. I’m not going to like press you on that that’s just I don’t think it gets better than that. Alright, um, last question is more like you know, family related which like favorite like frivolous activity family activity that you like to do could be like something you like do by yourself? Could be something to do your family but yeah, not working out.

Damon Walsh 25:56
Yeah, so if I’m by myself, you know, weather’s nice. I’d love to go golfing family we we go to Lake Georgia a lot. We we enjoy the beach. We you know we try to get a weekend in August up in Wells. You know, just running around all the sports and stuff. Tonight Crosby’s got hockey and Georgia’s got basketball. So you know, just hanging out spending time together. Last week, we watched Home Alone.

Mike Collette 26:26
Awesome.

Damon Walsh 26:27
It was just as funny to watch them laugh than it was to actually watch the movie.

Mike Collette 26:32
Awesome, man.

Damon Walsh 26:33
Yeah, just chilling with the family.

Mike Collette 26:34
That’s so cool. I love it, man. Well, Damon, I appreciate you being on the Community Conversation today. I always feel like when I do these, I learn so much more about folks. I feel like I learned a lot about you today. Everyone that’s listening right now, thank you so much for tuning in to the Community Conversation. Remember, every week we have new episodes of Community Conversation, whether it’s our nutrition special, or just a regular Community Conversation, connecting with one of our awesome members. So again, appreciate you tuning in. If you are listening to this on Apple podcasts or not, we are now live on Apple podcasts. So make sure to check it out there or on Spotify or you can watch this on YouTube. But again, David, appreciate you being on and we’ll see you soon everybody.

Damon Walsh 27:15
Thanks.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai