Athlete Spotlight: Meet Kevin Mork!
Get to know the people who make our Community Strong. This month, we’re catching up with Kevin Mork, who joined our community in 2019.
By
October 1, 2026
Get to know the people who make our Community Strong. This month, we’re catching up with Kevin Mork, who joined our community in 2019. Kevin is a nonprofit fundraising leader, longtime runner + marathoner, and proud member of Defined’s 6:45 a.m. crew.
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Kevin grew up in a small town in central Wisconsin before attending the University of Minnesota for his undergraduate students. After completing his graduate studies in Portland, Oregon, he moved to Chicago.
Today, he serves as the head of development at Cradles to Crayons, a nonprofit the Defined community has supported several times through winter clothing drives, volunteer days, and donations. Fundraising is a demanding profession, but Kevin believes deeply in the work.
“My job is stressful, and being a career fundraiser is not for the faint of heart,” he says. “That said, I love what I do. It’s meaningful, fun, and I get to help people each day.”
Kevin is also quick to recognize the talented, dedicated, and kind people working alongside him.
“Plus, my team makes me look better than I am.”
Kevin’s fitness journey began during a difficult time in his life.
After a relationship ended, he took up running as a way to clear his head, relax, reconnect with himself, and take in his surroundings. That first step eventually led to joining a traditional gym and completing several marathons in the U.S. and abroad.
But in May 2019, something changed.
Kevin was working out at a local gym when he realized the experience was no longer challenging him in the ways he needed.
“This isn’t challenging me,” he remembers thinking. “This allows me to take the easy way out and not push myself. It’s time for something new, different, and a new challenge.”
A friend from his gay kickball league mentioned Defined, so Kevin decided to stop in.
That visit led to a memorable conversation with one of our former coaches, who asked: “What concerns do you have about CrossFit?”
“I don’t want to get hurt, and I don’t want to be in a cult,” Kevin replied.
“I have no control over your second concern,” the coach told him, “but I’ll address your first one.”
He told Kevin that the coaches here at Defined would challenge him while still respecting that every training day is different. They would teach him to listen to his body, train intelligently, and become part of a community unlike any he had experienced before. What they wouldn’t do: allow him to train irresponsibly to the point of risking injury — or drink any funny looking Kool-Aid as part of some cult initiation ritual.
“And he was SO right!” Kevin says.
After completing the Foundations prep course, Kevin joined the 5:30 a.m class — bright and early.
One month later, he almost quit.
The training was difficult, and it challenged him in ways his previous routine had not. But Kevin had made himself a promise: he would give it at least six months.
So he stayed.
“And damn, am I grateful and happy that I did.”
Kevin is now a dedicated member of the 6:45 a.m. crew (still bright and still early), which he confidently calls “the BEST Defined crew around,” with, as he puts it, “no shade to all the great folks in other classes.”
That commitment has become one of the most important lessons Kevin carries with him, and it’s the same advice he would offer someone beginning a new fitness journey:
“Commit to at least six months of something new and challenging, and stick to it. You won’t regret it.”
Kevin says his overall fitness has improved significantly during his years at Defined.
He’s stronger. He’s more confident. And he has more fun training than he ever did at a traditional gym.
Before Defined, Kevin seldom worked with barbells. DefCon, DefComp, and Hyrox-style workouts remain his favorites, but training at Defined has helped him understand the importance of barbell and strength work for his long-term health and well-being.
The changes have not been limited to his physical fitness.
Kevin has also learned that even on the days when he feels tired, jet-lagged, or sad, showing up can change how he feels both physically and mentally.
“I never, ever regret coming in for a workout,” he says.
That isn’t to say every workout is easy or that every day feels the same. Kevin believes part of building a sustainable fitness practice is learning to give yourself grace.
“Be kind to yourself,” he says. “Sometimes, whether you’re new to your fitness journey or have been at it for years, you aren’t at the top of your game, and that’s OK. The coaches and peeps around you will support you.”
The friendships Kevin has built at Defined were something he never expected.
They’re also one of the greatest gifts the community has given him.
He has celebrated two Defined weddings, countless birthdays, game nights, potlucks, boat days, Sunday fundays, and more with the people he met through the gym.
Then there is the post-6:45am coffee crew, which heads across the street after class to sit, sip, and catch up.
“That means a lot,” Kevin says. “It’s such a special, supportive, welcoming, diverse community. And that’s what really keeps me coming back each day.”
When Kevin thinks about #MoreThanAGym, he thinks about exactly those moments: the connection, the community, and the friendships and support that extend well beyond the workout — it’s knowing that the people beside you care about who you are, not simply what’s written next to your name on the whiteboard.
Kevin’s approach to progress is refreshingly simple.
Part of it is visual, thanks to what he considers the Defined restroom’s especially flattering lighting.
“Let’s be honest, the Defined restroom lighting is pretty good, right?” he jokes. “We’ve all seen it around.”
But what Kevin sees in the mirror is only one measure of success.
The bigger indicator is how he feels.
Training helps him feel better physically and mentally. It gives him an opportunity to challenge himself, reconnect, and walk out feeling better than when he arrived.
Progress is not always a number, a time, or a weight on the bar.
Sometimes it’s knowing you showed up on a difficult day.
Sometimes it’s recognizing that you feel stronger.
And sometimes it’s catching your reflection under some very good restroom lighting.
One quote has become especially meaningful to Kevin:
“Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.”
Kevin is concerned by what he sees as a lack of kindness and empathy in the world. But he’s also an optimist — he believes that, deep down, the vast majority of people are kind.
“So, let’s lean into kindness,” he says. “Because you never know what that stranger on the street may be going through.”
That value guides Kevin’s goals both inside and outside the gym. He wants to continue learning, growing, and pushing himself, no matter what. At the same time, he wants to keep treating others the way he wishes to be treated.
Kevin knows what it feels like to wonder whether something new is too difficult.
He nearly walked away from Defined after his first month. What kept him going was the commitment he had already made to himself.
His advice is to give the process time.
Commit to it. Stick with it. Let yourself be challenged.
And while you’re doing that, remember to be kind to yourself.
You’ll have days when you don’t feel at your best. You’ll have workouts that aren’t especially fun. You’ll encounter movements that take time to learn and challenges that require patience.
That doesn’t mean the process isn’t working.
“You will never regret a workout,” Kevin says. “Even if it wasn’t super fun.”
Plus, you get to spend time with cool people, learn from great coaches, and, if the playlist is right, dance to some Backstreet Boys.
Kevin offered two things that many people at Defined may not know about him.
First, he is dyslexic and has learned how to navigate it with the support of his parents and dedicated teachers.
“So if I ask how to spell something or stumble at the whiteboard, now you know why.”
Second, Kevin has lived in five countries: Spain, Mexico, Japan, Thailand, and the U.S., of course.
“JUST DO IT.”
For Kevin, that means getting yourself to the gym.
You may feel tired. You may not love the workout. You may even question what you are doing there.
Do it anyway.
Kevin wanted to close with a special thank-you to the Defined coaching team.
Each coach, he says, brings strength, expertise, focus, support, humor, and some great playlists to class.
“And thank you for letting me yap away during class while also getting in a little extra pump with a green band,” he adds. “You know, there’s always lots to catch up on since the previous class.”
Kevin, we’re grateful for everything you bring to Defined: the commitment, the humor, the early-morning energy, the kindness — and yes, the yapping.
Thanks for making our Community Strong.
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