Business & Tech

Faces of Westport: Tommy Baker, Master CrossFit Coach

The owner of SISU Elite Fitness (formerly Aspire Fitness) is moving his facility to a larger space come Aug. 1. He talks to Patch about his back story and fitness philosophies.

Meet Tommy Baker, the man who introduced Westport to CrossFit.

Baker, owner of SISU Elite Fitness (formerly Aspire Fitness) and CrossFit coach is not only a fitness guru that Westporters can turn to. He's also a lifelong resident and Staples High graduate who makes a point of connecting with local businesses and charities for the well-being of the community.

He's moving his facility to the Westport/Norwalk line on Aug. 1 to a space that's five times the size of his current Main Street studio, where Baker's been training clients for two years.

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Fitness has always been a big part of Baker's life. Growing up, his family moved from Westport to Colombia and back three times. When Baker would return to the Northeast, his friends would be "big and strong" (fitness and strength training aren't viewed quite the same way in South America, Baker said). He needed a way to keep up. Intense training programs like CrossFit helped.

"I had to find a way to out-work them somehow," Baker said.

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Bettering himself through exercise turned into a desire to help others achieve their own fitness goals. Baker "bounced around" different facilities in the area, teaching CrossFit for a few years while he worked a nine-to-five job.

Baker "finally decided to make the switch" in 2011 and became a full-time CrossFit and private training coach with his own facility, Aspire Fitness (a.k.a. SISU Elite Fitness, as of Thursday).

The focus of Baker's training and CrossFit programs is "intensity balanced with recovery, downtime, and nutrition."

He said that balance can be a challenge for Fairfield County residents, known to be hard workers with go-getter personalities.

That's why, when you train with Baker, you need to build up a foundation that encompasses balance.

"It's an all-inclusive program -- we look at the whole picture of someone and connect the dots," Baker said. "That's how we differentiate ourselves."

"The whole picture" can also mean the greater community -- Baker recently partnered with local businesses and personalities like Saugatuck Craft Butchery, Downunder, and best-selling author Esther Blum to put on fitness and nutrition events for the public.

"It's really nice to join forces like that with those three -- we're exactly on the same page," Baker said. "We want to keep the community as fit and happy as possible."

Keeping the community happy also means giving back -- something Baker is no stranger too. He raised $5,500 in May through Pushups for Charity's Boot Campaign, which benefits veterans coming home from war.

Men, women, and kids participated in the event at Baker's facility -- the idea was to do as many pushups as possible in 90 seconds while raising as much money as possible.

As someone with friends and family members serving in the Armed Forces, Baker felt Pushups for Charity is "a worthwhile cause to help get veterans back on their feet."

To learn more about SISU Elite Fitness, check out the website or visit the new facility at 507 Westport Avenue on the Westport-Norwalk border after Thursday, Aug. 1. 


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