ELLSWORTH — The new owners of CrossFit Breakwater want you to know that anyone can join their gym.
Dr. Casey Johnston and Dr. Dan Waterman took over ownership of CrossFit Breakwater at the Mill Mall this month with an eye toward bring their medical and training backgrounds into their leadership roles. Johnston, with a doctorate in physical therapy, and Waterman, with a doctorate in athletic training, plan to use their skills to enhance the already existing CrossFit programming available to the community.
“We’re both doctors of movement, doctors of exercise,” Waterman explained. “As a physical therapist and athletic trainer, we have everything from injury prevention through performance training that is just unheard of in a CrossFit space.”
CrossFit is a brand of strength and conditioning that optimizes high-intensity interval training (HIIT). It’s known to be an intense form of exercise, and has garnered a reputation for being inaccessible for people without prior formal athletic training. This stereotype, however, is exactly what Johnston and Waterman hope to fight in their new roles.
“We want to sort of destigmatize the CrossFit name,” Johnston said. “We’re promoting health, good movement, good life skills in movement, and helping you to progress towards your goals.”
“We’re not looking for the highest level athlete to join our gym because we want to show somebody doing a thousand pull-ups,” Waterman added. “We want to create a community of people that are looking to learn how to move, that are [asking], ‘how do I progress myself through an exercise program so I can feel better about myself in movement, in nutrition, and in mental health?’”
Waterman also owns Variable Movement LLC, where Johnston is employed as well. Variable Movement is a multidisciplinary sports medicine clinic that provides injury prevention and injury recovery. Together, they plan to join the companies’ forces to provide an even higher quality of care and support to patients and gym members alike.
“We have the ability and the infrastructure to be able to really help people of all abilities from injury through anywhere they want to go with their performance … For me, that’s my dream.” Waterman said.
On top of managing the gym, Johnston also fills a coaching position, giving her a hands-on ability to work with members through their individual training needs with her medical background. This knowledge allows her to answer questions differently than the average coach, and provide a unique wellness perspective to members.
“Anyone of any age, ability level, or fitness level — even if you have never worked out a day in your life formally — you can walk in and start your journey here,” Johnston said. “You do not have to become fit to start CrossFit. You can come with chronic injuries and start CrossFit, you can come with a list of restrictions from your doctor … it’s going to be well-guided and supervised by our coaches, but with our unique education and background to give too.”
Lizzie Heintz is the downtown Ellsworth reporter. She is a dual-national American/British citizen, and got her Bachelor of Science in journalism from Emerson College in 2021 with a minor in photography and a multimedia focus. She welcomes tips and suggestions on any Ellsworth stories.
