Congratulations to Matt Decuir, November Athlete of the Month!
Matt has been a Solcana member since day one, consistently showing up with a smile on his face. Matt’s affability has helped set the tone of the gym for so many members. Coach Jerik says “Matt is a fantastic ambassador for the gym community. Since we opened, I think any time there has been someone new in his class, Matt has immediately befriended them. I imagine he has made a lot folks’ first class experience much more pleasant just by immediately offering up a friendly exchange.”
Coach Garrett experienced the Matt-Welcome first hand; “I feel so lucky to have Matt as a member of this community. When I started at Solcana as an athlete, Matt was the person who made me feel comfortable enough to come to the scary Friday night classes (they weren’t actually scary, so I’m glad Matt encouraged me to attend).”
Outside of the gym, Matt is a software engineer and entrepreneur. He’s always working on interesting projects, from an Instagram account reviewing frozen pizzas to The Invisible Network – his company that matches employers and job hunters anonymously. Matt came to the Twin Cities from Seattle seven years ago, following his (now) wife Marjike who moved a year prior for school. They just bought a house in South Minneapolis and we’re so thankful they’ve stuck around!
“Matt is one of the kindest people I have ever met. He’s also really strong and super good at taking care of himself when he needs to,” says Coach Jeff. Matt is the type of athlete who makes a schedule and sticks to the days of the cycle to put in the work for specific movements.
Coach Hannah says “Matt is such an integral part of Solcana it’s hard to imagine this place without him. He has helped me so many times with technology and spreadsheets and is responsible for scoring The Open every year. I don’t know what I would do without him. He and Marijke have been part of the Solcana family since before we opened – they even got engaged here!!! I will never forget watching Matt propose to Marijke with a pizza. In terms of his time as an athlete, he has gone through so many different injuries and physical setbacks, and always taken them in stride, working around his body to make the workouts suit him. He’s never dropped off on his health because of an obstacle. He takes part in so many of our social events and is always a smiling, cheering face at gym functions. We love Matt!!!”
Coach Garrett H wraps it up well: “Matt is both motivated and motivating in the gym. Having him in class is always a pleasure. He works hard and smart and knows his body and limitations. He carefully considers and implements feedback from coaches and strives to improve his movements and lifts. He’s a class act, that one. What a great dude.”
