57-year-old Kevin Koester keeps a full schedule. In addition to working full-time as the President and CEO of Apex Steel, he is a husband and father, and four-time CrossFit Games champion (2017, 2019, 2021, and 2023).
A lifelong competitive athlete, Koester also owns Invictus Fitness in Kirkland, a CrossFit-based gym offering both performance and fitness tracks. He says the gym is quite diverse, with teen classes for 13+, people of varying fitness levels, and his own 78-year-old mom taking classes three times per week. “Invictus is a positive, energetic space. You’re suffering with friends, and that really creates a bond,” he says. It gives him an opportunity to give back to the community and inspire others as well.
With many goals and commitments, Kevin is a master of time management. He works out during open gym at Invictus, 1-3 pm. “The mid-day break is so helpful to reset in a safe and happy space,” he says. His home, company, and gym are all in close proximity in Kirkland, so time isn’t wasted in commuting. He trains Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday in the gym, uses Thursday as an active recovery day, and likes to be athletic outdoors on Saturdays.
In regard to his CrossFit Games championships and his successful completion of numerous other endurance races and triathlons, Koester tells us, “I’m a competitor. I like to compete - it gives me a purpose for training.” He sets goals around training for each competition. Two years ago he did a swim/run event which included six miles of open water swimming, and 18 miles of running - while tethered to his event partner, a triathlete. How has he succeeded in these grueling events so definitively? “One thing that has given me an advantage is my mobility.” He does a Pliability program online, and asserts “I am very religious about that, and try to do it every day.” In addition to the mobility benefits, pliability promotes focus with long holds in position.
Koester also does cold immersion work, taking an ice cold shower daily. He practices meditation, and gets a healthy amount of sleep. Diet-wise, he doesn’t count macros and micros, simply eating until he is full and avoiding processed and packaged foods. Asked for advice for readers looking to do a January reset, he responds, “The key is to just get started. It’s 100% about not doing too much. Start with simple things and go from there. Once you’ve established a habit, then add on. It’s not easy being fit and having a busy lifestyle, but it’s possible.”