Meet Hanna and Ethan!

“Never stop bettering yourself for your significant other. There’s always room for improvement.”

Ethan and Hanna Netherton have been married for close to two years. Ethan is an Environmental Health and Safety Specialist, and Hanna is a Physical Therapist Assistant. 

What led you to join the CrossFit Protocol family? We have been members since October 2019 (~10 months). We previously did CrossFit when we lived in Mississippi, and when we moved back we just joined a regular gym, but we started really missing the community that CrossFit offers, as well as the competitive drive. After a couple of years, we decided it was time to get back in a “box,” and ended up at Protocol. 

What is your past fitness history? Ethan is a former college baseball player at Birmingham Southern, and I’m a former college cheerleader from Mississippi State. After we “retired,” we both filled the void by staying active in the gym, with recreational softball leagues, and other athletic activities. 

What did you think about CrossFit before you started? At some point both of us had a negative mindset toward CrossFit from a body mechanics standpoint, but we liked the competitive aspect of it.

How do you feel about CrossFit now that you’ve been doing it for some time? Once we started CrossFit, we realized the emphasis that coaches put on technique. Also, you really set the pace and tone of your own workout. You may have people pushing you to do your best, but ultimately you know how hard you can push yourself and when to back off. 

What were you like as a couple in your life before CrossFit? Our relationship was founded in a gym...an unmentionable purple themed gym to be exact, lol. Being active in the gym has always been a big part of who we are as a couple. Not much has changed over the years, and now we’re surrounded by others with the same goals we have. 

How important (or not) is it to you that you work out together or have the same fitness interests? Some couples have date nights, but our version of a date is attending classes together and encouraging each other. We just feel more “together” when we’re killing a workout together. 

How has having the same fitness interests and goals impacted your relationship? Having someone that’s in line with your same goals and interests is big for any relationship, especially in a marriage. It’s how we hold each other accountable and better ourselves inside and outside the gym. 

Do you compete with one another in the gym? How has that affected your relationship? We both have a competitive background, so it’s natural to compete against each other and we definitely let the other one know when they come in second. 

What is your nutrition like now vs. before? Do you cook or meal prep together? How does all that work in your household? We really don’t stick to a strict diet or meal plan. Our motto is to make good decisions the majority of the time, and if we want to splurge one night then we do. 

What food does your spouse remind you of and why? Hanna: “Ethan reminds of a mozzarella cheese stick, because he’s crispy on the outside, but soft and cheesy on the inside ;) ” Ethan: “Hanna’s a potato, because her personality comes in all shapes and sizes. She’s truly a gift to the world. Potatoes can be anything they want to be.”

What do you most admire about your spouse and why? Ethan: “I admire Hanna’s passion and drive towards her goals. If she wants something, she’ll go get it and don’t ever tell her she can’t.” Hanna: “I admire his work ethic. He’s not one that’s going to give up or back down from a challenge, he’s driven to succeed.” 

How do you keep your relationship strong? Our relationship is built around our faith and holding each other accountable. There are very few times that you’ll see one of us without the other one outside of work. It’s not because we’re that dependent on each other, we just enjoy each other’s company. 

What is the best advice you have for couples who may be interested in checking out our gym? How will it benefit them? If you’re interested there’s no reason not to drop in. Every couple is different, but if you both are wanting more of a push at the gym and a supportive community you’ll find it at Protocol. There’s no better environment to grow as a couple. 

Any other advice for couples? Never stop bettering yourself for your significant other. There’s always room for improvement.