For Will

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 21:11:25 GMT

Will's wod

On April 11, 2024, we found that our 3rd and youngest son, William Bradley Dickens, died in the middle of the night of an undetermined natural causes. He was a healthy 18 month old boy. The day before, he was doing typical 18 month old things – tearing down Brooks & Henry’s fort, laughing, playing, identifying his nose and head and belly button…

Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood ( SUDC ) is a category of death that affects approximately 400-500 children ages 1-18 years old every year in the United States. It is the 5th leading cause of death for children ages 1-4 years old. Our healthy baby boy went to sleep on April 10th and never woke up.

This gym has meant a lot to Brand and me over the years. We joined this gym community in August 2016, shortly after we moved to Lake Highlands. All 3 of our boys were practically raised here – coming to workouts in utero and as infants in their car seat carriers. For me, working out postpartum was always a source of calm. It was one hour to focus on myself so that I could be a better mom, wife, and overall human being. There were a lot of days it was hard to wake up for the early morning class, so I would bring William to the 8:15 Power Hour or to Open Gym. I would try to accommodate him by bringing toys and a pack-n-play to keep him contained… but all he really wanted was for me to hold him.

In honor of William, I put together a workout. The intention of this workout is to carry everything. When all William wanted was to be held, I set down the barbell or kettle bell or free-weights and just used him. He loved to be involved. And he loved to be held. On April 11, our arms were suddenly and unexpectedly empty, less busy, still. But I haven’t forgotten his smile, his soft hugs, and the way he laughed and giggled as we threw him in the air and held him while we ran after balloons and balls with Brooks and Henry. Please join us on April 11 as we remember our sweet William and all the other boys and girls who die far too soon.

Love,

Jess (and Brad)

We will have shirts available for purchase through Neighborhood Supply's site . All proceeds from shirt sales will go directly to the SUDC Foundation , supporting research, awareness, and resources for families navigating this unimaginable loss. Wearing these shirts is a way to honor William and help bring light to a cause that we carry so deeply.

The Workout:
3 rounds for time (Will would've been three years old)

418 MB Burden Run ( 418 children died from SUDC in 2024 )
26 MB Lunges (William was 26 pounds)
18 Wall balls (William was 18 months old when he died)
10 MB Cleans (I last held him at 10PM on April 10 and in honor of his birthday on October 10)

Rest 1 minute between rounds

Stand By Me

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 20:24:33 GMT

The Crossfit open 2026

As I left the gym this morning, a Stephen Wilsion Jr.'s cover of Stand By Me was playing. I listened to it on repeat as I made my coffee and I could not help but think of what we’ve done here at Neighborhood Gym. And as I looked ahead to the day and into next week, I thought this song was a fitting theme for the upcoming CrossFit Open.

For the last 4 years, I’ve used the open as a way to set up my year. I cut out beer (I miss beer), attempt to eliminate sugar as I work to integrate my life as each new begins. For some reason, this year has been more difficult than the previous years. Part of it is because I am old(er) and part of it is because I was in need of some vision.

And that’s where Stand By Me comes into play. Wilson’s cover called to mind all that we were able to do here at Neighborhood Gym since we found out it was closing back in October. As as I’ve come to find out, we (that means you too) accomplished this in the midst of many difficult circumstances. We’ve learned that individuals in our community have gone through loss and endured pain and heartbreak. And that makes this accomplishment all the sweeter and why this song seems to strike a chord in me.

On to the Open:

For the next three Friday evenings, I wanted to invite each of you to come and “stand by us” as we participate in the CrossFit open. Of course, I’d love each of you to sign up and participate (see Coach Spyker’s instructions below), but if all you do is come up and support, you might just be cheering on one of our friends who is going through more than you know.

I am proud of you and the work you are doing for your health and life.

Cheers,
Bower

�� HOW TO SIGN UP

Head over to CrossFit.com and register for the Open. It only takes a few minutes and costs just a few dollars. Click here to sign up.

Once you’re registered, make sure you’re logging and submitting your scores on the CrossFit Games site each week. And this isn’t just for our CrossFit classes! We would absolutely love to see our Power Hour folks jump in too. The Open is for everyone, no matter how you train with us.

��STAY CONNECTED WITH #TNGLH

After you register, you’ll receive an email to visit your Competition Dashboard. Once you’re there, scroll down to My #Hashtags and add the hashtag: #TNGLH

This is how we’ll keep track of our whole TNG community in one spot on the official leaderboard!

�� FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS — 3 WEEKS ONLY!

Starting Friday, February 27th, we’re bringing Friday Night Lights to The Neighborhood Gym for the next 3 weeks! Here’s the schedule:

Friday, February 27
Friday, March 6
Friday, March 13

Workouts kick off at 5:00 PM each Friday. We’ll be doing the Open workout together in true Friday Night Lights fashion, music up, energy high, and the whole community showing out.

AND HERE’S THE BEST PART: You do NOT have to be doing the Open to show up. You don’t even have to work out. Come hang, cheer on your fellow TNG members, and soak in the atmosphere. The more the merrier. These nights are about community first. Doors open early, so come ready to have a great time whether you’re competing or just cheering from the sidelines.

Let’s show up for each other these next 3 weeks. Tag your scores, wear your TNG pride, and let’s make some noise!

See you February 27th at 5 PM!

The TNG Coaching Staff

theneighborhoodgym

For Will

Will's wod

Stand By Me

The Crossfit open 2026