It was in March 2013 when Dustin Shurlow stopped by a fitness center for a teaser class. Shurlow not only stayed; he eventually bought the place. Now he’s working to share that love of CrossFit training with others.
As owner and head coach at Top Fuel CrossFit, Shurlow today has nearly 180 members, ages 12-73.
The former special education teacher for grades K-5 noted, “I saw the potential and benefits of CrossFit for the community. I felt I could be successful getting people to fall in love with this training like I did.”
Top Fuel is a group-oriented fitness facility with classes designed to help people meet their fitness goals.
“I love connecting with people,” Shurlow, 34, said. “We’re really trying to build that connection. We’re more like friends and family here.”
Family can be taken literally, as classes have resulted in two marriages.
Aside from matchmaking, Shurlow is responsible for keeping his classes staffed. With seven coaches, he works on all the programming and workouts.
“You just put other people first,” Shurlow said. “Make sure people are having a good time and that you’re meeting their needs on a daily basis.”
Shurlow cited a lesson from girlfriend Kate Johnson — “how selfless she is and how she puts other people first.”
As a new owner struggling with paying bills, Shurlow cited three main challenges — rent, coaches, and himself, and he put himself last.
“There’s been a lot of stress the last six years,” he said, “but people fell in love with the place and they work at it. This is not a chore or a burden, but something they look forward to.”
Originally opened in Merrillville, Top Fuel moved to Crown Point and also opened a Valparaiso facility.
“Moving into owner and coaching roles has given me the opportunity to share the love of the sport with others,” Shurlow states on his website. “The ability level of each person that walks through the door is different, but the coaches have developed a program that allows each individual a chance at success.”
Shurlow measures success by “how many members I have staying around a long time.” Some members have been coming 7-8 years.
Over the years, the young business owner has learned to “only take advice from people who have your desired outlook on that topic.”
With a gym open seven days a week, Shurlock advises potential members that “the best experience is the one you enjoy doing.”
Dustin Shurlow
Age: 34
Residence: Crown Point
Position/Employer: Owner and head coach, Top Fuel CrossFit, Crown Point
Training/Education: Bachelor’s degree in elementary education, Purdue Northwest; former special education teacher at Eisenhower Elementary, Crown Point
Free-time and hobbies: Training, reading, any kind of sports
