Bio
Arthur Leonard Imperial Morgan (Art) was born in San Jose, CA to a young, patriotic Navy man and a beautiful Filipino woman that his father met while deployed to the Philippines. His family soon received orders from Uncle Sam to move to Millington, TN where his younger brother Joe, and sister, Marilu, were born. Just as they were starting to get comfortable and Art started attending grade school, they again received orders to move back to the beautiful West Coast / Pacific Northwest in Oak Harbor, WA. Fortunately, this was the last move that was required and his father retired from the military a few years later.

Art was always outdoors when given the chance: building forts, riding bikes, camping, hiking, cliff jumping at Whistle Lake, or catching the sunset. Somehow, in his scheme to get popular in middle school and high school, he was convinced to compete in sports: track, basketball, and football. After high school and the popularity race over with, Art soon headed further north to attend college in Surrey, BC where he encouraged students, reached out to the community, and just had a great time meeting people. Meanwhile, he was slowly getting to know the woman that he would soon marry.

Art is a genuine lover of God’s great earth, and he’s coming up with new ambitions to enjoy it every day. He wants to overcome whatever life throws at him, and has never been satisfied with routine and workouts that had one facet of fitness in mind. That is what brought him to CrossFit… that and the movie “300” and trying to look good for his wedding!

He loves coaching and guiding people while they push their thresholds. He loves helping people come closer to their goals ­ in the gym and out of it. Lastly, he strives to open a CrossFit gym near a military community in the NW after his brother serves in the Navy.

Q&A (Provided by the Bellingham Business Journal)

AGE: 24

HOMETOWN: Oak Harbor, WA

WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO BELLINGHAM: The Navy brought my family to the NW. College took me further north. And the great outdoors will keep me here.

FAVORITE MEMORY: My wedding to be completely honest. It means the world to me that my family and one of my buddies drove half-way across the continent for our big day. The next one (for those who aren’t romantics) would be my senior year of high school and the summer thereafter. I was at the top of the world without a care in it. I made so many friends and memories. I worked to pay for gas and snacks, then went cliff jumping at Whistle Lake in Anacortes, WA three or four times a week, stayed up doing the stuff you see on the Jackass movies, went to sleep, and did it all over again.

IN YOUR CD PLAYER: Really everything… I listen to every genre ever created. Mostly Red Hot Chili Peppers, Foo Fighters, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, and Rage Against the Machine. When I’m limited to the radio, then its 91.3 The Zone, 107.7 The End, 92.9 Classic Rock, 97.3 Oldies, and 790 Talk Radio. I know, I’m a dork.

FAMILY: David (dad), Sally (mom), July (older bro), Baby, JeJe and Kristi (older sisters), myself, Joe (younger bro), Marilu (younger sis) and last, but definitely not least, Jenene (my gorgeous wife).

FAVORITE FOOD: Any! Thai, Italian, Filipino, Chinese, American, Japanese, Mexican… I’m a man; I’ll eat anything.

FAVORITE BOOK: 360° Leader, The Shack, Hurt, Monday Morning Church, Wild At Heart, and Knowing God.

FAVORITE HOBBY: Watching movies, going out to eat, and hanging out with people. I like to talk and see what makes people tick, their histories, their passions, their hurts, and all of that.

FAVORITE PLACE IN WHATCOM COUNTY: Mount Baker ­ snowboarding and camping. Its truly a spiritual experience when you feel so small in the grand masterpiece.

LAST LOCAL PURCHASE: Probably groceries and Subway cookies (my wife loves them!). We bought a couple board games before that.

DREAM VACATION: Stay in a cabin in the mountains of Hawaii, New Zealand or some other country that has a view of the valley, trees, rocks and wildlife. I could do some boarding (snowboarding or learn to surf), swimming and cliff-jumping, rock climbing, biking, and living off of the fat of the land. I would be in Heaven! I might try to do that here in WA as well.

LOCAL BUSINESS YOU'D LOVE TO OWN: Kendrick’s Billiards if it were still open.

WORST JOB: Roofer for a local company. I love roofing and construction, but the pay arrangement was terrible.

WORD THAT BEST DESCRIBES YOU: Ambitious. Thomas Edison said “Show me a thoroughly satisfied man, and I will show you a failure.” I’m always looking for things to achieve. When I achieve them, I set the bar higher or find something new to strive for. Once you stop having dreams, you’ve given up on yourself because you can never learn too much. I hope to take up some Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai and Judo for starters; I have a wife to protect, maybe daughters to protect from boys some day. I also want to take some more time playing drums and guitar and singing.

FAVORITE LOCAL RESTAURANT: Just one?! It’s a tie between Moshi Moshi Sushi, On Rice and Boundary Bay.

GUILTY PLEASURE: Chicken wings, a drink, and ice cream for dessert.

WHO WOULD PLAY YOU IN A MOVIE ABOUT YOUR LIFE: Will Smith ­ I may not look like him, but I have his sense of humor from Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. When times get tough, I pull myself out like in Pursuit of Happyness.