After graduating from Interlake, Andres joined the Navy and eventually became a Navy Seal. He then dedicated his life to fitness and, in 2011, he opened the first FTX (Final Training Exercise) Crossfit gym in Illinois. The motto of FTX has always been “Do today what others won’t so that tomorrow you can do what others can’t” and this was a motto that Andres followed his entire life. Through his coaching, teaching, encouragement, and training, everyone involved in CrossFit in the Chicagoland area was made better by Coach Andres whether they realized it or not.
Sadly, Andres battled cancer for more than five years before he passed away on April 5th, 2026. He was 55 years old. His wife Jennifer wrote this as a tribute to him the day that he died:
“Resurrection Sunday… a day that brings joy and hope, after remembering the sobering reality of Christ bearing sin on Good Friday. This morning, at about 9:30 am, my beloved husband and closest friend rose to new life and beheld his Savior face-to-face. No more cancer, no more suffering. We grieve so deeply. The loss is tremendous, incalculable. But we are happy for his gain. “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21
“But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it, we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.” Philippians 3:20-21
Andres repented of his sin and put his trust in Christ in April of 1990 - 36 years ago. Jesus paid it all on the cross. The work was finished. And God used him mightily over the years.
Thank you all for years of praying for us. Please don’t stop.
This is a hard road, and one with which we are sadly familiar. I want to write more at another time but just wanted to get this news out. As Andres would say, to God be the Glory. ❤️”
His obituary can be found here.
