Hollywood glamour to Laconia CrossFit gym; native likes the road that led back to New Hampshire

LACONIA — One of the oldest themes in literature is that of returning home after a long journey and rediscovering the joy of the familiar, which is now viewed through the lens of the experiences of that journey, and transforms what had once been seen as commonplace into something special and transformative.

That is exactly what has happened to Keith Britton, owner of the CrossFit Juggernaut fitness center in the O'Shea Industrial Park, which will soon celebrate it's first anniversary.

Britton, 37, says that he grew up thinking about running his own business, and, after a detour which has taken him halfway around the world in a variety of careers, inducing modeling, acting on both television and on the big screen and raising venture capital for a Hollywood consulting firm, he finds contentment with what he's doing with his life.

''It's like a sense of mission. There's a sense here that what I'm doing can be used to change someone's life,. And that's very satisfying,'' says Britton, who grew up in Sandown, where he played football and baseball for Timberlane High School and was raised in a closely knit working-class family.

He returned to New Hampshire two and a half years ago after breaking ties with his fiancee, actress Zoe Saldana, of Avatar fame, after 11 years together and having become engaged in 2010.

He says that he had become tired of living in a high pressure world in which concern for success dominates every aspect of life.

Saldana spoke of her high regard for him after the breakup, saying ''He's a very independent soul. He understands what I do, but this is not what he fell in love with and that's what I love.' she said.

''I don't miss people knocking at my door and asking for an autograph. Hollywood wasn't for me. It's like living in a fish bowl where everyone is trying to take from one another. No wonder actors feel the need to get away to remote islands. It's the only way to deal with the pressure that's always there,'' says Britton.

He says that he's been busy since he returned to New Hampshire reinventing himself, starting out with a focus on his own health which saw him working out with friends in his garage and led him to start a new career as a fitness coach.

''I decided to get in shape. The pressure I was dealing with every day was taking its toll. Just getting away from it gave me some room to think about what I needed to do. Before I ever opened the business here I had nearly 50 people working out in my one-car garage. And three months after we opened there were 155 people signed up,'' says Britton.

He says that CrossFit isn't about just lifting weights or cardiovascular activity but takes all parts of fitness into account and that, in the words of former Laconia mayor Mike Seymour, a regular at the gym, what is taking place is ''way more than fitness.''

Seymour says that all new people in the program go through an assessment of their movement ability and that the coaches work with them on any weakness so that they can master techniques which will help them develop.

''It's like a family here, we all work together and support each other,'' says Britton, who has always been fascinated with the word Juggernaut, ever since he was small and saw a giant sailboat with that name.

''I found out that it meant an unstoppable force and I've always liked that idea. And when you think about it you see that a community like this becomes a juggernaut, because the power of determined and committed individuals makes it unstoppable.''

He said that he's also found a supportive atmosphere at The Grace Capital Church in downtown Laconia where he now worships and says he's glad to be living in the Lakes Region, where he finds the right balance that makes his life enjoyable and meaningful.

CAPTION:

Keith Britton, owner of CrossFit Juggernaut, has had careers in both New York City and Hollywood but says he's now happy to be back to his New Hampshire roots and running a fitness business that helps change people's lives. (Roger Amsden/for The Laconia Daily Sun)