When Ron Ortiz walks into Thoroughbred CrossFit, he’s not looking for a VIP setup or a private recovery lounge. He’s there for the same reason as everyone else: to train hard and recover smarter.
A two-time CrossFit Games Masters champion, the 6-foot-3 Ortiz brings a serious presence to the gym floor. But he’s also a firefighter and local athlete — not someone who trains at a professional facility with a team of recovery specialists.
He’s one of many athletes at Thoroughbred who push themselves daily. Some are chasing a spot at regionals. Others are preparing for events like TYR Wodapalooza or the Masters Fitness Championship.
And some just want to feel their best and train without limits.
And that’s exactly why Thoroughbred CrossFit decided to invest in something better than the average cold tub.
Recovery is for everyone
“Cold therapy helps with everything you need as a masters athlete,” Ortiz says. “You train hard. You’ve got a lot going on outside the gym. You don’t bounce back like you used to.”
He’s not alone. Thoroughbred CrossFit, located in Wellington, Florida, has between 125 and 135 members who show up day after day for strength training, conditioning, and community.
Founded in 2022, the gym offers a variety of programs including CrossFit, personal training, and kids’ classes. Whether members are Games-level athletes or parents getting in a daily sweat, they want to feel good doing it.
Regular cold plunging can help athletes reduce inflammation, relieve sore muscles, and recover faster between workouts. It can also help boost mood, increase energy, and improve sleep. Those benefits matter even more when members are juggling work, training, and life outside the gym.
Testing the waters: From DIY to real recovery
When it came to adding recovery options to the gym, the team at Thoroughbred did what a lot of gyms do: they started small.
“We began with a converted deep freezer,” says co-owner Danielle. “We wanted to see if people would actually use it. They did — a lot. So we stepped it up and bought another brand of cold tub.”
But the new tub didn’t solve the problem.
“It wasn’t built to last. Cleaning it was hard. Refilling it was hard,” she says, adding that filters clogged constantly. As for the maintenance? It was a headache.
It couldn’t hold temperature, Ortiz says. With each use, the water would warm up a few degrees. Between classes, it would creep closer to 60 degrees — a threshold where the benefits of cold exposure start to drop off.
The tub also couldn’t fit bigger athletes. It broke. It leaked. It just couldn’t keep up.
For the Thoroughbred team, what felt like an upgrade ended up being more frustrating. They were spending valuable time and energy trying to maintain a cold plunge tub that wasn’t serving the needs of theirits members.
That experience isn’t unique. Gym owners who were early adopters to recovery are realizing that the average cold tub can’t meet the demands of high-traffic fitness facilities. Many are designed for home use, not constant use, fluctuating temperatures, or larger athletes.
From personal experience to gym-wide change
Ortiz first saw Chilly GOAT Cold Tubs at the 2023 CrossFit Games and was immediately impressed. So when he felt like his recovery was falling short with the tub at the gym, he decided to invest in a Chilly GOAT for himself.
Using it regularly at home, Ortiz quickly saw the difference.
“It’s a commercial-grade tub that works whether you’re at home or in a gym,” he says. “It stays cold, fits big athletes, and it’s built like a tank. That’s what you need in a place like this.”
Encouraged by Ortiz, Thoroughbred made the decision to swap out their unreliable cold plunge with a Chilly GOAT Cold Tub. The Chilly GOAT crew handled the installation, and within minutes, it was clear this wasn’t just another piece of recovery gear.
“It was a huge upgrade. We stepped up to the big leagues with Chilly GOAT,” says Danielle.
Built to meet the needs of real athletes
The Chilly GOAT Cold Tub is designed for training environments and gyms like Thoroughbred CrossFit. It features a 2.1-horsepower smart chiller that holds temperature even with back-to-back use, along with dual flow jets for full-body immersion and a more consistent cold exposure.
The tub’s spacious design fits athletes of all sizes comfortably — even someone like Ortiz, who had to squeeze into standard tubs. UV filtration helps keep the water clean between uses, and the commercial-grade construction means it’s durable enough to handle daily use without constant maintenance or repairs.
A better way to recover
For Thoroughbred CrossFit, the cold tub isn’t just a post-workout luxury. It’s an integral part of how their members train.
“One of the biggest reasons we added a cold tub was the recovery aspect,” Danielle says. “But the other reason was the pre-workout stimulus. People come in, hit the cold for a few minutes, and they’re more awake and focused. It’s a better alternative than chugging caffeine.”
From early-morning fitness classes to weekend competitions, the Chilly GOAT has become a core part of the gym’s recovery culture — not just for elite athletes, but for anyone who wants to move and feel better.
Three minutes to yourself
Using a cold plunge tub is not just about muscle soreness or inflammation.
“It’s three minutes to myself,” Danielle says. “Knowing that it’s going to be the hardest thing I do that day — and I’ll come out feeling better.”
For her, and for others, the tub offers a moment of stillness, challenge, and mental reset — something just as important as physical recovery.
A better cold tub for a stronger community
Thoroughbred CrossFit didn’t add a Chilly GOAT Cold Tub because it was trendy. They added it because the cheap options didn’t work. And because their community deserved better.
From elite CrossFit athletes like Ron Ortiz to parents and weekend warriors, Thoroughbred members are seeing the benefits of a cold tub that fits, functions, and holds up under pressure.
If you’ve been thinking about adding cold therapy to your gym, here’s your sign.
Ready to upgrade to a tub that’s built for real training? Explore commercial options from Chilly GOAT.
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