Aniket Shirawadekar

What's up?

My name is Aniket Shirawadekar. I grew up in Bombay (Mumbai) as it's known today and then moved to the United States for further education. I am a Software Engineer currently working in Chicago.

Technology grabbed my attention right since childhood when I would see my father (Mechanical Engineer) operate heavy electro-mechanical machinery using a computer. The fact that using a small microchip could control these complex mechanical machines was the most inspirational factor that drove me to pursue a ‘Diploma in Computer Technology’.

With the advancement in technology today if one looks back over the past 20 years what stands out is increasing semiconductor integration has been the rule and presuming, Moore’s empirical observation that the transistor density of integrated circuits doubles every two years holds true, it’s clear that in the next 20 years we will have the power of today’s supercomputer in the palms of our hands.

With a plethora of career options open to suite my interests a graduate degree in 'Computer Science' was the best kind of further education I wanted.

Sports and Fitness.

Since childhood I have been a sports person, being from India Cricket has been in my blood and I enjoy every moment of this game. Running, Cycling, Hiking is just another story of my life and it’s become a habit. I started to learn swimming at the age of 16 and since then whenever I would get an opportunity I would dive in for a lap. As I started going to high school I took up membership at a gym and started working out. At start I was happy but I was never satisfied, I was one of those people who thought working out legs is never important haha. Some years since then I was bored with my routine and got busy with studies. I would go to school, hang out with friends and if the stars aligned correctly hit the gym.

I was looking for something more intense, fast, challenging and fun. I had heard about 'CrossFit' and that its really crazy but I was not sure if that is what I wanted to do. One day I was bored and I decided to walk-in for a WOD at 'Bell City CrossFit'. It was Saturday and it was a Partner WOD name 'Scherbatsky' (4 minutes at each station - 10 wall ball/max burpees, 10 box jumps/max burpees, 15 squats/ max burpees, 20 lunges/max burpees and Score = total number of burpees done by both partners). I thought it was quiet easy and I will be able to do it, half way through the WOD and all I wanted was to survive through it. I will never forget my first WOD, I could hardly breath and was addicted to it that moment I decided this is what I was looking for. I think I would be doing CrossFit for years from now.

Awards, Honors and Activities.