Where were you in your fitness journey before BCF and where are you now?
I had been an athlete my whole life and through college, but once I started my teaching career, working out sort of fell by the wayside. It wasn’t actually until I met Andrew (my husband), that I truly got back into a workout routine. We would go to the gym at my work and lift 4-5 days a week. I was really just focused on getting stronger and hoping that, by extension, some of my injuries would sort themselves out through this strength training. Although we never competed, we were training using a Power Lifting program, so my core three lifts were pretty solid, but I really had no experience with Olympic lifting, wasn’t doing any sort of metcon training, nor was I doing any cardio or LISS.
Crossfit was always something I had been interested in trying; however, I was super intimidated by it because of some preconceived notions and assumptions. Claire Willis, however, talked me into coming to a Bring-your-Friend day at BCF in January of 2018, and I LOVED it! It was fun, different, challenging, exciting, inspiring, and the atmosphere was super welcoming! I signed up the next week, and haven’t looked back. While my intention in joining Crossfit was not to lose weight, that was a byproduct of my training. I am a far better all-around athlete now; I can grind out a long WOD, love sprint-sets, can still move some “heavy” (at least for me) weight, and I have far better endurance than I’ve had since college. I hope to continue to improve in my athleticism, strength, and aerobic capacity, as well as continuing to learn new movements, and to challenge and push myself in all of my workouts.
What were your goals when you started and have you achieved any of them?
My goals really haven’t shifted much since I’ve joined Crossfit. I initially wanted to be in better shape, get stronger, and be a better athlete, and while I’ve achieved those things, those goals are still true as I can always improve and get stronger. One of the aspects of Crossfit I enjoy the most is that it changes every day, and there are always movements and techniques I can learn, grow in, and improve. I still struggle quite a bit with pretty much all gymnastics movements, snatches, and my overhead strength, so those are things I’d like to focus on this summer.
What about BCF makes you keep coming back?
I love the programming at BCF! It is challenging and fun. I have a tremendous amount of respect for the coaches at BCF and the way the guide, inspire, teach, and treat us athletes. I’ve been to a few other gyms, and most of them do not guide athletes through a warm-up; instead, it’s completed on one’s own. They also, in my experience, have not given me the feedback on specific movements that I clearly need tips with, or form corrections, so I hugely appreciate our coaches coaching philosophy here at BCF. Also, I love the community! I’ve made some really awesome friends, and feel super comfortable pushing myself out of my comfort zone and trying new things because of how supportive, helpful, and friendly the community of athletes is. They push and inspire me to be a better athlete.
When/what was your “ah ha!” moment?
I’m not sure exactly what my “ah ha” moment is. I’ve had numerous moments where I’ve achieved a number I was hoping for (like when I hit 150 for a clean), but then that always pushes me to want to hit a higher number. I think my most recent example of something I was super proud of and sort of “figured out” was when I got my first muscle-up, and then was able to do some during an actual WOD. That was pretty cool and very exciting!
Does anyone the gym (member or trainer) inspire you and why?
As I mentioned before, I think the coaches are wonderful at BCF, and each of them inspires me in a different way! I’ve received super helpful feedback from each coach, and am inspired by their dedication to coaching and to being the best athletes they can be. I’ve seen each of them training with a class, or on their own to improve their own skills! I also appreciate that they take classes/seminars, etc. to become better coaches! It means a lot to me as an athlete that my coaches are picking up best practices, are passionate about what they’re doing, and are continually growing as athletes and coaches themselves.
I also am really inspired by many of the female athletes at the gym; some of whom are my close friends, some are coaches, and some I barely know; however, watching them push themselves, achieve new PRs or learn movements they could not do before is hugely inspiring, and helps me to push myself to my limits. I know many of them are parents and have careers, and they still manage to balance a healthy lifestyle and gym schedule, which is something I hope to be able to maintain as well!
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