Athlete of the Month

TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF?

I married my husband Pierce last October, and we are expecting our first baby this December! We have 2 dogs, an Australian shepherd named Sophie and a whippet named Ringo.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WITH CROSSFIT FIRST CREEK?  

I started summer of 2018. Over the years, I’ve had to take short breaks due to work or school, but it’s always been the home I’ve come back to.

WHAT MADE YOU START CROSSFIT? WHAT HAS KEPT YOU DOING IT? HAS YOUR MOTIVATION CHANGED SINCE YOU FIRST STARTED?

I was desperately searching for a new way to exercise and everything had fallen short/wasn’t sustainable. I got to see firsthand how CrossFit literally changed my uncle’s life, and I decided to give it a go.

WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED SINCE JOINING CFFC?

I’ve learned that I’m so much more capable of doing hard things than I thought I was. I used to stop at the slightest hint of fatigue and was always scared to increase weight.  

WHAT IS YOUR PROUDEST CROSSFIT MOMENT?

Probably the first time I was able to Rx a workout that had rope climbs in it.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LIFT, MOVEMENT, OR WOD? LEAST FAVORITE?

I love the Clean & Jerk. As far as movement goes… I’m the weirdo who loves anything that involves heavy cardio. Least favorite is without a doubt the Squat Snatch. 

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT CFFC OR JUST CROSSFIT IN GENERAL?

I feel like everyone says this, but I seriously love the community at CFFC. My favorite thing about CrossFit is that you never do the same workout twice. That fact kept me engage in the beginning when it was hard, but then the community truly kept me coming back all these years.

WHAT IMPACT HAS CROSSFIT HAD ON YOU IN AND OUT OF THE GYM?

It has given me an increased sense of confidence and self empowerment.  

WHAT ARE YOUR CROSSFIT GOALS? HOW CLOSE ARE YOU TO REACHING THEM?

Well, my goal was to finally get a strict pullup. And I was very close. However, pregnancy happened, so we’ll try again next year LOL

WHEN YOU ARE NOT CROSSFITTING, WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING TO DO?

I would say traveling, but even when I travel, I always make sure I find a local CrossFit gym to try out. It’s honestly really fun experiencing the thing I love in different countries and cities. Otherwise I love trying new restaurants around town.

WHAT IS ONE FUN THING ABOUT YOU THAT WE MAY NOT KNOW YET?

I bought a gutted home, ripped out every interior wall, redid the entire layout, and rebuilt it. It is by far the hardest thing I’ve ever done and also my proudest accomplishment.

WHAT IS THE ONE TIP YOU’D GIVE SOMEONE CONSIDERING CROSSFIT OR WHO IS NEW TO CROSSFIT?

The soreness won’t last forever. Those first few weeks after starting are going to work muscles you didn’t even know existed. Keep going. I promise it gets better…and even if it doesn’t, you’ll get really good at ignoring it.  

WHAT IS YOUR DIET LIKE? HAS IT CHANGED SINCE STARTING CROSSFIT? WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE WORKOUT FUEL?

My diet definitely changed since starting CrossFit. I always ate pretty “healthy” but eventually learned that I was primarily only eating carbs. I started tracking macros in 2020 and realized how little protein I was consuming. I also learned how few calories I was eating. That knowledge changed everything for me. As soon as I upped my calories and increased my protein, my performance improved, cravings disappeared, brain fog lifted and energy swings leveled out.