Q1. What have been your greatest successes (physically, mentally or emotionally) since you began? How does your body feel now compared to when you started and WHY? 

Since I joined DNR about 2 years ago, I’ve become so much stronger and have accomplished so many new things. I never thought I’d be able to do a muscle up of any variation or be able to do kipping hand-stand push ups or snatch over 100 pounds. Mentally, I think I’ve always tried to be positive while working out and just have a good mindset but it really helps being in a gym like ours where everyone is so supportive of one another and want their fellow athletes to do well. I think being at DNR has been such a great outlet as well. There have been plenty of times when I’ve had a bad day but getting to the gym and being able to have a fun workout with great people and coaches as an outlet for stress is great.
I remember when I first reached out to DNR when I decided to start CrossFit in Colorado. I had initially planned on trying a few gyms to see what would be a good fit but after my first workout, I didn’t need to look anywhere else. I was so nervous too, but everyone was friendly and incredibly welcoming and that hasn’t changed.

Q2. How has your life changed since starting CrossFit training? Has CrossFit transferred over into any other areas of your life? 

I’ve definitely noticed physical changes but I also feel stronger and healthier. Strength gained at the gym totally transfers over to normal life – I can accomplish a lot by myself and I feel a lot more confident with myself and my body. Plus, CrossFit has introduced me to some amazing people and friends for life. Working out has stopped becoming a chore or something I used to make myself do because I felt I had to. Now, it’s one of the best parts of my day and I don’t make excuses to not workout. Instead, I make time for the gym because I love the atmosphere of DNR and all of its people and I know I’ll leave better than when I came in.

Q3. What are the advantages of CrossFit style training compared to your previous workout styles? 

I first started CrossFit after competitive sports in college came to end. Prior to that, I don’t even think I knew what CrossFit was but as after my first few workouts, I was hooked. For me, CrossFit has provided a challenging and competitive environment to work out in, but in a different way than sports have ever been. I get to be competitive with myself on a day-to-day basis and I have to set my own goals. Sure, there are other people around to push your pace but at the end of the day, you set your own goals and are responsible for achieving them. When I get to the gym, my overall goal is to just have a good workout, sweat a little bit, and leave knowing that I pushed myself to the do the best I could, by my own standards and not compared to anyone else. It’s definitely a change from what I used to experience in high school and college sports but that’s also what I love about it. It’s almost never the same thing twice and if it is, it gives you the chance to improve and measure your progress. It’s never boring but it’s always a challenge.

Q4. What advice can you give to others?

Just have fun with CrossFit! If there’s one thing I’ve learned about working out, it’s that having a positive mindset going into a workout almost always pays off. It’s something I still have to work on too! There are days when a work out might get the best of you and you just end up frustrated but that’s the beauty of the sport. You get to shake it off and try again tomorrow. You get a redo. Staying positive and having fun with a workout helps you get the most out of your workout.  It’s also not a bad thing to take it seriously because sometimes it helps give you that push you might need to go a little faster or lift a little heavier but at the end of the day, you want to feel satisfied with yourself and your workout and having fun is an important part of that. CrossFit doesn’t always have to be an intense, competitive environment. For me, I like to use it as a way to get stronger, by my standards, and be a little better and a little healthier than the day before.

Athlete Specific Q.
What or who inspired you to sign up for your first CF competition, Project Uplift?

It was really DNR as a whole. Lots of people would ask, hey are you doing Project Uplift? When I would say no, it was always a supportive push or recommendation to do it. I got a lot of feedback about how fun it was the year before or how it was just a low-pressure competition. So, as I was debating participating, I found Chase and Ibrahim, so all we needed was another girl. One day, Sydney Turner and I were having breakfast and she was like, I’d do it with you. So that was it! I know with this team, we’ll just have a lot of fun. It’s a great, positive-minded team and I can’t wait to participate. I never saw myself competing in CrossFit because I kind of closed that door when I stopped college sports but I think this will be a great way to get back into a competition setting but without a lot of pressure.