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?

Physically- my greatest successes are gaining back muscle, losing a ton of fat, and gaining strength and trust in my knee again.

Mentally- learning to push past my fears and mental blocks to safely try heavier/ harder variations and not being scared to fail at something.

My body feels so much stronger than when I started. My knee doesn’t feel like it’s going to collapse on me when I am just walking barefoot, and I just feel amazingly sore all the time 🙂

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

My life has changed because now I do things I didn’t before, whether because I was tired or self-conscious we get up and do things. Everyday I have CrossFit to look forward to.

In a sense, yes it has transferred because I now monitor myself and what I eat so I’m not just eating junk and it helps me and how I go about day to day life.

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

Advantages are that you actually get to know what the hell you are doing in a gym. It’s like having a personal trainer without the insane cost of a personal trainer. A standard gym you go in and see everyone’s eyes on you probably judging (just thinking about it gives me a panic attack lol) and as you go about your business and try to work out for me I didn’t know what to do or what I was doing and if I was doing things right or what results to expect and being as self-conscious as I am I could never stick with it. Doing CrossFit makes you engaged and still yet holds you and you alone accountable for your success and growth.

Q4. What advice can you give to others?

My advice: push yourself… safely. You’re stronger than you think and sometimes you need to push past that mental block so you can achieve progress

Athlete Specific Q. 1) How angry do you get when you cannot make it in to workout, and why? 2) What is your favorite CrossFit movement and why?

1. I wouldn’t say I get angry but I get super frustrated because that is a day wasted that I could have been working strength and technique to get to my goals. I’ve purposely made my schedule and my appointments around being able to get to CrossFit. I only miss when there is no other option..
2. I don’t have just one favorite: Handstand walks, Romanian and normal deadlifts