Clean and Jerk - 165
Snatch - 125
Strung BMU - 4
Deadlift - 265
Mile PR - 7:05
Chad - 63:04
In my freshman year of high school, I played varsity volleyball. We made it to the state semi-finals, and I made it into the frosh 59 list (59 top freshmen from around the country). I decided with my parents that I would give the sport my best go. Year-round, I played volleyball and beach volleyball, and in early 2012, I heard of CrossFit, a gym in my hometown that had sessions for high school athletes. I fell in love, went multiple times a day during the summer, and returned year after year. I went to Urbana University to play D2 volleyball and started as a freshman. I met my now husband there in the weight room, Colt. Throughout my college career, I also ran cross country and cheered. I became a middle school teacher after college and am currently a STEAM teacher in my 5th year.
In my second year of teaching, my life took a spiral. I was unhappy, hated my job, was depressed, and overall was mentally very unhappy. I gained about 25 pounds that year and was crying and anxious almost every day. I began following CrossFit programming at home with a single set of dumbbells. With each workout, I felt my confidence growing. Between YouTube and myself, I learned and taught myself CrossFit movements again and was getting very comfortable with it. I lost the 25 pounds in no time and began doing things I could have never done before. I wanted to learn and do everything I never thought possible. The biggest thing I couldn’t believe was that my depression and anxiety were so much smaller and manageable. I began fueling my body right and found an outlet for the stress of my job. As I began to feel more confident, I started coming into the gym with Colt. I was afraid at first; I didn’t want to invade his space or embarrass him, but this further showed me what I needed in my life. The gym showed me people who were there for me through the ups and downs and those who wanted to see me succeed as much as I wanted.
I understand stress overtaking your life. Finding a healthy outlet and having people invested in you and your successes is necessary for this crazy life we have. I want every day you walk into the gym to have the best hour of your life. This could mean letting off steam with friends, throwing heavy barbells, or doing something outside your comfort zone. Seeing members smile, friendships formed, and people reaching goals they never thought they could reach motivates me to be the best coach I can be!
