
1. How did you find CrossFit?
My good friend Amanda and her boyfriend, Jon, were doing CrossFit together and she kept telling me about it and how much she thought I’d like it. I had no Olympic lifting background at all, so I didn’t feel comfortable doing CrossFit at a regular gym on my own. Jon was helping out at CrossFit Zone and I had heard such good things about Cam from Jon and Amanda I decided to come in and do my assessment with him. I was
sold from Day 1. Cam and Deanna made me feel so comfortable, and I’ve gotten nothing but amazing treatment from all the coaching staff at CrossFit Zone. I signed up that night and it was one of the best decisions I ever made.
2. What is your favorite CrossFit exercise or WOD?
I absolutely love doing cleans, and I also enjoy deadlifts, box jumps and any shoulder exercises. Any WOD’s that include these I love to do and the team WOD’s are a lot of fun- I would feel very lonely if I went back to regular gym 🙂
3. How long have you been CrossFitting for?
I started at the end of last July (’09), so coming up on 4 months at the end of this month (I go 3 times a week).
4. What do you do for a living?
I’m the Director of Content Management at a software company. This is my third job in the IT/computer industry and it’s been nice that I have been able to apply my English degree to the communications and customer service side of these companies. Currently I do a little bit of everything- the customer support and accounts receivable for the company, I write press releases and edit pieces for my CEO, and I help out with reception and marketing tasks as well.
5. What are your hobbies?
For the last 9 months I have been very focused on my police applications, so those have been taking up most of my free time. In the spare time that I do have, I hang out with my dog, boyfriend and I have a lot of amazing, supportive friends that I spend time with. I listen to a lot of music, run (no more than 5-7km!), do hot yoga when I can fit it in and I love volunteering. The past year I have had the opportunity to volunteer with the local SPCA, Victoria Police and Canadian Cancer Society’s Camp Goodtimes. I like to donate blood as well, and I am volunteering with the Mustard Seed for the first time this holiday season. This year I also tried out indoor climbing, took some swimming classes, guitar lessons and did a couple of running clinics. But CrossFit has quickly
become one of my favorite things to do!
6. What are your goals?
Currently I am very focused on one goal and that is becoming a police officer. I have three applications on the go, and I’m finally getting near the end. My CrossFit goals are to get my first kipping pull-up, get 25 consecutive double under’s, work on my regular push-up’s (chest to the ground!) and get a 25 min 5km. I want to get in the best shape I can before I (hopefully) get sent away to a training academy.
7. Why do you CrossFit?
I originally joined CrossFit Zone to learn how to Olympic lift and to increase my fitness as much as I could before my physical testing for the police. I thought I would just stay 3 months max, but I can honestly see why they say CrossFit changes people’s lives. I had to quit university basketball because of a shin injury, and since then I have been searching for something to fill that void- I loved that sport so much and had played for 16 years of my life. I tried kickboxing, a fitness modeling competition, just running/hot yoga and no weight lifting, but nothing made me feel the way basketball did until CrossFit. To have that camaraderie again, awesome, encouraging teammates, supportive, knowledgeable coaches, fun competition and to learn new things everyday- I can’t imagine going back to isolation training at a regular gym. I am so thankful to have found this sport!
8. Any advice for future CrossFitters?
Don’t be intimidated by what you see on the web. Like most people I looked at the videos of people who had been doing CrossFit for years and were lifting tons of weight, I read articles on the lack of safety and the injuries- but with the coaching staff at CrossFit Zone and the constant technique work I always feel safe. I haven’t had an injury yet (knock on wood!) and I’m becoming a more balanced athlete than I ever was during my basketball career. I wish I had found CrossFit before now, but I think is something I will honestly do as long as I can. I would also say to take your time, learn the proper technique, be patient- certain things might come naturally, others thing (like the kipping pull-up for me) will take longer than you thought. Because the Zone scales their workouts, CrossFit really is for everyone and even if you can do it once a week, I promise you it will change the way you look at fitness and how feel about yourself in general.
Today’s Workout:
Buy In – Muscle Up Practice, if you can’t do a muscle up, work on the transition stage.
WOD –
Elite: 3 Rounds for time:
- 25 Med Ball or Clean and Jerks (14/20)
- 20 Jumping ring dips
- 15 Pullups
Zone 3: scale pullups to assisted pullups
Zone 2:Â scale clean and jerk to 10/14lbs
Zone 1: scale weight as needed on clean and jerk; scale jumping ring dips to pushups
Check out the video of this workout
Cash Out – 50 Partner Medball situps