- What got you started in CrossFit? How did you hear about it?
Annually, we have a week at work dedicated to fitness and helping students and teachers build healthier minds and bodies. During FitWeek 2016 one of my amazing coworkers took time out of her busy schedule to design lunchtime workouts for the teachers on staff. With trepidation, I joined my coworkers and after the first (very sweaty) lunchtime session I was inspired to start to push, let’s call it a fitness snowball, up a (I was not sure how high) hill. Laura has been a constant pillar of motivation and encouragement for me and after that workout she chatted with me about All Levels and what a fantastic community it was! I decided to take a leap of faith and join the Couch to 5K program she was coaching at the gym. I remember that feeling of accomplishment I got when I completed my first 5K. I wanted more!! After the Couch to 5K program was over I joined the gym as a member and will be forever grateful to her for sharing her love of fitness with me and helping to spark the love I have for fitness in me now.
2 .What is your favourite part about coming to the gym?
There are so many things that I love about coming to the gym. I love seeing bedhead on my early morning crew friends as we all sleepily gather at the whiteboard (or in front of the Zoom camera) every morning. I have the benefit of being inspired by the dedication of each and every one of them as they make fitness an essential part of their day. It takes a special kind of crazy to workout in the wee hours of the morning, but this is a true testament to how each of them is going to ensure that no part of their day is going to get in the way of making themselves stronger both physically and mentally. I gain momentum through them as they push through even the hardest of workouts. I take this momentum with me as I transition to my workday and my evening with my family. I admire the dedication of the coaches and the community they have created. It is a community that is a safe space for all athletes to be and to better themselves. I feel accepted and appreciated as a member of the All Level family and this makes me feel GOOD! These are just a few of my favourite things about coming to the gym.
3. What is your favourite CrossFit movement?
Double unders are a challenge to say the least. They are technical and really take a bite out of your cardio. From the beginning I have sat in awe of the members that have been able to string them together. I was over the moon this month when I hit a PR of 100 unbroken double unders. I would have to say that even though every time I see them programmed in the WOD I know that it is going to be a cardio blast, but I am excited to try and string them all together. Some days I’ve got them and other days I don’t, but I love the challenge they bring to the table.
4. What are your goals in CrossFit?
The only fitness goal I have for myself is to keep it up. I want fitness to always be part of me. Before All Level I was never truly successful with fitness – falling off the horse and just never getting back on. This is my longest, most dedicated and most rewarding fitness journey ever. The biggest difference is that All Level is a community and even more a family of like-minded individuals who are willing to help support you with whatever goals you may have. My goal is to continue to love working out. I want fitness to always fuel me the way it does right now! There will always be peeks and valleys, but being patient and allowing myself some grace along the way will be the key to accomplishing my goals.
5. How do you explain your newfound obsession with CrossFit?
I can’t get enough of the feeling you get after a workout. Fatigue mixed with accomplishment slathered with “WOW - I just did that!!” This is the feeling that I keep coming back for. Some workouts are filled with a bit more of that feeling than others, but if you can find something in your life that makes you feel this way every time you do it then do it as much as you can. Feeling awesome is what working out with the All Level family does for me and everyone deserves to feel awesome!
6. What advice do you have for someone who is thinking of trying CrossFit?
If you are thinking of trying it; TRY IT! It has been a life changing experience for me. I have met some of the most supportive people in my life at All Level. The coaches are the most understanding, encouraging and helpful people you will ever meet. The athletes are the most supportive and inspirational people you will every workout beside. And best of all you will feel like a million sweaty bucks when you walk out of the gym.
7. What does CrossFit mean to you?
All Level Performance and Health means the world to me. During these troubling times it has been a pillar of consistency and strength for me. The coaches have adapted and provided amazing support for all of their athletes. During a time where I felt like I didn’t have very much control over very many things in my life All Level has allowed me to have control over my fitness. This has allowed me to stay (somewhat lol) sane during these times. Knowing that I can depend on them to be there virtually or outdoors in the early morning hours so that I can continue to start my day off the way I had consistently done pre pandemic has given me the power to tackle whatever the day has to throw at me. Dependable, understanding, accommodating, encouraging, inspiring and much more…this is what All Level is and means to me.
8. How has CrossFit helped you improve your life outside of the gym?
Outside of the gym All Levels has allowed me to feel good in my own skin. I start my day off with a workout not only because it is good for my body, but also because it is good for my mind. When a WOD is humbling I use this to refocus myself and hone in on the important parts of my day and when I hit a PR in a WOD I use this as a reason to celebrate and remember that I can PR my day too. Applying all of the things I learn about myself during a workout (moments of grit, moments of resiliency, moments of strength) helps me to improve my life outside of the gym as well. The gym has shown me things about myself that I may have never realized before, but now I get to take these things with me and try to be the best version of me I can be.
