- When did you start at CrossFit Bangor: January of 2017.
- Proudest CrossFit accomplishment: My first muscle up! I finally got it in March of this year after lots of helpful coaching.
- Favorite lift, metcon, or both: I like most chipper-type workouts. Plowing through one movement at a time seems to agree with me.
- A movement or workout you’re hoping to improve this year: I need to work on EMOM style workouts, especially ones in which the round with the lowest number of reps becomes my score. There’s a great deal of strategy involved in the pacing of these workouts and I haven’t quite gotten the hang of it.
- Biggest surprise since starting at CrossFit Bangor: As a 37 year old who has always been active in sports and at the gym, I’m surprised that I can still be getting better at fitness as I get older. I’m certainly stronger than I’ve ever been and I feel healthier in general.
- Advice for new members or friends who have yet to try CrossFit: Come and try CrossFit with an open mind. Try to put aside preconceived notions that you may have about the sport. We are blessed at CrossFit Bangor to have some of the most dedicated and knowledgeable coaches around. People at absolutely any level of fitness can find a home here in which they are accepted, challenged, and pushed to be better in all aspects of their lives.
- Favorite Maine place to recommend to other members or visitors: Acadia National Park. We are lucky to have this beautiful, natural playground so close by. It’s a great place to put our hard earned fitness into action.
- Non CrossFit interest(s): I love to spend time with my husband and daughter. We like to hike, go boating, and we travel whenever we can.
- Additional thoughts you’d like to share! In the last several years I’ve been happy to see the trend of fitness (for women, especially) changing from a focus of simply being skinny to being strong. I spent much of my twenties killing myself with cardio in an attempt to be thin because I though that’s what was expected of me as a woman. I was working against my natural body type and was never able to achieve the results I thought I wanted. It was only after beginning to strength train that my body started to operate more efficiently. With more physical strength I’ve seen improvements in sleep, in my relationship with food, and in my mental fortitude. Anyone can starve themselves to be skinny, but is that really healthy? It’s certainly not what I want for my daughter. Building muscle takes hard work inside the gym and out. Additionally, the rewards we reap from our hard work at the gym can be seen in every part of our lives. CrossFit has shown me that I can push through my own mental barriers. It’s taught me that I need to show support and be supported through community. It’s taught me that character is revealed when no one is watching. We are lucky to be part of this place and the benefits go far beyond aesthetics.
