What brought you to Crossfit?
I was struggling to lose the baby weight after having our second child so I started looking at options in the neighbourhood, hoping to find a proven exercise program that would help me regain my confidence. There was a female-only gym up the street that seemed like it might be what I was looking for but my husband had already joined Crossfit Empower a few months earlier and was always talking about what a great gym it was and encouraging me to join. I was on the fence as I thought he had really “drunk the kool-aid” about this thing called Crossfit but I liked the idea of us being able to work out together and we could even bring the kids. Once I finally walked through the door on Dunbar Street though, I knew I had made the right decision.
What was your first impression? How has it changed?
I had never lifted weights or done any gymnastic movements before so I was a little intimidated joining group classes especially since I was in the same class as other people who were so much more advanced in their abilities. Everyone was super friendly though, and the coaches were able to scale the movements to what I could manage. I’m a lot stronger now and able to do more but regardless, I am just more comfortable with where I am at and have stopped comparing myself to anybody else. I’m focused on continuing to get stronger and fitter – I don’t care about the weight anymore which I hope will set an example for our daughters.
What was your first bright spot (win/positive experience)?
I don’t remember the first one but there have been lots of wins along the way. I especially remember my first 10K run as I never thought I could run that far (admittedly there was some walking that happened in that distance) but my most recent 10K had no walking at all! So it’s exciting to see continued improvement.
What are you working on now?
Everything? With Crossfit, you’re always working on something. You can always go heavier or get that extra rep. You never get bored! And of course, I’m still chasing that pull up.
What’s your favourite Empower memory so far?
Moving Day! Helping move equipment from the smaller old gym to the bigger new gym with fellow Empower members was a great experience. And watching the guys figure out how to move the massive tire we never used into DT’s truck!
