Growing up, the importance of physical activity was heavily stressed. Traveling all over the Northeast with my family to watch my Father compete in Triathlons, was definitely a highlight of my childhood. During high school, I played field hockey, basketball, track, and golf. I also played basketball during my first two years of college, where we achieved second in nationals for the NJCAA. After college I stayed active by distance running, half-marathons are my favorite distance. I started CrossFit in 2015, one month after I ran my first marathon, I was humbled and hooked!
When I first found CrossFit, I was a ‘runner’, quite literally a ‘one trick pony’! I knew I needed something to help me build strength. I found that and a whole lot more! I don’t know where I’d be without the sport and community. CrossFit has positively impacted every aspect of my life. It was something I never knew I needed, and now I know I’d be lost without. Although entering a space with super fit people was not easy for me. I played the comparison game, and played it hard. I would beat myself up if I couldn’t perform movements or move the same weight another athlete could. Which was just about everything in the very beginning! I quickly realized that the comparison game sucks the fun out of everything. Comparison is the thief of joy and comparing my ‘beginning’ to someone else’s ‘middle’ was not fair to anyone. By focusing on my own strengths, practicing gratitude for my own successes, and working on personal growth, I was able to turn comparison into inspiration. Now I look at my fellow coaches and athletes for inspiration and I’m in complete awe of everyone I get to workout with everyday! While our strengths may be different, we are all giving 1,000% of what we’ve got every single day! That’s something to be proud of!
I love that I have the opportunity to help others, as I’ve been helped throughout the years. If I can help athletes live more fulfilled lives, feel like a total bad a$$, have more confidence in their abilities, and give them a sense of belonging in a space where everyone is welcome, and then I get to do it all again tomorrow, what’s not to love?
