I spent my youth and high school years as a competitive athlete, first by ice skating, then playing basketball. When I went to college, I lost track of consistent exercise. I spent the next 17 years inactive and slowly gaining weight.
The year I was turning 35, something clicked. I decided it was time to lose weight. I was teaching high school and was unable to go up and down the stairs without being exhausted. I started with a well-known program and ate a lot less. I lost about 50 pounds in 5 months and started running. Unfortunately, I hated running. I was only doing it because I didn’t know what else to do.
My husband then got a job in Harrisonburg, Virginia. I saw the Rocktown Rollers roller derby team skating in the 4th of July parade, and I felt like I had to join them. The following week, I went to practice and discovered that playing derby was so much more than just skating. I spent the next 3+ years skating and training. It was the first time in my adult life that I had found something physical that I truly enjoyed.
I realized during my time skating that I needed competition, even if that competition was only against my previous performance. In November 2013, I retired from derby and began lifting weights. I didn’t really know what I was doing, but I completed the New Rules of Lifting for Women program and found my new love.
In 2015, a friend of mine talked me into going to CrossFit. I doubted that I would like it because I do not move fast; rather, I’m pretty slow and deliberate. It turned out that I LOVED it. My family moved again, this time to Colorado. I found a Crossfit box before we even moved into our house!
My favorite parts of Crossfit involve weight lifting. I have enjoyed learning Olympic lifts. I’m working to improve at the gymnastic aspect, despite it being my weakness. My goals include getting a strict pull-up before the end of 2016, squatting 250#, and completing 25 double-unders unbroken.
Since starting Crossfit, I’ve competed in the Festivus Games and in the Crossfit Open. I’ve loved the competitions, but even more, I love competing against my own PRs.
In the past year, I’ve learned that it’s possible for me to really love physical activity, and not simply to do something in order to look better. The gym has become my happy place, and I look forward to working out. My newfound strength has also helped me to become a much better downhill skier, and I have started taking a lot more risks on the slopes. I love sharing my love for lifting and Crossfit with other people because if you hate how you’re moving your body, it’s time for you to find another way. Loving what your body can do can help you in so many ways!
