Dannica Jefferson: Maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle Through College with the Help of CrossFit

Brief personal history and journey towards beginning your CrossFit journey:

I was a gymnast for about 11 years. After that it was hard to find a sport that challenged me as much as gymnastics did. I tried a lot of different sports, but none seemed to have the same effect

What brought you to CrossFit Oshkosh?

In high school, I started lifting, and realized I loved it. After that, I got a gym membership with my mom and lifted with her for about a year. Then she mentioned CrossFit to me so I looked it up and thought I would give it a try. I was happy to find out that there was one not too far from campus. Once I tried it, I fell in love with it!

Your first impression of CrossFit Oshkosh?

My first PT class (coached by Austin) was amazing. He seemed to have a lot of confidence in me and sounded just as excited as I was when talking about committing to CrossFit. My first regular class was even better. Everyone was so encouraging and very welcoming. I immediately felt at home, so I was very excited to officially commit to doing CrossFit.

What has been your biggest hurdle since starting?

Pushing myself during workouts that are heavy in cardio. I can push through lifts, gymnastics skills, and other parts of the WOD (Workout of the Day), but when it comes to cardio, I feel like I am not pushing as hard as I should/could be.

What is your favorite aspect of CrossFit?

I love that there is a constant challenge to doing CrossFit. There’s always a new lift, skill, or score to beat, and it encourages me to keep going.

What are your current goals in CrossFit? 

I just want to live a healthier lifestyle overall. As a college student, it can be hard to maintain a healthy routine, but CrossFit motivates me to try my best! It’s hard to do a WOD when all you’ve been eating is junk.

What is something we don’t know about you?

I was a pole-vaulter in high school until I messed up my ankle.