What brought you to CrossFit Oshkosh?
I moved here 2 years ago for work and struggled looking for a gym that had a fun environment as well as one that pushed me physically and mentally. I signed up for CF Oshkosh after attending the fall 2017 Wine and WOD with Andrea Saccardi. I immediately connected with people who valued their health, fitness and also enjoyed having a good time. This was difficult to find when moving to a new place where you don’t know anyone. It was really nice to meet like-minded people!
Your first impression of CrossFit Oshkosh?
I was really excited to be pushed by the workouts. It is always an amazing environment with high energy and really awesome people. The best part was that even though I was nervous to start, there were always options for scaling to my ability. And I think that is one of the best parts – anyone can be confident they will get a great workout, whether they are advanced or just beginning.
What has been your biggest hurdle since starting?
I played soccer for over 20 years competitively and had a serious injury. I’ve had several surgeries for a kneecap dislocation and was told I probably would not be able to run again, let alone lift weights. When I first started, I was hesitant to do certain movements such as heavy squats or lateral jumping for fear of dislocating my knee again. However, Crossfit has given me the ability to do so much more than what I thought possible. Now, I realized that most of my fears and hesitations were in my head. That’s the biggest hurdle for me, getting out of my head. I can do so much more when I think positively and stop overthinking.
What is your favorite aspect of CrossFit?
I love the energy at Crossfit. I love that it feels like a family. People are willing to help each other out and work together to a common goal. There is competition and drive, but not at the expense of each other. I love that people can work hard and compete during class but then support each other outside of the gym. I also love that I have been able to visit Crossfit gyms around the country when I go visit family or go on vacation and while they all have different vibes, I have a great experience at every single one of them.
What are your current goals in CrossFit?
My current goal is really to keep improving. Sometimes, it feels like I’m not improving or that I’ve taken a step back one week. But then, I just keeping checking my benchmarks, logging my scores and over time, start to see drastic improvements. Just last week, we repeated a WOD from April. I checked my score and I was about 7 seconds slower than I was in April but then realized I increased the weight by 20 lbs to RX the workout! So you have to keep track of the details and realize you are getting better and stronger.
What is something we don’t know about you?
I was on my shooting team in college and was nationally ranked as the 9th top skeet and trap female shotgun shooter some time between 2012-2014. It was fleeting but I will hold on to that glory for the rest of my life. HA!
