Member Spotlight: Shawna

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: Shawna

Shawna has been with us since we opened in December! She is part of our founders club and consistently gets her recommended 3 days a week in!

We asked Shawna a few questions about how her CrossFit journey has been for the past 6 months. 

Q: What brought you to CrossFit in the first place? 

A: I’ve been decently active most of my life, but never really found anything that consistently worked for me. I tried home workout programs, running, and nothing really stuck. I felt lonely, unmotivated, and dreaded the idea of continuing that way just to stay healthy. I liked my body as it was, and kicked myself a lot for not “hating myself enough” to find something that stuck. (What a terrible way to think!) I knew in order to make a true lifestyle change, I had to stop thinking “healthy” only meant losing weight or fitting a certain clothing size. I needed exercise to involve people, and fun. I needed it to help me be stronger, to have more energy, to sleep better. And what I was doing by myself just wasn’t getting me there. When my boyfriend said he was checking out the new CrossFit gym in the area, I decided to tag along. Turned out to be just what I needed. The group classes, coach help, and release from having to plan workouts out myself gave me the freedom to just show up, strive alongside others, and going home feeling like I made progress without doing the same boring stuff at the time.

Q: What was your first impression? How has that changed? 

A:My first impression of CrossFit (via social media) frankly was a bunch of people throwing heavy weights around and getting hurt. After actually going to class though, I realized that wasn’t it at all. I never thought I could lift barbells with heavy weight on. I never thought I’d use a dumbbell bigger than 10lbs. Being able scale any movement, adjust weight to what I can do, and have someone there to help me modify when I need it showed me that there’s someone there who cares about my LONG TERM health, not just how much I can do in the short term.

Q: What was your first “bright spot”? 

A: Probably when I could do full push ups again instead of on my knees.

Q: What’s your favorite CrossFit CTRL memory?” 

A: Learning to climb the rope! 

Q: What do you love most about CrossFit CTRL? What keeps you coming back each month? 

A: CrossFit is really hard. Physically, mentally, and emotionally I have definitely had bad days. I have an old knee injury. It’s no walk in the park but I have seen the changes over time, and even the hard days have been worth it in the end. I am at the point in my membership where we are starting to repeat some workout milestones, and I was blown away by how much “easier” some of it was! I was driving the other day, one arm on the steering wheel, one hand resting on my shoulder, and I realized I felt muscles I didn’t even have when I played sports in high school. My gains, as small as they are, are because someone at CrossFit CTRL was patient with me, pushed me, encouraged me, and helped me do movements the right way (without hurting myself). The hardest part for me is showing up, but I know if I do that here, someone will take care of me for the rest.

Q: Who Inspires you? 

A: As an athlete? Kerri Walsh-Jennings (113-title winning beach volleyball player) and recently, Tia Toomey (3x CrossFit champ) Both just struck me as really incredible and dedicated female athletes doing what they love. Watching them struggle and win is really inspiring, and I would love to be more like them.

Q: What is your current occupation? What are some hobbies, clubs, groups, or activities you participate in? 

A: I’m currently a Marketing Coordinator for a local John Deere dealership! (So in short, I have the fun job.) On the side, I’m a working artist — I love painting, drawing, and photography — anything creative! And, as a general rule, anything outside is usually fun. Hiking & snowboarding are my favorite, but I’ll try almost anything (except bungee jumping. Don’t ask me to do that.) I would like to start a flower garden and maybe teach yoga one day, but I also really, really like naps….so one thing at a time.

Q: What would you say to someone you love to encourage them to try CrossFit CTRL? 

A: The community that comes from it is just so good. There’s no intimidation. There’s no point where someone isn’t working on something, where they aren’t learning something new. And it’s just really nice to show up, get a quality workout designed by someone who knows what your body needs, and go home. No expert knowledge required. No minimum strength or ability required. And mostly, no more struggling to be healthy and well alone.