How did you get started on your CrossFit journey?
Cole invited me to try a free class at Equity’s original location in 2012 or 2013. I don't remember the exact workout, but I do remember using the empty barbell for some kind of jerk or press, and halfway through the workout asking to switch back to the PVC because the empty barbell was so heavy! I was unbelievably sore afterwards, but I absolutely loved it. I considered joining the gym then, but I decided to lean into horseback riding for a few years instead. 

In 2019 I saw Michelle’s amazing before and after photos on Facebook and remembered how much I had enjoyed that first workout. My husband, James, was having some back pain and plantar fasciitis with his running routine, so I decided to get him a one-month membership as an anniversary gift - I thought it was just the kind of crazy challenge he would love. I joined him occasionally until March 2020, when I finally decided to join. A week later, gyms had to close, but Berek and Krista set everyone up to work out from home, and I never looked back!

How many years have you been a member at Equity?
3.5 years since my first drop-ins, 3 years since I actually joined.

Best advice for someone thinking of joining Equity?
Stop thinking about it and just do it! I am constantly kicking myself for waiting so long to join Equity. I only had prior experience with the YMCA, and CrossFit seemed really expensive by comparison. Now I joke that I would sell a kidney to belong to Equity. It costs more than an ordinary gym because it’s worth more than an ordinary gym. CrossFit is the most interesting and efficient way to get in the best shape of your life, whatever stage of life you’re in. Otherwise, you can go running for hours to improve your cardio endurance, but your strength and power will stagnate. You can join an ordinary gym and make your way around the machines, but that becomes boring and lacks intensity. You can do nothing and hope that you’ll get lucky and avoid health problems as you age. Or you can come to class at Equity, where a skilled, supportive coach will take you through a different workout each day, and a group of people will cheer you on and congratulate you when you finish. You’ll learn all the basics in your on-ramp classes, and then If you don’t feel ready for group classes, you can stick with one-on-one personal training instead!

What was your first impression and how has that changed?
I think everyone who has walked into a CrossFit gym has probably had the same reaction. “These people are scary and strong and confident, they must have always been that way, and I am NOT sure about this.” Since then I’ve learned that almost everyone starts off like I did: out of shape, and never having done anything quite like this before. That said, I still thought I would excel right away, because I had always considered myself strong and athletic, but CrossFit always keeps you humble. I was NOT strong. I had to relearn how to do push-ups, sit-ups, jump rope, squatting… basically everything. I was frustrated and embarrassed at first, but I had to swallow my pride, be coachable, and invest the time and effort to move correctly. I now understand that none of the existing members are judging the new members for struggling - we were all there, and we continue to be there. The beauty of CrossFit is that it challenges all of us, whether we’re just learning to find the rhythm in the kip swing or perfecting our muscle ups.

How has the gym improved your life? How will the gym improve your life in the future?
I could write for days on this subject. Sports in this country are mostly set up for kids and college students, and as adults it can feel like our only athletic avenue is running. CrossFit gives us the chance to learn all kinds of new physical, technical, and mental skills as an adult. It’s been so exciting and fulfilling to feel like an athlete again.

I had chronic knee pain for 15+ years, making it painful to go down stairs, get up and down, and play with my stepson. Doctors and PTs told me it would probably not improve much, and to be sure not to squat below parallel. With help from the Equity coaches and Wodprep PT CJ DePalma, I learned to correct my movement patterns and muscle activation, and I rarely have any hint of knee pain now. And I definitely squat below parallel!

I have also learned that I don’t have to be as thin as possible to look and feel great, and that, beyond a certain point, getting smaller does not make us fitter/stronger/healthier like society has told us it does. One of my early drop-in classes was a partner workout with Lee, and she carried me through the whole thing as I struggled. Afterwards she carefully said something like, “If you’re frustrated, you should know that it’s actually possible to be too thin to be really strong.” That transformed my perspective and helped me realize that I wasn’t setting myself up for success. I made some changes, and then eventually got nutrition coaching from Krista and learned how to fuel for performance. I’ve gained about 20 pounds from my lightest, and I can safely say I’m healthier and stronger than I’ve ever been.

Lastly, as someone who doesn’t make friends easily, I have absolutely found my people, and I feel more confident inside the gym and out as a result. From my EMOM Sisters, Kelli and Sam, who used to meet every Sunday to practice handstand skills, to Amy, my perennial workout partner and official gym cheerleader, to Joseph, who I worked with for 8 years before we became friends at Equity, to Berek, who does my hybrid programming and is endlessly patient and persistent with me, to everyone at the gym who inspires and pushes me every day - I’ve met incredible people here who have made my life so much richer.

What do you do for a living and how has CrossFit impacted that?
I teach middle school band and orchestra. There are a lot of parallels between teaching music and coaching, because both involve training groups of students to perform technical skills while counting and managing their breathing. Sometimes I’m able to apply a great coaching technique at the gym directly to my own teaching. It’s also important for teachers to remember what it’s like to be a student: learning new skills, receiving feedback, and struggling. Doing CrossFit definitely helps me experience that perspective. In terms of strength, I could tell that I had lost a lot of muscle when I was at my lightest. It became difficult to set up my classroom/stage and transport large instruments, and sometimes I had to ask other teachers for help. Now that I do CrossFit, I’m the one helping other people set things up!

What is your proudest moment at the gym and/or favorite moment?
Endless amazing memories. Getting my first strict pull-up was a huge win, as I’d been trying to do a pull-up my whole life. I was also really excited when I learned bar muscle-ups, which I had seen Jered doing when I was new and couldn’t WAIT to figure out!

Favorites:

Food - I eat healthy food. But I love coconut cake.

Color - Turquoise and maroon 

Movie - Hunger Games

TV Show - Schitt’s Creek

Holiday - Christmas

CrossFit Movement - Any gymnastics, especially bar muscle ups and toes to bar! 

Thank you. Mandy for being a part of the Equity Family!!