April Athlete Spotlight–Sammi

(Sammi, left, with her sister, Coach Maddy, on the right)

How long have you been a member at CFD, and what made you want to get started?

I’ve been a member at CFD for close to a year. The majority of members know my younger, but insanely stronger sister, Coach Maddy. She was the person who motivated me to start at CFD. I’ve watched my sister transform as an athlete with the continued guidance, mentoring, and support of Coach Phil and Mike. I remember watching her complete a workout and thinking how much of a badass she was! Actually, badass is an understatement. I was so proud in that moment, that I stood up and started cheering for her, forgetting about how dorky I probably seemed. I was in awe of that fact that she was able to complete such an intense workout with enthusiasm, while staying relentless and refusing to give up. Her mental toughness and tenacity that she exemplified that day inspired me to reach out to Coach Mike. Coach Maddy is the reason I walked through the door on my first day!

What changes have you seen in yourself since your very first day?

I can remember meeting with Coach Mike on my first day thinking to myself, “he’s going to think I’m such a wimp”. For those of you that don’t know Coach Mike well, please take the time to get to know him, and use his coaching and mentoring experience to your advantage! He is one of the most amazing people you will ever meet in your entire life…and that is certainly not an exaggeration. He has changed my life and I cannot thank him enough! Coach Mike had his work cut out for him when he agreed to begin training with me. I had no strength or weight training experience, and my aerobic capacity was poor…borderline embarrassing,in my opinion. To give you a clearer understanding: I wasn’t able to do a push-up without my knees on the ground, squatting only occurred if I had to go to the bathroom outside in the bushes, a snatch was a term that was foreign to me besides the obvious, and I had never swung a kettle bell…rather, kettle bell swings were the weights my grandma used with her group of retired elderly women to stay in shape. I tried front squatting and back squatting and the bar nearly bent me over. I couldn’t run a mile to save my life! I could barely swing a 20lb kettle bell without tipping over. My mental toughness was weak, and I felt defeated! For those that knew me before…let’s be honest…I had no booty…I’ve always been thin, but had very little muscle definition. Let’s fast forward to today…I’m starting to get a booty! Booty’s by Coach Mike! It’s in the squatting! I just PR’ed my back squat and I’m now at 155lbs. I got my first kipping pull-up this morning! I’m using the 55lb kettle bell…and hating every minute of it..and I’m determined! I’m determined to kick ass, to improve every single day, and to give 110% of myself each and every day I walk through those doors. For those of you that care about the number on the scale…I’ve gone from 110lbs to 130lbs, and I’m confident and I’m proud! I may not be the strongest, or the fastest, but I will tell you…I’m well on my way.

What did you do for fitness prior to CFD, and what do you like most about CrossFit?

Prior to CFD, I would sporadically attend yoga, spin classes, body pump, go on “brisk” walks with my mom, or attempt at going on a run with my sister. Coach Maddy almost killed me when she tried taking me to Mines of Spain for a bike ride….my face turned white….I started seeing the light…I knew it was time to change my regimen!

The diverse nature of the workouts is what I like most about CrossFit. Every single workout pushes me to dig deep, believe in myself, and push through it!

What type(s) of workouts are your favorite?
EMOM workouts are my favorite! These type of workouts allow time for me to breathe, recover, and regroup before I put maximum effort towards completing the next round. Any workout that includes front or back squats, ring rows/inverted ring rows, rope climbs, or sled pushes are at top of my list!

What type(s) of workouts do you least like to see come up?

Just thinking about the assault bike makes me want to cry in pain. Any time thrusters or shoulder to overhead movements are included in a workout I think about curling up in the fetal position and boycotting the workout. Row sprints, dead lifts, and heavy kettle bell swings hurt so bad, but feel so good when you’re finished. I often find that the workouts I despise the most, I feel the greatest sense of accomplishment when I’ve completed them!

What are you goals going forward?

Going forward, my goals inside of the gym include getting strict pull-ups, cycling my toes to bar, and improving “my engine” by getting out of the hole faster (that’s what she said) with squats, and working on being more explosive with my movements. I want to continue to improve my endurance with longer workouts, gain strength with power cleans and hang power cleans, and grow into one bad ass athlete!

What advice do you have for someone just starting out at CFD?

My advice to someone that’s just starting is:

1. Don’t be intimidated! Step outside of your comfort zone…trust me, it’ll be worth the risk! Every single person at CFD is so incredibly kind, and turn into some of your closest friends! The coaches are phenomenal, exceptionally smart and talented, and provide the most sound advice! You will learn something new every single class…and you will sweat your ass off while you’re at it!

2. No matter how much you want to give up…think again….no matter how hard or how much you dislike the workout…go anyways….and no matter how scared you are that you might fail…dare to put all of your cards on your success and KEEP trying! You are your worth it!!! Believe in yourself! YOU are what matters most!

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