The Member Spotlight showcases those who demonstrate the characteristics necessary for success, both in and out of the gym. Michelle has been a member of our community for years, and over time she’s shared her CrossFit journey with her husband and her two older boys, Austin & Hawk. We asked them some questions about their experiences at the gym so far:
M – I found CrossFit after I had my last baby 8 years ago. I lost 40lb of baby weight in 8 weeks and was hooked. I loved how CrossFit was different every day. I did some private coaching with James and ended up getting pretty good, competing at local competitions. At the end of 2017, I found out I had to have a bilateral mastectomy with reconstruction. I know for a fact I would have not been able to recover so quickly had I not been working so hard on my fitness. I was not allowed per my doctor’s orders to do anything for 9 months. Absolutely nothing. January 2018, I came back to the gym. I couldn’t hang from the bar, do a pushup, snatch, etc. Feeling defeated, and wanting to enjoy fitness again, James convinced me to ease into things, slowly start taking class, and supplementing a little bit after. Now, 15 months later, I’m the strongest I’ve ever been. I am so thankful for that, as raising 3 boys I have to be. I just received a clean bill of health from my oncologist, and at 41 years old, I’ve never been more confident with my fitness journey.D – I was a runner who never spent much time in the weight room. I always wanted to be stronger but didn’t really know where to start. Seeing Michelle’s success, I decided to give CrossFit a shot, first through The Village, and then at CFIS.A&H – My mom made us go. At first It was really hard, after a few months we got pretty fit and realized this stuff really works.
M – Performance-wise, I’m glad to be able to keep up with my boys. I walk 18 holes (~15,000 steps) with my oldest son every weekend. I play tennis about 15hrs a week and it’s helped me be able to run around the court. Things like that are now easy for me but it’s because of CrossFit. Body composition-wise, I am pretty muscular. People ask me often what I do for fitness and I always tell them about the gym.D – I am much stronger now than I have ever been in my life. Just as an example, when I started with CrossFit, I think I could deadlift about 100lbs and my 1RM is now 375. I could snatch zero and I can now snatch around 100lbs.A – I have put over 150 pounds on my deadlift and over 100 pounds on my squat. I am a competitive golfer. CrossFit has helped because I have to carry my golf bag 6 days a week for 18 holes. I shot 79 last week in a junior qualifier tournament and continue to improve all the time. H – Most of our classmates have no experience lifting weights. We’re more confident in the weight room and it helps our bat/club speeds in baseball and golf.
M – I think the entire gym knows how much I hate that Echo bike. PERIOD. My favorite workouts are long and grindy, with pull-ups, handstand pushups, toes to bar, and a somewhat heavy barbell. D – I like a workout with running. I’m very good at weighted pull-ups, probably due to the fact that prior to CrossFit, the lat pulldown machine was one of the few things I knew how to use in the weight room. My least favorite exercise is the squat snatch, as it not only allows me to show off my below average mobility, but also my shaky rotator cuff when it comes to locking out overhead.A – I can’t do any of the gymnastics yet like pull-ups, toes-to-bar, handstand pushups. I like to deadlift and squat.H – My favorite work-out is bench press. My least favorite is box jumps.
M – I love real estate, buying and selling properties. We’re currently in the process of tearing down our home and building a new one. We also spend a lot of time in Vail. We love all seasons there because we can hike, ski, and enjoy the outdoors.D – I love this quote and it has defined in many ways how I live my professional life: “In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.” Instead of competing against the best and the brightest, I always try to find some niche or angle that doesn’t attract that many smart or talented people to begin with.
M – Right now, I just want to continue improving, while staying healthy and injury free. I can’t wait to rock the 2020 Open for Masters in October.D – At one point, I wanted to do a ring muscle-up, but honestly now I want to stay healthy and continue getting stronger.A – I want to break 70 before high school golf starts in August.H – I would like to play Varsity football and baseball at Chaparral High School.Colt (8 years old) – I’m an athlete too and can’t wait to get in the gym with my brothers.
