Growing up, I have always been “active” in one way or another. I have been involved in sports since I was 5 years old; softball, basketball, tennis, volleyball, you name it. And when I entered high school, field hockey became my passion. I played sports in college and loved that, too. Actually, my undergraduate degree was Physical Education.
Although I did start teaching PE right after college, I decided to join the military. Anyone who has served can tell you what an amazing experience it is. And yes, throughout the 14 years that I served, I played sports and took many, many physical fitness tests.
Within those years, I also became a field hockey umpire. It was a great way for me to stay involved in the sport that I loved. I started out at the high school level and eventually progressed to the college level umpiring at the D-l, D-ll, and D-lll. After I separated from the service and went back to primarily teaching, my physical fitness regime became mostly running. My mindset was that because umpiring involved running, I only needed to run to maintain my fitness. Needless to say, I was wrong. Although I loved my job and umpiring field hockey, it became evident that it was not enough. I struggled with weight gain and was not happy with my performance on the field hockey pitch.
That’s when it happened. There was a teacher at my school who would always talk about CrossFit. I became intrigued. When a box opened up close to my house, I joined. I still remember that day. I fell in love with this functional fitness workout! I love the challenge of the movements, the constantly varied workout, and yes, the community.
I then came to OCCF and loved it immediately. The coaches, the community, and the workouts! When the opportunity to attend an L1 CrossFit seminar came about, I jumped at it! Even better was that it was offered at the same CrossFit gym that I call home. I then entered a mentor program and am now coaching at OCCF. It became a perfect fit for me. I love our community, the challenges, and our dedication to help all athletes achieve their goals.
