Member Spotlight Triple Feature: Emily, Morgan and Allison

Emily H.

How long have you been doing CrossFit (and what inspired you to begin)? 

I started CrossFit in 2012 when I was about 12 years old, and it was my dad that originally got me into it. I am from Boston (Southie to be exact), but I went to middle and high school at a public school in the same suburb of Boston where my dad worked as a teacher. My dad’s colleague owns a CrossFit gym with her husband, so after school each day my dad would go to the 4:30 class and I’d be sitting on the side watching, waiting to drive home. After a few weeks of observing I thought, “why not join in with the adults?” Truthfully, it was mainly out of boredom that I did my first CrossFit workout, but pretty soon I was hooked. 

How long have you been at CFDC? Why did you chose CFDC?

I did CrossFit all through high school and loved it, so knew that when I went to college I had to find a box close to my dorm. Last June when I came to accepted students day at GW I made sure to drop I at a few gyms in the area. Out of all the ones I tried, CFDC was my favorite; the location was convenient, but more importantly I loved the sense of community and welcoming atmosphere.When I started school in August of last year, I joined right away. 

Favorite and least favorite CrossFit movements?

For my least favorite movement, I’m definitely going to have to choose wall balls. I even like thrusters more than wall balls (which a lot of people disagree with me on)… I’m not sure what it is, but I think it’s something to do with the fact that you can at least somewhat pace thrusters, but wall balls are only one speed. As for my favorite CrossFit movement, I’d have to say its a tie between handstand pushup and double unders. I love all the gymnastics movements in CrossFit, so handstand pushups are a favorite of mine. But way back when I tarted  doing CrossFit when I was 12, double unders were one of the first skills I caught onto and ever since then I’ve really liked them. (It must have been all that jump rope practice during recess.)

• 

What do you do when you aren’t flinging heavy weights around the gym?

I’m currently in the middle of my sophomore year at GW, so I spend a lot of time studying and going to class. But when I’m not doing school stuff I love to go to the DC museums and find new restaurants with my friends.  

Tell us about a goal you’re working toward (in the gym or beyond).

My biggest goal right now is to graduate from GW in 2022 from the School or Public Health!

What do you know now about CrossFit that you wish you knew when you started? One thing I wish I did more when I first started CrossFit was to write down what my PRs were and what my times were for benchmark workouts. I recorded a few workouts and lifts in an app on my phone or in a notebook, but I wish I did it a little more. It’s always fun to look back at my scores from so long ago and see the vast improvement. 

Who inspires you (in the gym or beyond)? Back when I first started CrossFit, my favorite CrossFit athlete was Annie Thorisdottir. I remember a few years ago that she was featured in an article in Vogue magazine, and her message to young women really spoke to me.  She encouraged girls to focus on what their bodies can do rather than what they look like. I started CrossFit right at the age where people start to struggle with body image, and I’d be lying if I said that Crossfit and body image was never something I struggled with as a teenager. But Annie’s works ring true to me. And after going through middle school, high school and now as I’m in college, I’ve slowly gained confidence over the years and began to love how I can be both strong and feminine. I think it’s very important for professional female CrossFit athletes to spread these positive messages to young women, and it inspires me to do the same to the teenagers I see starting CrossFit for the first time.

Tell us something that might surprise most people at the gym. Right now I’m a sophomore in college (I’m 19), and it always surprises a lot of people when I tell them I was born in the year 2000. But also, I’m planning to minor in Chinese at GW, so I speak some Mandarin! I also know a little bit of ASL but would love to learn more.

Tell us about one coaching cue that has helped you? One cue that I’ve always liked for bar muscle ups is to think of them as a toes-to-bar not as a chest-to-bar. Do a really big toes-to-bar pushing down on the bar and then the biggest sit-up of your life. 

Morgan M.

How long have you been doing CrossFit and what inspired you to begin? How long
have you been at CFDC? Why did you choose CFDC?

I first tried CrossFit when I was living in San Antonio, TX in 2010. I was lucky
enough to get a Groupon (remember those?) and went for a few months
before moving to the east coast. It took me a while to get back into it, but
eventually in 2015, I had just returned from Afghanistan and was living in
Shaw and thought, it’s time to go back. I dropped in to several gyms, but
CFDC was “the one”. Not only had I met Coach Steve at another gym where I
was a [flakey] member, but the crew was so welcoming and the WOD was
awesome (jk, it sucked). And now 4 years later, I’m still a member and on my
way to becoming a coach!

Favorite movement:

All things gymnastics! I love HSPU, pull-ups, muscle ups (work
in progress) and anything that works the core. Don’t mind jerks either!

Least favorite movement:

For a long time it was thrusters, then it was wall balls
(basically the same thing) and now it’s the assault bike. Ironically, I own one. Ask Coach Preston or Huckleberry about it.

What do you do when you aren’t flinging heavy weights around the gym?

I just graduated with my Masters and am a Nurse Practitioner at Washington
Hospital Center. It’s new and challenging with much better work hours! I’m
also a co-founder of a book club that has been going strong for almost 4 years
now. And I’m learning Spanish on the side! Habla español conmigo por favor!

Tell us about a goal you’re working toward (in the gym or beyond).

In the gym, I am working towards handstand walks. Can’t say I’m super
consistent with it, but a goal’s a goal! I’m also working towards becoming a
FANTASTIC coach for CFDC!

Outside of the gym, I’m constantly working towards balance. I like to be busy,
but it’s also necessary in life to slow down. The struggle is real.

What do you know about CrossFit that you wish you knew when you started?

I wish I had stuck with CrossFit back in 2010. What was I thinking? It was so
fun and challenging and a great way to meet people. Maybe I’d be walking on
my hands by now!

Who inspires you (in the gym or beyond)?

My friends inspire me! Every one of them is on their own journey and I love
being apart of it. I have found such a good group of friends from all over the
country at CFDC and we all empower each other to be our better selves.

Tell us something that might surprise most people at the gym.

I’m surprised, I haven’t mentioned this yet, but I met my husband at the gym
(like a handful of others). CFDC on 14 th street hosted one of the infamous
happy hours that ended at Stoney’s and Klocko introduced us! Thanks,
buddy. Bill Barnes is a real gem.

Tell us about one coaching cue that has helped you?

There are so many! Coach Tess (miss her) corrected my hang power clean set
up and my mind was blown. I had been doing it wrong for so long. My
shoulders were supposed to be over the bar!!! What?? It felt so unnatural at
first. And then boom, made some gainzzz.

Coach Noor was a HUGE factor in my first ring muscle up. She showed me
different pull-up and ring dip movements. I could barely do a dip hold for
longer than 3 seconds when she started with me. I worked at it for months!
Coach Tom was lucky enough to witness my very first pull-up. Proof that
progress happens when you put in the work.

Coach Steve is the Met Con whisperer. Whenever I think I’ve got nothing left,
he whispers, and I find the energy or the strength to push a littler harder.

Allison M.

How long have you been doing CrossFit (and what inspired you to begin)? How long have you been at CFDC? Why did you chose CFDC?

I’ve been with CFDC the entire time I’ve done CrossFit! I technically first tried CrossFit during the 2015 CrossFit Open, when I jumped in randomly because my friends Sandy and Huldah were doing it. I started actually learning CrossFit and doing it more consistently at the end of 2015. To me, 2016 marks the year I really got hooked and started training.

Favorite and least favorite CrossFit movements?

Hmm… I guess my favorite movements are the oly lifts. And any workout with running. My least favorite is rowing, or ring muscle ups because they are so damn frustrating!

What do you do when you aren’t flinging heavy weights around the gym?

Slogging through grad school, slogging through work, and sleeping. Basically transforming into a grumpy hermit.

Tell us about a goal you’re working toward (in the gym or beyond).

In the gym/fitness realm I’m really 100% focused right now on recovering from a bad knee injury I incurred in the fall of 2018 (not doing CrossFit!). I’ve had 3 knee surgeries since then, the last of which was pretty major. So, I’m just trying to keep my head up and eyes forward to a point in time where I’ll be able to run, lift, squat, jump again. Outside the gym, always just trying to improve myself in terms of patience, acceptance, creativity and leadership.

What do you know now about CrossFit that you wish you knew when you started?

It sounds cliche now, but I definitely grew up thinking weights would make me bulky and I had to just run my little heart out to achieve happiness. CrossFit empowered me in so many ways, not only in terms of body image, but also in terms of creativity and resourcefulness in fitness, and tying overall wellness to what you eat, what daily actions you take, etc. Also, I think it’s important to realize you can make CrossFit whatever you want it to be, and it can fit into your lifestyle in a way you want that to look. Maybe that means getting together with pals at a track, maybe it means carving out a space in that globo gym while on travel, maybe it’s going into the gym solo on an early weekend morning for hours or squeezing in a bodyweight couplet in your living room while your kid naps. I really like that about this philosophy of training.

Who inspires you (in the gym or beyond)?

I’m inspired by people who are eager to just try new things and aren’t embarrassed or self-conscious about it, people who don’t take themselves too seriously and who give others the benefit of the doubt – whether that’s in their careers, the gym, in business, in relationships, whatever. We’re all just human trying to find meaning, fun, and fulfillment in this life. 

Tell us something that might surprise most people at the gym.

Hmm. Maybe that I live in Anacostia (insert barely audible gasp and big inquiring eyes) with my husband and puppy? We really love it. I begrudgingly share the “secret” of the Anacostia River Trail and recommend everyone take a stroll along its banks. It’s absolutely lovely!

Tell us about one coaching cue that has helped you?

“Ribs down!” I def spent my first 2 years in CrossFit leaking energy all over the place because I didn’t really understand how to brace my core to use my glutes or lats, whatever the case may be. Just let my core flip flop around like a fish. Little things like “ribs down” can make such a huge difference when you think about how many chances you have in a 20 minute AMRAP to improve that.