CFDC U Street Member Spotlight December 2022: David Ben-Ami and Sara Tilley

How long have you been doing CrossFit and how long have you been at CrossFit DC?

Dave: About 3 years – I started in late 2019 right before the pandemic!

Sara: A little over 2 years! I started in August 2020 (burpees in a mask was extra painful)

What do you do when you’re not crushing workouts at the gym? 

We’re currently planning our wedding (May!), which has been a lot of fun.  We also love hanging out with our friends in DC, going to sports games (you can catch us at most of the Caps home games), playing out with our dog, Maisey, and binge-watching Netflix.  We also binge watch Netflix on occasion, but only when we’re not busy binge-watching Netflix.  Dave is an artist/author spending most of his time talking to himself like a crazy person, and Sara is a consultant currently helping NOAA with their corporate culture!

What is a goal you’re currently working towards (in the gym or beyond)?

Dave: Muscle ups would be awesome, but sometimes you have to stay realistic :).  I’d love to be able to clean 225!

Sara: Currently trying to stay sane planning our wedding (lol help)

Favorite and least favorite CrossFit movements/workouts?

Dave: Whoever invented thrusters was a horrible horrible person, but we absolutely love cleans and pull ups.

Sara: Snatches! My brain and body refuse to work together any time I attempt to snatch. Honorable mention: assault bike which is self explanatory.

What is one coaching cue/tip that has helped you recently?

Dave: Keeping my hands from straying behind my body during double-unders has helped me put together sets of 20-30 (and I didn’t get my first double until about 10 months ago!).

Sara: The simple tip of keeping my chest up on cleans since I always tend to catch it too far forward

What is something you wish you knew about CrossFit when you first started?

Dave: That I would have an unbeatable compulsion to talk about it 7 days a week

Sara: how incredibly welcoming the community is