Where were you in your fitness journey before BCF and where are you now?
When I joined BCF, I had just moved to Portland, and had taken a few months off from CrossFit. Lucky for me, Drew was a coach at my old gym in Eugene so I had an easy decision to come check out BCF. Before I moved here, I had been doing CrossFit for a couple of years and was really looking forward to getting back to it. In the year that I’ve been at BCF, I have grown so much! I have gotten stronger, faster and overall more fit than I could have ever imagined.
What were your goals when you started and have you achieved any of them?
Originally, I tried out CrossFit as a way to lose weight. What I didn’t know is the amount of strength I had in me! Once I was a few months in, my goals started shifting dramatically. I’ve definitely lost weight, especially the past couple of months, but I now try to focus more on performance based goals. Currently, I’m working on nailing my pull-ups- it’s been a struggle but I’m so close!
What about BCF makes you keep coming back?
First and foremost the coaches. I’ve learned so much from each and every one of the coaches and I feel like I’ve gotten to know almost all of our coaches well enough that I can trust them and know when to ask for help or advice or anything. I feel so lucky to have had coaching from such quality people!
What is your favorite part of being a member at BCF?
The community! I usually go to the 6:45pm class so I definitely have a different view of the ‘community’ aspect but honestly, I feel like I could show up to any class and have a couple of friends. Everyone has been so open to new faces and super supportive! I love being able to have so much fun while training.
When/what was your “ah ha!” moment?
Since I started CrossFit almost three years ago, I’ve definitely had a few “ah ha” moments. I remember the first time I went for a 1 rep max deadlift and I was blown away by how much I was able to lift! I think that was my first major “wow I can really do this” moment. More recently, I’ve been working with the coaches at Working Against Gravity to help improve my nutrition and that has helped me in more ways than I can even express. I’ve become more focused on my goals and feel better about myself than I have in years!
Does anyone the gym (member or trainer) inspire you and why?
As cheesy as it may sound, I’m inspired by everyone at the gym every day. I love CrossFit because people from all walks of life are able to come in and train together and learn from one another. If I had to pick a few people, (I can’t narrow it down to just one) I want to give a shout-out to Colleen, Kindra and Kayt. The three of them train so hard each and every day and it’s incredible to watch. I can only hope that I’ll be half the athlete they are one day!
– Katelin