JUNE 2013

Name:

How does one woman's idea become a community of over 70,000 individuals? 

Passion. Passion is power.

I "met" Megan the same way that many people (76,101 people to be exact) have met her - through her Facebook Page, Women of CrossFit = Strong.  Megan's fan base is a testament to her genuine passion for the sport and her ability to encourage, and inspire strong women worldwide.  I was curious about the woman behind the page, how she got started, and where she plans on going.

Although Megan has told me that she does not see herself as anyone "special" in the CrossFit world, I have to disagree.  Not only has she created a motivational online community, she is also quite the athlete herself.  She is a new mom (mother to 9 month old Liam) and just competed in the South Central CrossFit Regional in the team division. In my opinion, she is not just someone special in the "CrossFit world", she's someone special in the world. Period.

I am very excited to share this interview.  I hope that you will visit Women of CrossFit = Strong and become involved in the amazing community that Megan has created. Enjoy!

1. What inspired you to start Women of CrossFit = Strong?

I was inspired to start this page, because I went searching for a page to talk about CF! I knew there had to be one, since back then it was getting big and lots of people were talking about it, but on the search on FB, I came up with nothing. I thought, how hard could it possibly be to start one, and just share inspirational posts, and just get to talk about it with other people. Since my friends on my personal page were annoyed with me talking about it ha ha, I knew other women out there were getting that same response!

2. Did you have any idea how popular it would become when you first started?

I try and post ever hour! I have an amazing helper, Shannon Dearing who helps me, answer questions, answer emails and shares some amazing inspirational posts. The awesome thing about it, she lives in Idaho, I live in Louisiana, and we have NEVER met in person. She found my personal page, and I instantly saw her motivation and inspiration was EXACTLY how I felt and asked her if she would be interested in helping me. She started helping me when the page was at about 2,000 fans I believe. This page would NOT be what it is without her posts, her advice to all the ladies and especially her encouragement to them all!

4. There are many CrossFit/Fitness related pages out there, what makes "Women of CrossFit = Strong" unique?

What is so very unique about "Women of CrossFit= Strong" is the fact that we celebrate EVERY single woman who takes on CrossFit in their lives. Don't get me wrong we love the "Elite" women of this sport, but they get enough publicity from CFHQ and vendors and many others, what we do here is celebrate EVERYONE who CF's! We share their stories of success, their pictures of there accomplishments and celebrate with them of there goals also!  We believe in supporting each other and giving them a safe place from negativity and ridicule. Since we don't allow a negative post on the page, women feel "safe" here to come and share things they would never be able to share anywhere else! After all CF is about lifting each other up, never tearing them down!!

5. What are some of the most surprising things you have learned about CrossFit women through this page?

I find myself being inspired with every single women's story! When I get the emails that start of as "This is my story and it is something that has been bottled up inside and scared to share with the world, but from your page, I have found a strength I never knew I had, and feel safe in turning this story over to you to share, because I hope it to inspire others"

The plan for the page isn't changing. WE hope to get more women to "like" the page and share it, and know that what we have built is a safe place for them! We will always be here to motivate, inspire everyone who so chooses to be inspired, but either motivational posters with messages, or the TRUE REAL LIFE stories of the fans of this page!

8. Is there anything you would like the readers of this interview to know about your page?

I am always stating that this page is not about me, nor do I ever wanna become "famous" for creating it. I simply want the ladies to know that I built this page for THEM! It is there page to come and share whatever they so choose and know that they will always get and receive a positive message from us and all the other fans of the page! WE as women in society tend to be judgmental on others....well NOT here! Here we are equal, as we all took on this sport, and it is impacting our lives in different ways!

As our Fashlete of the Month, Megan is receiving this customized sterling silver necklace from Fashletics®.  The charm is engraved with a word that commemorates her personal journey and the powerful impact that she has made with Women of CrossFit = Strong. We chose the word PASSION for Megan because it became clear after her interview that this is the driving force behind all of the things that make her such a remarkable woman.

PASSION, and more importantly acting on that passion, is exactly what makes Megan a perfect Fashlete - she understands the connection between physical fitness and living life to its fullest.  She is an outstanding woman and leader in a community.  She is someone who is committed to encouraging positive change inside and outside the gym walls. 

We are very proud to welcome Megan Cannon to the Fashletics family!