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Home / Fashlete™ of the Month / Tagged: Women's Fitness

Fashlete™ of the Month

Busy Mom Gets Fit

March 2013

Name: Valerie Solomon
Age: 32
Occupation: Stay at Home Mom/part time personal trainer/part time entrepreneur/Creator of Busy Mom Gets Fit

\With four kids and a husband deployed to Afghanistan, Val knew she would need to find a way to keep her mind and body busy.  "One of the hardest things about being an Army wife is to learn to do things to make every day count, even while you are wishing days away during the deployments."

It was a pleasure interviewing Val and finding out how she became the fit and confident woman you see pictured here, how she manages her busy life, and how her family benefits from her commitment to health and fitness.  She has a lot of wisdom to share... enjoy!

You were an athlete as a teenager and athletic as a young adult… how did that change when you started having kids?

I was a competitive swimmer as a teenager.  I had muscle then, but I really did not appreciate it.  I didn’t really want to be different.  I remember being excited that my thighs got really thin a year or so after I stopped swimming and strength training.  Hey, I looked like the magazine girls finally.

In my 20’s, I had 4 children.  For the first 3 pregnancies, I just cut calories and did cardio to lose the baby weight.  It worked, but each year that went by, I lost muscle also.  I was left with a thin, size 2 body, WITH CELLULITE!  Ahh!  Skinny fat. Read More

The CrossFit Games : Whatever It Takes

February 2013

 

 

Name: April Lowe
Age: 37
Occupation: Soak Fitness • CrossFit Coach at Crossfit Hardcore West in Coral Springs, FL • CrossFit Games Team Competitor

April Lowe has been a competitive CrossFit athlete for 3 1/2 years.  In 2011 she and her team, CrossFit Hardcore, qualified for the CrossFit Games and placed 10th.  Since then, April has been on mission to qualify for the Games as an individual.  After placing 8th at the South East Regional last year, April is just as determined as ever to make it to the Games.  I wanted to know more about April's evolution as an athlete and how she plans on attacking the 2013 season.  The following interview touches on a variety of components of her preparation physically, mentally, and spiritually.

 

What type of athletics were you involved with prior to Crossfit?

In high school I played volleyball year round and then I went on to play Division I volleyball for Florida Atlantic University.

What led you to CrossFit and how did you decide that this was the sport for you?
I had a friend who had been trying to get me to try Crossfit but I wasn't interested-  I didn't want to suffer, I had never tried most of the stuff I saw the athletes doing on videos and I didn't want to get bulky!  Haha.  About 6 months after first hearing about Crossfit I was at a point in my life where I was depressed and feeling a little lost so I decided to try it.  Never could I ever have imagined what Crossfit would do for me, it has changed my life in every way possible.
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I Choose Strength

January 2013

Name: Courtney Norman
Age: 25
Occupation: Media Buy Coordinator & Executive Assistant of a Natural Health Publishing Company, Blogger - Journey of a Dreamer

Many people make resolutions to "get fit", but don't really know where to start.  Weight plates and pull up bars are intimidating and everyone in the room looks more experienced.  I decided to share Courtney's story because when it comes to getting fit, so many people share her insecurities and inhibitions.  If you have ever been terrified of a workout, if you have every looked at someone else in the gym and thought "I can't do that", if you have ever wanted more from yourself... you will love this blog and you will love Courtney.  

One of our goals with Fashlete of the Month is to remind "fitness newbies" that they are not alone!  Take it from Courtney... leave your self doubt at the door, face your fears, and change your life.  CHOOSE STRENGTH.  Without further ado, I give you Courtney Norman....

I still remember the day I first walked into CrossFit O’Fallon. It was buzzing with some kind of energy I couldn’t explain. People laughing and joking while going through their “warm up” (which I thought should be considered it’s own workout!) and they all looked like they were having fun. As I looked around the place seemed so foreign. Rowers were the only “machines” found in the small industrial space. “Learn to never quit” was the quote plastered on the wall, conveniently placed right above the pull up station. I remember being terrified that I wasn’t going to be able to do it. I thought I wouldn’t be strong enough, fast enough, or good enough. It wasn’t long before I was making a list of things that I would never be able to do. I spotted the wooden boxes scattered throughout the room. They jump on to those? No way I’m getting this chunky butt to do that. Pull ups? Even with those crazy bands I’d never be able to. Forget about that tumbling mat against the wall, there was no way I was getting into a handstand. As I watched the normal class start adding weight to their barbells I thought there is no way… I’m just not strong enough. The first time I picked up one of the 35lb bars I didn’t think I’d even get used to using that. Adding on those intimidating bumper plates was out of the question. I just wasn’t strong enough. I have always been the chunky, out of shape girl… even after training for a marathon. Why would this be any different?

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Fierce Forward

July 2012

Name: Ashley Johns
Age: 30
Occupation: Creator and Owner of Fierce Forward, Online Consultant & Mentor, Personal Trainer 

Meet Ashley Johns, a compassionate, driven, and motivated mentor and personal trainer who has dedicated her life to helping others transform their lives through her website, Fierce Forward. Fierce Forward is Ashley's personal mantra, an attitude, and a lifestyle inspired by her own journey and transformation.

Before “The Fierce”

Part of what makes Ashley so good at what she does is the fact that she was her own first “project”.  She wasn’t always the fresh face, fierce body that you see pictured here.  Just three years ago while working as a Personal Banker, Ashley was experiencing daily anxiety attacks, turning to food for comfort, and letting an important relationship fall apart.

“After enough time, I was very unhappy in not only my job but the choices I made in response to my environment.  I ate to be happy and to escape and I began turning into a girl I not only didn’t recognize, but didn’t know anymore.  I was in a dark, deep hole.” 

Turning Point

On New Years Day Ashley reflected on the previous night’s events.  Everything about the night reminded her of how much she had let herself go.  Ringing in the New Year has a way of doing this to us.  Often we find ourselves thinking about how far we have come, or conversely, how glad we are to have the opportunity for a fresh start.  Ashley’s fresh start was on the horizon but first she had to confront the stranger in the mirror and let her know it was time for change.

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I Am Enough

May 2012

Name: Melissa Guitron
Age: 25
Occupation: Coach at CrossFit San Mateo - Certified in: Level 1 CrossFit, CF Gymnastics, CF Football, CF Kids and Mobility

You know what you know and you don’t know what do you don’t know. Four years ago if you asked me to define beauty, I probably would have told you it involved weighing 120 pounds, wearing a size four and looking “lean and toned.”  Today, though I wear a size 4, I am proud to weigh a strong 150 pounds.  Before Crossfit I simply did not know.  In a world that tells us who we are is not enough, not thin enough, not pretty enough, not tan enough, not strong enough, it is hard to believe that you are enough.

When did strong become the new skinny?

I discovered CrossFit three years ago through my ex-husband.  When he returned from his deployment to Afghanistan he introduced me to CrossFit and a completely new world of, you are not enough.  While CrossFit motivates most people to want to better for themselves, I embraced CrossFit to make my husband happy.  For 12 months I had spent hours on the elliptical, counting calories and skipping meals, starving myself in an attempt turn my body into what I thought was desirable.  I thought exposed hip and collar bones was beauty, yet now I find myself envious of girls with muscles and strength because that is what my husband suddenly found attractive.  All my hard work was now, once again, not enough. It was no longer, you are not skinny enough but instead you are not strong enough.  I was now expected to learn to row fast, jump high and clean massive amounts of weight all while wearing booty shorts if I wanted to be enough for him.

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