Katy’s accomplishments in the gym prove that hard work, consistency, and coachablilty do pay off in tremendous ways. She may have been intimidated to start but she had turned into a steady presence at 5am. She’s never without a smile and is especially welcoming to our newest members. She is a name coaches like to see on Wodify and one we see often on the leaderboard with a star by her name. We’re glad to celebrate you as our newest Athlete of the Month!
Tell us a little about yourself. Where are you from? What do you do for a living/study? Feel free to add more.
I am originally from Chadron, NE. I came to Lincoln to attend the University of Nebraska and after I graduated from college, I just never left. Lincoln has become my home and I really don’t think I will ever leave. For a living, I own a dog training business…so all day long, every day I get to train dogs! It’s rewarding and challenging and pushes me out of my comfort zone on a daily basis, and I would never want to do anything else!
How did you find out about Lincoln Nutrition & Fitness?
I had previously been at a bootcamp-style gym and as time went on, I grew more and more interested in the idea of CrossFit. I was REALLY looking for programming where I could gain strength and CrossFitters always looked so strong to me. But as interested as I was, I was equally intimidated by it. I started googling places in Lincoln that offered CrossFit programming and CFL came up. I initially met with Emily in late 2022 and I loved everything about the gym, but I remained intimidated by the idea of CrossFit that I didn’t initially join.
I just kept doing the bootcamp thing and watching CFL’s FaceBook page. I wanted to do it so bad, but I had many friends in the fitness community and so many of them said things like “you will get hurt.” But my interest and fascination with CrossFit continued to grow and I just kept quietly watching what was happening at CFL through social media. Finally in the fall of 2023, I decided I was joining…it was time. I scheduled another meeting with Emily and started attending class that very next morning.
What was the biggest obstacle for you to start as an athlete here?
My biggest obstacle with joining was HOW intimidated I was by the idea of CrossFit. But I knew that I just would never be satisfied unless I at least tried it. And about 10 minutes into my first class, I just knew I was exactly where I wanted to be.
Do you remember your first workout as an athlete here?
I absolutely remember my first class. It was with Coach Derek and it was a day of deadlifting. I had previously only ever used a Smith Machine and I had never touched a barbell in my life. I had absolutely no idea what I was supposed to do or how much weight to put on the bar.
Coach Derek helped my figure out a reasonable amount of weight to lift and I had the best time ever. And I remember him asking me about my nutrition that day. I will never forget what he said to me….he said “Eat for performance, not for esthetics.” That was some of the best nutrition advice I have ever received.
Who have your coaches been? How have they helped you through your first year of being a CrossFit athlete?
I have primarily attended 5am classes so my main coaches have been Coach Erin, Coach Derek, and Coach Emily. But I have come to classes at other times of the day too so I think I have been coached by just about all the coaches in the gym. They have all been so helpful with everything from scaling to knowing when to encourage me to do more.
Why do you keep coming back to Lincoln Nutrition & Fitness?
I keep coming back to Lincoln Nutrition & Fitness for several reasons: the community is amazing, the workouts are so fun and so challenging, and I just really enjoy everything about this gym.
How do you balance health & fitness with a busy schedule? How do you stay so consistent as an athlete in the gym?
How do I balance health and fitness with a busy schedule….well without prioritizing health and fitness, there is no balance in my life. There was a time when I wasn’t very healthy. I was significantly overweight and was having issues with my heart doing some weird things (like racing out of control). There never was a medical diagnosis made for why that was happening, but I realized that if I didn’t take control of my mental and physical health, things probably weren’t going to go very well for me as I got older. So I have chosen to prioritize nutrition and being physically active and ultimately have fallen in love with both. And CrossFit has been one of the most fun things I have ever done in my entire life.
How does CrossFit help you with your job? How does CrossFit affect the rest of your life?
I deal with strong and powerful dogs all day long. Many of those dogs are exhibiting behaviors that pose a threat to people and other animals. I have to keep myself in good physical shape in order to continue safely being able to work with these amazing creatures all day long. Plus I enjoy owning powerful breeds of dogs and I want to keep doing that as long as physically possible.
What is your favorite thing about Lincoln Nutrition & Fitness: Home of CrossFit Lincoln?
My favorite thing about CFL is the community. I have had so much fun at CFL and made some really good friends along the way!
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