Tell us a little about yourself. Where are you from? What do you do for a living/study?
I grew up on a small dairy farm outside of Hoskins, NE where I spent most of my time outside covered in dirt. I went to Norfolk Public Highschool, where I competed in tennis, swimming and participated in theater. After high school I attended Wayne State college. Here I earned degrees in marketing, management, and ag business. Once I graduated, I found a position working customer service and magazine distribution for a company here in Lincoln.
How did you find out about Lincoln Nutrition & Fitness?
I found LNF after moving to Lincoln in May of 2019. I had just graduated and was starting my new job. During college I drank the CrossFit Kool-Aid and was really hoping to join an affiliate since Wayne didn’t have one locally. I found LNF online and was ready to give it a shot!
What was the biggest obstacle for you to start?
For me the largest hurdle was the financial aspect. As a college student I was always broke and didn’t know the slightest about creating a budget every month, even with a fulltime job.
How did you overcome that obstacle?
I established a base line budget with the CrossFit membership as a fixed cost included every month and worked backwards from there. Once I sorted the X’s and O’s and realized how I was actually able to eliminate costs in my day-to-day life that were not helping me reach my goals, I knew I could join.
Do you remember your first workout?
My first workout at LNF was during my introduction session. The workout had burpees, air squats, and ab mat sit ups. On the surface it didn’t look terrible, but I had no sense of pacing or how to break up a workout. Naturally I went full send and burned out quick.
Who was your coach, how did they help you push through it?
At the time I was working with coach Collin. Other than words of encouragement, the advice that stuck the most was simple: “Keep breathing”.
Why do you keep coming back to Lincoln Nutrition & Fitness?
I got into CrossFit because I loved the sport side of it. I enjoyed watching the games and following the athletes competing. However, after joining the gym, it didn’t take long for me to realize the community, the people, the coaches, that’s why I’d keep coming back day after day. It’s easy to get caught up in workouts and lose sight of what’s really happening. Everyday I get to surround myself with people from all walks of life that have a maniacal goal to be better through fitness. Not everyone has the opportunity in life, so I’m not going to waste mine.
How do you balance health & fitness with a busy schedule?
My first step was recognizing how important getting that daily workout is to me. Life’s crazy, each day is a new challenge so establishing a commitment to showing up everyday to class and doing the work had to be something I understood was necessary to stay healthy and fit.
How does CrossFit help you with your job?
CrossFit slowly opened my eyes to a large amount of small daily habits that I was pretty terrible at. Things such as posture, water consumption, consistent sleep all come to mind as habits I’ve worked on because of CrossFit and have translated to my job.
What is your favorite thing about Lincoln Nutrition & Fitness?
My favorite thing would definitely be the community. Most days when I get off of work the last thing I want to do is work out or be social. I’d rather go home and go to bed. Those thoughts always disappear as soon as I get to the gym and get to interact with other members and coaches. It’s the highlight of my day.