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Laura Werneke – January 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 grew up in Manhattan, KS. I spent nearly every weekend of my childhood on the road playing in
tournaments for whatever sport was in season. I graduated from Kansas State University with a degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management and Business Administration. After graduating I spent 5 years in Boston, MA and 2 years in Tampa, FL before my husband was offered a position in Lincoln in Fall 2017 and we moved. I currently work at Norland International/ABE Beverage Equipment in the accounting department.


How did you find out about Lincoln Nutrition & Fitness?
I was interested in CrossFit because of the structure. When I Googled CrossFit gyms in Lincoln, Lincoln Nutrition & Fitness popped up and it was very close to where I work.


What was the biggest obstacle for you to start?
I was terrified that I couldn’t do it, any of it. And to be totally honest, I couldn’t do most of it when I
started.


How did you overcome that obstacle?
I’ve always been a fairly competitive person. After my first class I realized that wasn’t going to work. I
needed to shift my focus from trying to be the best to just being better than I was the day before.


Do you remember your first workout?
Oof, vaguely. I think it involved 50 wall-balls. I think when it was all said and done, I did 10-15 8# wallballs
and thought I was going to die.


Who was your coach, how did they help you push through it?
Paul, Mark and Emily were my primary coaches when I started. Paul was really good at teaching the
fundamentals, Mark was so positive that he always kept my spirits high and Emily was great at helping
me modify and scale the workouts so I could actually do them.


Why do you keep coming back to Lincoln Nutrition & Fitness?

After 4 years, attending classes at LNF has become part of my life and routine. I enjoy working out with
the group. Even if we don’t all know each other we have similar goals and everyone is very supportive
during the 1 hour a day we are together.


How do you balance health & fitness with a busy schedule?

Since moving to Nebraska I have made fitness a part of my daily routine. I either attend class or play
volleyball most nights of the week.


How does CrossFit help you with your job?
On my worst days it gives me an outlet to lose myself in the workout and burn off some steam. On my
best days it gives me something challenging to look forward to.


What is your favorite thing about Lincoln Nutrition & Fitness?
I like the organization of everything. I like that I can come in for one hour that is completely planned out.
Once here, we are guided through the workouts and receive help and advice that we can build on. I also
like that there is a team mentality. We cheer each other on, we wait until everyone if finished to pack up
and we congratulate and high five/fist bump each other after. I think everyone benefits from that kind
of support.


Please feel free to add more, tell stories and brag about yourself a little bit!

Fun Facts about Laura:

  1. I couldn’t run 400m when I started at LNF and usually had to modify the running workouts.
    During one of my semi-annual check-ins (summer 2020) Paul suggested I start running a 400m
    before class each day. Over time that distance grew up to 1-1.5 miles. Then I started adding
    lunch runs during summer 2021. In 2021 I completed several local running events including the
    Good Life Halfsy. For 2022 I am already signed up for 3 10Ks and am considering doing another
    half marathon.
  2. Walt Disney World is my absolute favorite vacation destination. I did the Disney College Program
    and then stayed on staff and worked the following year at The Contemporary Resort. When I
    lived in Tampa, I was a season pass holder and visited at least once a month, sometimes more.
    January 2022 will be my 22nd vacation to WDW.
  3. My 3 seconds of fame on ESPN: In 1998, after Kansas State beat Nebraska for the first time in 30
    years, the whole crowd rushed the field and tore down the goal post. I was only 15 so I didn’t
    get to help carry it down to Aggieville but I did make it on tv.

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