Congratulations to our September AOTM

Sarah Grace!

Hometown: Wayne, PA (outer part…not on “The Main Line”)

Current Location: Wayne, PA

Age: 18

Occupation:  Sales Associate at Forever 21, occasional food runner, caterer, hostess, dishwasher, and dog/house/baby sitter.

College: I am currently in high school and college. I go to Central Montco Technical High School where I study Public Safety. Which is Firefighting, Law Enforcement and Emergency Medicine. I am currently a certified Emergency Medical Responder (yet I unfortunately/fortunately have never had to use my training).

I was given the opportunity to be able to dual enroll and use college credits to finish my 3 credits of high school. This way I can start to get a degree in Psychology early. I also am thinking about double majoring in Spanish and or Criminology. At some point in my life, I’ll get a degree in Spanish. Since it is one of the most popular languages and used daily in law enforcement.

How long have you been a CrossFitter? I am a crossfitter by some weird form of destiny. I taught martial arts for 2 years and when my studio closed that I was training and teaching at. I needed someone to occupy my time with. I passed by CF KOP everyday and was always interested by couldn’t do Crossfit and Martial Arts. I had to pick one of them. Now I have been crossfitting for roughly a year and a half, yet I feel like I just started crossfit because my body just caught up with my brain and now can do most of the movements. Where when I started I could not do anything without my back rounding or you know needing every form of scaling possible.
Got some cool (or uncool) hobbies you'd like to share?

Does squat therapy count?  I asked my family this question and they all said “crossfit” so, apparently to them that is all I do. My best friend simply said, “You squat stuff”

Napping and Netflix are my number one hobbies. I really enjoying traveling but I don’t do that often, so I am not sure if that counts. I paint stuff; to me it is the easiest way to express feeling. I don’t paint like legit stuff, usually is some excerpt from a book or some speech. I typically give all of my painting away because I like making people presents. So if any of my friends needs a gift for someone they ask me to make it for them. I enjoy photography but I’m not as good as Ryan Samson or Aimee.
What is your biggest achievement at CrossFit?

Anything that has to do with squats really. Getting a 3 RM 100 pound backsquat on being up for 37 hours straight and in the same week getting a 100-pound PR on Sumo Deadlifts. I went from Sumo Deadlifitng 45 pounds to being able to do a 2 RM of 145.

I think one of the best is during The Open. I was away for school the second week Monday-Thursday, the second week Wednesday to Friday, the third week Wednesday-Thursday. So I was always coming or going from town. During the five weeks of the open the only time I was at the box was went I was completing the open workouts. (I even got an one of the “hey we haven’t seen you in a while” emails) In those five weeks, I was sick for three of them because of always being on the go. During 15.5 I had a fever and strep throat. I don’t think I have ever wanted to quit a workout more. It took me 25 minutes when it took the average CrossFitter around 15.

I think sticking with that workout when everyone was telling me that it was ok If I quit was huge because I realllllyyy wanted to stop.
What do you feel that you still need to work on?

In short: Everything. Mostly Olympic lifting and Running. Unfortunately, I am never able to make it to Timmy P’s Endurance classes because I have Law Enforcement training with the Norristown and Plymouth Police Departments at the same time. 
Goals for the rest of this year?

10 consecutive double unders

Run 800m in fewer than 4 minutes

Run 400m in fewer than 2 minutes

Run a mile in under 8 minutes (9:00 even was the pre knee injury post injury was 10:00 even)

Clean and Jerk 100 pounds (current PR is 90)

Front squat 100 pounds (current PR is 85 pounds)

What's your favorite WOD?
Any Hero WOD, I think that people don’t fully and truly understand what the people who foreign or domestically protecting our country goes through daily or what their families go through.
How about your favorite food/snacks?

Pre-Zone Challenge

Pretty much any form of dessert and chicken parm

Pro-Zone Challenge

Chicken and rice…and still ice cream because who doesn’t like that? |
What is the craziest workout outside of CF you have ever done?

Field Hockey Pre-season or field hockey in general.
What’s your least favorite WOD?
Anything with running because when I played field hockey in 3^rd-7^th grade I could run and I really enjoyed it. I was told that I should run track (in reality my aunt (who was my coach) was yelling at me to run faster.) Also I weighted much less then I do now but with a knee injury from field hockey I have come to not like running since it causes my knee to hurt.

Also anything with wall balls because after doing two-fer wall balls. I totally forgot how to do wall balls, so #keithie had to re-teach me. I felt so bad.
Favorite lift/movement?

Clean and Jerk

What’s your least favorite lift/movement?

Deadlifts, my form is still real shitty.
What skill have you planned to work on in 2015 the most?

SQUATS

What’s your favorite piece of workout "gear"?

I don’t really have any “gear” but I do have bandanas and chalk

What you say is your biggest improvement since starting CF?

Overall I think it has definitely increased my self-confidence. Again with the whole squatting thing, I think that has been my biggest improvement along with the newfound ability to engage my core and back when doing OLY lifts.

Who is your favorite coach?

I would love to say that this was a difficult decision because you all are so wonderful. I love Aimee and Jason and am so thankful for amazing community that you have made but I have to stay true to my day one coach Giulia. Giuls has been so great in helping me work on my weaknesses especially in my first year of crossfit. She’s been great at motivating me during any WOD. She’s an all-around fun person, so WOD’s and training with her is always great

Thanks Giuls  (and all of the other coaches because you are so damn awesome)

PR's to mention? Goals Reached? Nutrition highlights?

PR’s I had a PR week…. About three weeks ago this was also the week that I wasn’t sleeping.

Sumo Deadlift 2 RM 145

Backsquat 3 RM 100

Nutritionally: I completed the zone challenge and now I can’t eat pasta or really any grained/sugar without feeling sick and getting a headache. Thanks Zone.

Goals reached: a Backsquating 100 pound was a big goal of mine because my squats were so bad. Currently…. and hopefully this stays. I do not need a box, ball, stick or something to help with my squats. I have been using a parralette for squat therapy.