7.01.2020

Athlete of the Month: Karen Mastrocola




Get to Know Karen M... Q & A:

Hometown: Plymouth Meeting, Pa

Current Location: King of Prussia

Age: 57 but still think I am in my 20's

Occupation: Controller at Mastrocola Trucking, Inc.

How long have you been a CrossFitter? It will be 6 years in October. Wow! I can't believe it myself and it may be hard to believe based upon some of my skills or lack of. lol Still a work in progress. 

Did you ever play sports? I did :) I swam for Mermaid Lake during my grade school years. Played basketball and Volleyball at Plymouth Jr High School. In my early 20's I did some weight lifting and also enjoyed skiing.

Got some cool (or uncool) hobbies you'd like to share? I LOVE CrossFit!!! lol

What has been your biggest achievement at CrossFit in general? Starting to CrossFit at the age of 51 and sticking to it is my biggest achievement. I was very proud when I was able to climb a rope (without fear of falling) and string pull ups.

What skill(s) had you been working on all during 2019, and did (it) they become a success and are still part of your 2020 goals? I would really like to get handstand push-ups. A 2020 goal is to get my shrug down and stop muscling everything up.

What's your favorite WOD? Any body weight movement WOD and AMRAP's. I love kettlebells and rope climbs. I honestly have no favorite.

How about your favorite food/snacks? Anything mint chocolate. Triple chocolate malt balls and Ruffles Sour Cream and Cheddar chips. Those chips are a major downfall of mine. It is my car snack.

What’s your least favorite WOD? Pretty much despise them all (chuckle). It is a love hate/thing. 

Favorite lift/movement? Deadlifts all the way

What’s your least favorite lift/movement? Overhead squats above 55#'s !!!

Whats your favorite piece of workout "gear"? Headband to catch my sweat lol, hand grips and my newest necessary addition are my hot pink knee sleeves

What would you say is your biggest improvement since starting CF? I must say my eating habits have changed. I never realized how much what I put into my body affected how I felt. Crossfit has also had an incredible impact on my mental health.

Who is your favorite coach? I can't say enough about the coaches. They are all great and each bring something unique to their class. It is so awesome the way you all get as excited, if not more excited, as we do when we nail a movement. Most days I don't know where I would be without it. You could be having the worst day and you come in and between seeing everyone's smiling faces and the encouragement you get from every one of the coaches it lightens your mood. If you didn't believe in yourself before you walked through that door you do when you leave. Aimee, is who I spend most of my time with. She is like the Mama bear, she makes you want to be better than you were, and you want her to be proud. Stephanie has always been so encouraging, knowledgeable and very observant in so many ways and has helped me overcome my struggles. Jenna, it has been so interesting watching you grow and change over these years and create your own style of coaching and help me with technique. Thank you to all of the coaches!! You all have made me want to come back day after day to your positive smiling faces no matter how scared I may have been that today was going to be the day, that THIS WOD was going to be the one that killed me.

PR's to mention? Goals Reached? Nutrition highlights?.. No longer eat dairy (thank you Dr. Turner, still hate you) except for my chocolate fix here and there. Did you ever think about how many appetizers there are at a party that DON'T have dairy in them? Cheese was my most favorite thing lol Goals - I need to do my namesake "Karen". Believe it or not I have only done that WOD 1 time. Aimee, that does not mean you need to program that anytime soon. It's been months since I touched a wall ball.

No comments: