Athlete of the Month

Congratulations Shawna

Hometown: New Tripoli, PA (Lehigh Valley)

Current Location: Douglassville, PA

Age: 31

Occupation: Pharmaceutical Project Manager, R&D College: Arcadia University

How long have you been a CrossFitter? I started CrossFit in June 2013, so just over a year now.

Did you ever play sports? I did - I played softball from 5th through 12th growing up. I enjoy playing most sports, but would much rather play for fun than competition.

Got some cool (or uncool) hobbies you'd like to share? I really enjoy home improvement projects - I renovated my house and finished my basement on my own. I really like the sense of accomplishment when a project is complete.

Other hobbies include shooting pool, kayaking, going to the beach, reading and listening to music. Uncool hobby… I read comic strips every day on my lunch break. I have been following the same strips for years - it's my mid-day stress relief!

What is your biggest achievement at CrossFit? Achieving and maintaining overall health is without a doubt the biggest accomplishment I have made in the past year. I wasn’t fit or well when I started (probably the effect of having a desk job by day and being a grad student by night) and knew I had to make big changes fast, so I decided to kick myself into high gear with CrossFit. I didn’t know much about CrossFit when I started, but fortunately I have come to love it and will continue to do this throughout the rest of my life.

What do you feel that you still need to work on? 1. Be more aggressive! I am told this repeatedly, and I am still working on it… 2. Rope Climbs! The orange strip at the 15-foot mark eludes me, but I will get it!

Goals for the rest of this year? Better, stronger and faster is the goal from here on out. I’ve learned a lot of technique, and now is the time to perfect and fine-tune.

What's your favorite WOD? I like chippers. They are grueling, but I always know that I got a really good workout in when we do them. I like the skin-burning-from-the-inside feeling after those kinds of workouts.

How about your favorite food/snacks? Avocado! Every day! I also love seafood, wine, and anything with lemon or lime.

What is the craziest workout outside of CF you have ever done? My friends and I used to wake up at 6am on Sundays and workout outside with a trainer for a mix of martial arts, yoga and cardio. I also used to run the Susan G. Komen 5K annually, and took spin classes for several years.

What’s your least favorite WOD? Anything involving running! I would rather burpee than run!

Favorite lift/movement? Cleans. What’s your least favorite lift/movement? Running… although I can now run a mile faster than I could in High School, so even though I dread it, I feel pretty good knowing I am making progress!

What skill have you been working on in 2014 the most? Clean and Jerks. Triple digits are coming soon!

Who is your favorite coach? Of course I sincerely enjoy and appreciate all of the coaching staff at CFKoP, but my favorite coach is Keith. He has been my coach probably 90% of the time and much of the transformation I have made in myself has been with his guidance and support. I think I would be remiss not to thank Aimee and Jason for envisioning and dedicating themselves to making CFKoP the amazing place that it is – my life would be very different today if CFKoP did not exist and I am grateful to be a part of it.

PR's to mention? Goals Reached? Nutrition highlights?.. I always set small goals for myself, and then work on getting them before going on to the next thing. I practiced toes-to-bar, stabilizing on the rings, handstands, and kipping pull-ups for weeks before I finally started to get them. Small steps have led to big changes overall, and I am excited to see what will be accomplished next! Nutrition-wise, I took Aimee’s guidance of The Zone Diet to heart and I try to get protein, carbs and fat in nearly all of my meals. It isn’t balanced perfectly, but I put in the effort to eat healthy. Cheat days are Fridays and normally that means Chinese take-out and wine.

"I would like to thank all of the coaches for nominating me and pushing me to the best of my abilities. Your talent and dedication does not go unnoticed. I am so thankful that my path has crossed with the team and community at CFKoP. Thank you so much for all that you do!"