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Member of the Month - KIM!!!
Kim has been a member at our gym since Fall of 2015, and she has never looked back! Kim is one of the most dedicated and determined people I know, she sets goals for herself and attacks them and never gives up. Even if it’s not always smooth sailing, her motivation keeps her going and she does what she needs to to get things done. When Kim wanted to be able to work out more, she even got us to schedule a Noon Class every day of the week! If you know her and have seen her scores on BTWB you know she loves and crushes gymnastics workouts and is always setting the bar high for herself on what’s possible. She is always cheering and helping her fellow classmates and always comes to support the gym, whether it’s during the Open, coming back at night to cheer on her fellow classmates even though she already did it with her Noon crew, or showing up for our special events, such as Friday Night Lights. Kim is always there for our community and it doesn’t go unnoticed and is appreciated by everyone. We thank you Kim for being such an outstanding member of our gym. Read more below to get to know her!
What is your background in Fitness/sport?
Growing up I danced, played softball and soccer but then was recruited by a family friend to play women’s flag football at 15. I loved it and played for over 25 years. Over the years I had 4 surgeries on my left knee including an ACL reconstruction and a full Meniscus repair.
I only stopped playing football after I tore my ACL a second time on the same knee and my surgeon strongly recommended I no longer step on turf. That is when I found CrossFit. (I was waiting for my surgery when I started CrossFit.)
When did you start CrossFit/At Vic City?
I started at Vic City Sept 2015 looking for something to keep me active and fit after my retirement from football. I had tried the gym thing on my own but with a toddler I would always have an excuse to bail. I needed routine and accountability. I also was very interested in the weight lifting aspects as I felt very soft after having my daughter.
I started two days a week and switched to 3 days after a month and never missed a class no matter how sore I was. I made pretty quick progress getting to use “big girl” plates and getting my first pull-up after a few months and then I was HOOKED.
After almost a year of getting fully obsessed with crossfit I was given my surgery date. It was a hard decision given all the progress I had made and the fact you technically don’t need an ACL but I knew I didn’t want anything to limit my new found love of crossfit. I had set my sights on being able to do every movement and finally being able to lift heavy enough to drop from overhead (ha!)
So I went ahead with the surgery on Nov 1 2016 and because it was my second one on the same knee they had to use the hamstring from my other leg making it a double knee surgery and a harder recovery. I came back to the gym 6 weeks later just before xmas (like I said… fully obsessed) and focused on my upper body and slowly built back my leg strength.
That’s why I think crossfit is so amazing - I was able to still have two swollen knees and the coaches safely modified everything to keep me moving during my recovery. My surgeon was blown away at my mobility and how fast I healed.
Favourite memories in the gym?
April 25 2022 - 11:54am - when I got my first ring muscle up. I had been so close for so long and it happened just like I had dreamed: A few of my noon crew and Coach Tia cheering me on.
I had been getting so close I was actually worried I would get it without her there. I couldn’t have done it without her and would have been crushed if she wasn’t there to see it.
Training for ring muscle ups has been the hardest and most mentally challenging thing I’ve ever done (and that includes parenting, 33hrs of labor and getting double unders).
Most other Gymnastics movements had come fairly easy for me. I got my first bar muscle up after 3 weeks of practice and was able to walk on my hands fairly consistently after a few months. I had been working on ring MUs on and off for over 4 years with no success and it was so mentally defeating. I was told by so many people I had all the strength and skills but I just couldn’t catch the transition. I spent thousands of hours watching videos and doing every drill in the book. There were so many times, after either getting injured (after an open gym Saturday doing attempts for an hour :P) or covid lockdowns or scheduling issues, that I wanted to give up and say “oh well lots of people can’t do them no big deal”.
But I had so many people cheering me on that I just kept at it. So yah April 25 2022 - 11:54am - favourite moment…so far!!!
What is your favourite movement?
Bar Muscle ups and handstand push-ups (strict and kipping)
Least favourite?
Assbike and wallballs
Favourite WOD or type?
Any WOD with lots of Gymnastics. I like heavy STO too but gymnastics are my fav.
What do you enjoy the most about CrossFit?
I love my noon crew – I work from home so I have no people interaction all day long so getting that break and chatting and then ‘dying’ on the floor with my crew is awesome!
My most favourite thing is paying it forward - helping and watching another person get their “first” something. That’s the best!!
Most recent achievement that you are proud of?
See above. Getting my Ring Muscle ups for sure because it was such a long journey and took so much hard work. Mat’s right ….HWPO!
How many CrossFit Open have you done?
I have participated in 7 opens. I didn’t register for one after my knee surgery as I had to modify a lot but I still did the workouts and judged my friends.
What goals are you working towards right now?
My summer goal has been doing a ring muscle up in a WOD. It’s one thing to do a skill with no other movements or a timer, it’s another to do it in a WOD. After that it’s to get ready to possibly compete for the first time next year.
I’ve had the pleasure of coaching Kim both in class and during Personal Training sessions, and to see her progress through the years is awesome to see. She takes feedback and does her homework (sometimes too much of it, aka 1 hour of Muscle-up practice haha) but that just shows her character and that she won’t give up until she achieves it. I love watching her help fellow classmates with their gymnastics as well and encouraging them to push themselves to try something new, because she knows the reward is so satisfying! The Noon Crew wouldn’t be the same without her. I also love seeing her growth in the way of knowing, she doesn’t always have to Rx a workout, and that modifying/scaling is okay to ensure she doesn’t hurt herself or goes off of how her body is feeling. When you’ve grown up being competitive and always trying to be the best and compete with the best, you sometimes overdo it, but I’ve seen her grow in the sense where she knows when she needs to adjust the weights or the movements, so she can get the most out of the workout, and set herself up for success in upcoming workouts. As coaches we love seeing athletes listening to their bodies and not worrying about what others are doing because at the end of the day, we are only in it for ourselves, and Kim is a great example to all for being able to do this.
Thank you again Kim for being you and for your continuous support throughout the years and we all look forward to you crushing more goals you set for yourself as well as hopefully cheer you on in your first competition! Be sure to give Kim a High Five next time you see her :)
Coach Tia
TRAINING WEDNESDAY THURSDAY
WARM UP:
2 x
assault bike 400m
4 samson lunges (2/side)
10 plate floor to overhead
dynamic calf stretches x 30 sec
WOD: HELEN RETEST!
Compare to previous time this year... and no complaining about the weather! Good luck and run hard :)
3 rounds for time of:
Run, 400 m
21 Kettlebell Swings, 1.5/1 pood
12 Pull-ups
Scaled: Kb 26/35, jumping pullups
ACCESSORY:
5 rounds for quality of:
12 Dumbbell Bench Press
12 Ring Rows
Kettlebell Suitcase Carry, 100 ft
tech notes
For the suitcase carries do 50' with one arm then 50' with the other arm. Can also sub in farmer carries (hold kb in each hand) for a real grip burner