6
Mar
Susie Mollison
| Q: How did you find out about Ballston CrossFit and what about it convinced you to join? I am from Scotland and was doing CrossFit there so I knew that I needed to find a CrossFit box when I moved to Arlington. I have been active all my life and I have to say CrossFit is definitely the best sport/exercise program I have ever done. The coaching that you receive is like nothing I have experienced before. I searched online for a local CrossFit and I loved the look of the community at Ballston CrossFit. Q: What stopped you from coming in sooner? Nothing! Being at a CrossFit box in Scotland I didn’t have any reservations about joining Ballston CrossFit. I have been to various CrossFit gyms around the world when I travel and I have found that most are very welcoming. Q: When did you start at BCF and what were your goals going into it? I started in April 2023 and my goals were to have fun, meet new people, improve my form and maintain a level of fitness that I had already built up. I committed to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in January 2024 (which I have done!) and I knew that time restrictions within my life would prevent me from doing lots of training to hike. I knew that by staying consistent at CrossFit it would really help me with the climb. I am delighted to say I succeeded at climbing Mount Kilimanjaro and I know that by attending Ballston CrossFit it really helped me to achieve that. Q: What has helped you achieve success at BCF? The community, the coaches, the programming, my mindset and my commitment to showing up. All the classes are coached by incredible coaches who have so much patience, knowledge and belief in you. The classes follow a program that is designed to help you become your best. Q: What advice can you give to others that are new to CrossFit? Don’t prejudge what CrossFit is and be coachable! I believe people have an idea of what CrossFit is and they talk themselves out of it without really knowing how beneficial it would be for them. The coaches at CrossFit give you so much guidance on helping you to decide what you want to achieve during your CrossFit journey. Once you know what your goals are, listen to the coaches and do what they advise – these guys really know their stuff! I would also recommend to not take yourself too seriously and have fun while learning, it can be frustrating when you can’t get the technique right. Commit to at least 6 months before deciding if CrossFit is for you or not. I guarantee if you do that you will know it’s for you. Q: Besides working out, what other lifestyle changes did you make outside of the gym to achieve your goals? Sleep! I have a very busy life and the thing that I would always sacrifice is sleep. I learned that to get the best out of my workouts I had to become disciplined to getting my 8 hours sleep every night. I have also learned the importance of recovery days where I don’t do any fitness except maybe some light stretching. Q: What benefits have you noticed since starting CrossFit both in or out of the gym? I have noticed that my stamina and posture have both improved dramatically. My body feels strong and I find every day tasks to much easier than I used to. I believe lots of people suffer back pain from sitting for long periods and prior to CrossFit I would be one of those people. I have never suffered back pain since I started doing CrossFit. I am much more flexible than I used to be and my body just feels fit and healthy – it’s a great feeling. Q: What has been your favorite thing about Ballston CrossFit? The community and how I feel after a workout. Often in class I will be the slowest of the person with the least weight and I have never once felt intimidated or less than – Nobody here ever makes you feel like that. There are days that I could easily talk myself out of going, however there is no better feeling than how you feel once you have finished class. |