How old / young are you? 44 years young What is your occupation? I am an independent consultant who works in the (legal!) pharmaceutical industry. I mostly do technical writing and program support for small (eg, virtual) pharma companies. For example, I write/submit drug applications to the FDA (for development and market approval) and clinical study reports, etc. When did you join Widespread CrossFit? December 2017 Why did you decide to give CrossFit a try? I was ready for a change from my sad routine of spin class and light-weight back squats and deadlifts… Also, I had heard the best things about Widespread and that I would love it. What was your athletic background before starting CrossFit? I have a fairly well-rounded background because I went through a lot of sport/workout phases (crazes?!) in my life. I played sports in high school (soccer, softball and swim team) and went on to play soccer and lacrosse in college. After college I got into long distance running; I loved the easy pace of half- and full marathons. But a disc in my back that I herniated in college didn’t agree and so -after a back surgery to replace the disc- I went back into the pool for several years (masters swim) and got on my road bike more. When I got tired of goggle eyes and inattentive drivers weaving into the bike lane, I moved into the gym and started spin/group fitness classes and lifting weights. What changes in your health, physique, and overall performance have you seen since starting CrossFit? I cleaned up my eating and drinking about the same time I started CrossFit, but my body composition immediately started changing. I went from about 20% body fat to less than 15%. I also quickly noticed a change in my core strength/posture and was shocked at some of the weights I was beginning to move (since I pretty much always did the same weight and rep scheme at the gym before). What advice would you give to someone with regards to starting CrossFit? You will not regret it. There is such a wonderful sense of community and camaraderie and you will be amazed and proud of what you can achieve. What is your favorite and least favorite CrossFit exercises / movements? Favorites: front rack lunges, overhead squats and burpees (don’t judge) Least faves: farmer’s carry and double unders What is your most memorable CrossFit moment so far? Easy! During the 2018 Open, I had only been doing CrossFit for about 2 and a half months. I breezed through 18.2’s dumbbell squats and bar-facing burpees, but I really had no idea what my 1 rep max clean would be. The amazing energy in the box got me from my starting weight of 85 lbs up to attempting 125 lbs… But I tried and failed with about 20 seconds left. With heavy encouragement (ie, Kari screaming), I caught it right at the buzzer. I felt like a champion! What do you like to do outside of CrossFit? I love any time I get to spend with my husband (Joe) and two boys (Matt and Ben): family dinner, hiking, watching movies, baking with my kids or cooking with my husband. What is your favorite “cheat” food or meal? Dark beer or peanut butter. Or both together… Anyone tried the Peanut Butter Porter from Liquid Mechanics?! What is something people would be surprised to know about you? I am a super math/science nerd. I have a PhD in chemical engineering and my undergraduate degree is in math and physics. And I still stink at barbell math! Who or what inspires you the most? Every day I am inspired by the people in my life that are honest, have integrity and do their best. This was ingrained in me by my dad, who was a perfect example of these qualities. His work ethic was second to none and he was loyal to a fault with the most solid of moral compasses. What is one goal you would like to accomplish through CrossFit? To keep making progress. I love that there will always be movements I can’t do and weights I can’t lift. But there is nothing like the feeling of ticking off something I have tried and tried and failed at. I don’t even know if it exists (I don’t tweet), but I just think: #GymWin!