Spotlight Athlete- AnneMarie Olson
Our spotlight athlete spent the last school year studying abroad. She came back to CrossFit Zachary and it was like she never left. She picked up where she left off with her intense training and all done with a smile. In fact she decided to get her CrossFit Level 1 certification just for fun. AnneMarie Olson deserves the spotlight this month. You’ll read below that her mom was her inspiration to come try out CrossFit. Her mom has moved out of the state and we miss her tremendously but it’s so good to have AnneMarie still with us. You’ll rarely see her without her smile and the bigger the challenge, the bigger the smile. Her growth and progress has been tremendous but it hasn’t come easily. She’s given herself fully to practicing her movements. That's something that’s not fun but necessary to get better at moving the barbell better or perfecting a pull-up or, as AnneMarie likes to do, walking on her hands. If you have someone in your family that’s a part of our CFZ community you definitely should do what AnneMarie did and take the leap to workout with them and we’re pretty sure you’ll love it as well. Congratulations AnneMarie! We can’t wait to see you crush it this fall in your upcoming competitions. Scroll on down and check out what she has to say about her time with us.
What brought you to CrossFit Zachary in the first place?
My mom was the one who actually introduced me to CrossfFt. I had just given up competitive swimming for 12 years and needed something to fill the void. My mother so kindly suggested trying out CrossfFt with her, and after the first WOD I thought she brought me there to die, but it was also a little addicting. Ever since then I was hooked and it’s become something I look forward to everyday! (This excludes burpees and thrusters)
What was your first impression?How has that changed?
My first impression was a pretty big overwhelming feeling. There were so many movements I didn’t know how to do or thought I’d never be able to do. Thankfully I quickly learned there was a scale for everything and the coaches helped me find the best substitute for things I wasn’t able to do.. YET. I still get overwhelmed sometimes looking at a workout with things in it that I know i can’t do, but now I know scaling options and different approaches I can take to complete the workout best for me. But now I also get to look at workouts and know I’m going to crush them because after lots of practice there are movements I can do now that I couldn’t before. It’s always exciting when I see a workout like that because I feel like I can see my hard work paying off and it gives me new motivation to work on things I might not be so good at.
What was your first “bright spot, (PR)?
My first bright spot was being able to do my first pull-up. I had never done one before and it was the best feeling. It took a lot of time and a lot of extra work but being able to pull my chin over that bar made it all worth it. Now I can string together bigger sets, but i still get that feeling I did when I got my first one.
What are you working on now?
I’m working on lots of things. I recently started a running/aerobic program because it’s no secret running is one of my weaknesses, but I’m slowly getting better. Handstand walks have always been something I’m working on, but they’ve recently gotten much better so that’s super exciting. And I’m also working on my upper body strength, just trying to be able to move my body better in strict pull-ups, ring dips, and push-ups. A little back to the basics is always good.
What’s your favorite CrossFit Zachary memory?
I think my favorite memory throughout the time I’ve been at CrossFit Zachary was doing my first Murph. I got to do it alongside my mom, who kicked my butt, but it was so fun doing it with her. There was also such a community behind me pushing me to finish when I didn’t think i could do that last mile. It definitely wasn’t my best time but it felt like such a huge accomplishment in my fitness journey. When I first started the idea of doing a workout as intense as murph was daunting, but finishing it gave me such a vote of confidence to keep going to the gym and getting better. It was also the moment I realized how tight this community is and they would be there for me through this journey, thick or thin.
*MURPH is our Memorial Day Workout that anyone is invited to do with us.
1 Mile Run, 100 Pull-Ups, 200 Push-Ups, 300 Air Squats, 1 Mile Run