Congratulations to Tammy Valentin for being voted CrossFit OwnIt Athlete of the Month for March! Below are Tammy’s words!
Thank you so much for selecting me for the athlete of the month! I am beyond touched/excited/happy! I never thought I would be able to do CF and have loved (almost) every moment CF because of you all.
1) How long have you been CrossFitting?
I took a trial class at COI on 1/20/21 and officially joined on 1/25/ so this is the end of week nine for me.
2) Take us back to your first day of CrossFit. How did you feel? How does that compare to today?
I had no intention of joining CF at all. My husband tried COI about two years ago when we were visiting the area from DC and had nothing but great things to say so when we came back, he wanted to try it out. I stress that he wanted to try it. I was way too intimated and didn’t even want to get out of the car. The only reason I walked in was because a good friend of mine in California loves CF and encouraged me to at least try one class. The first class was hard but I really enjoyed it! I love everything about the box now.
3) What are your current training goals?
At first, I just wanted to get into some semblance of shape. Now I want to be able to do the scaled version of the CF Open next year!
4) What is your favorite part about CF COI?
The people. I was so intimated walking into COI but both Sharon and James came by to talk to my husband and I about the box and CF in general. During the class I was at first embarrassed that I had to ask the coaches to scale all (and I do mean all) of the workouts for me. I realized that they just didn’t want me to get discouraged and that the scaled workouts were still hard. I would see people lifting what seemed like impossible weights encourage me and congratulate me whenever I had good form or that fact that I would just try a move. After Yaz and Walker finished 21.3 and 21.4 (and killed it) they both took the time help me improve my squat and make sure I knew what the movements looked like before my heat. Amanda and Sharon were amazing judges for the Open; they made sure I knew all the moves and regulations. Their cheering is what helped get me my first scaled wall walk. CF is great and all but the people at COI are what makes it amazing.
5) What is your favorite cheat meal?
I have a crazy sweet tooth and I love to get soft serve from Moos and either eat it at the beach or watching the sun set over Indian River.
6) Tell us something we don’t know about you?
I love to read. Books are the first things I pack before a trip and I will spend hours reading. At any given moment I probably have the kindle app open on my phone.
7) What advice would you give to someone just starting CF?
Just do it. Courtney said something that really stuck with me, “anyone can do CF but CF isn’t for everyone”. If you have a body and a will to try you can do it. It may not be for you but guarantee you will have a fun time while you decide. The bonus is that you will get stronger and that feels amazing. When I started nine weeks ago I could barely lift the technique bar and now I’m lifting 50-70 pounds routinely