Congrats to our November Member of the Month, Maura Shaughnessy!
Maura is a founding member of ours – she’s incredibly consistent in the gym, she’s incredibly kind in life, we love her for her integrity and feisty spirit in the gym. She’s known for digging in deep and pushing til the end. She is the epitome of Shakespeare’s quote, “And though she be but little, she is fierce.” We caught up with Maura (after her trip to Spain!) to hear her story. Check it out!
Q: What brought you to CrossFit in the first place?
A: I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder in my late 20s. My workout routine up until that point had primarily consisted of running, but it started getting frustrating to train for races not knowing what kind of day I would be having, health-wise (sometimes I could run for miles and other days I was too tired to make it around the block). CrossFit has been a perfect fit for me because I’m able to take it easy when I need to without feeling negative about the workout as a whole. It makes it easy to scale as needed depending on how I’m feeling, and I’d honestly be surprised if anyone else even notices.
Q: What was your first impression? How has that changed?
A: I remember seeing a group of CrossFitters doing a beach workout years ago. I had never been very athletic (didn’t play team sports or anything in high school) so even though they looked like they were having a ton of fun I just dismissed it as something I could never be a part of. When I first started, I was worried about being the last to finish workouts or not being athletic enough to fit in. Like most fears, those turned out to be unsubstantiated. Workouts are always scalable and the majority of the class usually modifies something; you’re never the only one. Even if you are the last to finish, everyone is cheering you on and making it fun! You’re only competing against yourself.
Q: What was your first “bright spot”?
A: A technique Coach Jay taught in the double-under clinic helped me string them together consistently enough to do them in workouts. It felt like I found a missing puzzle piece.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: The past week was spent eating pastries and gelato, so getting back in the gym consistently is number one. Aside from that, working towards a strict chin-up.
Q: What’s your favorite Locomotion Memory?
A: The Open! Since we completed the workouts in heats, we had a lot of fun cheering each other on. I got to know everyone better and got a sense of what my strengths are and what I need to work on.
Thanks Maura! See you soon!
