Athlete Spotlight – Shayna Martin
The Athlete Spotlight is meant to introduce you to members of our community you have yet to meet. If you have met them, you might just find out something new or something you have in common! The Athlete Spotlight series will run in conjunction with blog posts so look for these every other month or so.
Our Athlete Spotlight for October 2018 is Shayna Martin!
Which days and class times can we find you?
I prefer to attend the 5:30 class on the weekdays and 8:30 on Saturdays.
What do you do for a living?
I work at Biogen as a Microbiologist in the Quality Control team.
When did you start CrossFit?
January 2015
What is your favorite movement and why?
Honestly I don’t have a favorite! My least hated movement is probably the deadlift. This was one of the first movements I learned how to do in foundations class. It took me some time to get the breathing and movement down. Now I’m able to lift a LOT. It’s pretty cool.
What is your LEAST favorite movement and why?
Burpees! I hate them! I always end up bruising or skinning my knees somehow. No matter how many we have to do in the WOD I’m never happy about it.
What is your biggest CrossFit accomplishment?
My biggest accomplishment is being able to say I’m an athlete. I never imagined I was capable of the things I’ve done in CrossFit. I ducked PE class in high school. I took water aerobics in college. I wanted no parts of sports in any way. I was convinced to give CrossFit a try and it was one the hardest things I’d ever done. I wanted to cry, quit and throw up most days during the WODs. The 400m warmup run was a complete struggle. But as the months went by it got better. I saw improvement and the friends I made there motivated me to keep pushing along. Now I can run miles, do barbell movement with heavy weights, and keep up with others who have been fit their whole lives. It’s really amazing.
What were you most afraid of when you started CrossFit?
I was most afraid of people laughing and teasing me for being so unfit. I know what it feels like to have the desire to do something and have the reality of your weaknesses smack you in the face. It’s terrible. I knew starting CrossFit that I couldn’t run or do a “real” pushup. I really wanted to but I physically wasn’t able. The coaches and CrossFit members were so warm and encouraging that even when I convinced myself that I would fail and embarrass myself trying, they made me believe that I could. It was the community that really kept me going. No one has ever made me feel inferior and I appreciate that more than anything.
What are your fitness goals for this year?
One of these days I’m going to jump on the box. It’s just so scary!
Do you have any embarrassing CrossFit stories? You know you want to share…
Probably the most embarrassing story is when I lost my breakfast after a hot Saturday morning WOD. Positive notes were that I wasn’t the only one, I made it to the trash can, and I completed the WOD before I puked. Go me.
What is your “why” for doing CrossFit? Why do you keep coming back?
The community. My friends are there. Also it’s had an awesome effect on my body ?
