Erika R.

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What brought you to CrossFit in the first place? I just moved to Tampa to work for VF and I didn’t know anyone. I swam in college and loved the team aspect so I wanted to get into something similar without having to stare at the black line at the bottom of a pool anymore. I was always intrigued by CrossFit but I was honestly a little scared to get into lifting since we didn’t do a ton in school. When I heard work was doing a 12 week challenge at Jaguar I finally bit the bullet, took a tour, signed up, and started doing the VF lunch class twice a week.

What was your first impression? How has that changed? I remember the first class we had a TON of ring rows programmed and when I woke up the next morning I couldn’t extend my arms all the way. I walked around work like a T-Rex for almost 2 weeks. I busted my ass for 17 years swimming but I had never been sore like I was the first couple weeks of workouts. We were doing exercises and movements that targeted muscle groups I had never used before. It took me a while to feel comfortable doing the movements and lifts but I enjoyed learning so many new things. Not much has changed because I still enjoy learning new and better ways to do things, I just feel more comfortable with the workouts and pushing myself to new limits.

What was your first “achievement”? I would have to say doing the open this last year was my first big achievement. I got pushed to do it with a few ladies from the VF class. I ended up doing 17.5 RX.

What are you working on now? My goal for 2017 is to do a muscle up. I am still working on it but I hope I can get one really soon.

What’s your favorite Jaguar memory? My favorite and most painful memory was doing 17.5 RX. Those grueling 40 minutes made me realize the progress I had made in the two and a half years of coming to the gym 3-4 times a week during lunch.