Happy Wednesday, CFKI family! Today I have the honor of highlighting another of our fantastic coaches, Liz Gilbert. Coach Liz started as a CFKI member in 2015, and in 2018 we decided it was time for her to be a coach. In addition to coaching CrossFit group classes, Liz translated her passion for teaching into coaching CrossFit Kids classes, and designed and ran a CrossFit Kids summer camp in 2019. Liz teaches high school French, and we have even coached a CrossFit class in French to her students!
Liz also created a new offering during the pandemic-restricted summer of 2020 called “CrossFit UnBoxed” — a fully outdoor class featuring dumbbells and sandbags and a whole lotta sweat.
Here is Coach Liz in her own words:
I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when I was 2 years old and I was told I wouldn’t be able to do a lot of things. I was never an athlete when I was younger. I was always overly worried about my blood sugar levels going too low that I shied away from exercising. I was a smoker in high school and college. After I had to get surgery on both my eyes from diabetes complications, I started to take my health a lot more seriously. I quit smoking, began to run and workout.
I started CrossFit in 2015 and I loved it. I remember during my first On Ramp session the CrossFit class was doing snatches and Ryan apologized about the noise, and all I thought was “I want to pick up a heavy barbell and slam it into the ground.”
I became interested in coaching because I wanted to try to get a before-school CrossFit program going where I was teaching, but that has not come to fruition just yet. What I love about coaching is helping people improve and push past the point of comfort in workouts. From my experience I know that this is where the results of CrossFit begin to really solidify, as there is as much of a mental adaptation to hard training as there is physical.
Right now I’ve been working on completing the Appalachian Trail. I can only do it in sections since I have kids, a career, etc., but I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished so far. CrossFit has definitely helped me prepare for long days going up and down mountains with anywhere from 25-35 pounds on my back.
Liz coaches the 4:30pm class on Tuesday, and usually trains with the 6am class, where she may or may not show up with proper footwear. There’s a lot to think about when you’re trying to get out the door for that early session!
Let’s hear it for Coach Liz!
Ryan