Roaster Spotlight: Ashley Fiefhaus

From Coach Pete: Watching a member grow as an athlete and a person, overcoming mental and physical hurdles, and becoming more confident and comfortable in the gym is one of the best parts of being a coach. Ashley has done all of this and more on her journey to her best self. The hardest step is always the first but once an athlete can overcome this, the sky is the limit. Roaster Barbell is honored to have been apart of Ashley’s journey. Thank you for choosing Roaster Barbell as your home, Ashley. I look forward to connecting with you and your husband when you are back in town. Thank you for sharing your story with us. #teamroasterbarbell

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1) What is your why? What gets you out of bed in the morning?

My “why” is to be the best wife I can be to Robbie, and to be the best person I can be for myself and for my family. My mental health really suffered when I was in my 20s because I focused so much on my career, and my physical health suffered for it as well. Now I want to be able to take care of myself so I am able to help take care of others. Also, I really want to be able to move and function well when I am in my 80s or 90s. There are many people in my family that are suffering because they have not taken care of themselves, and I really do not want that for myself or for my future kids, so health and fitness have become a very important part of my life and really are my “why.”

2) What is your most meaningful goal?

A fitness goal I have for myself is to become strong enough to complete one of those Spartan races. A life goal I have is to find a career that allows me to make a difference in a least one person’s life.

3) If you could have lunch with anyone ever, who would it be and why?

If I could have lunch with anyone, it would be with Princess Diana because despite all the struggles she personally went through, she would still show compassion and kindness to people from all over the world. She was able to use her status and fame to make others aware of many issues going on in the world by simply going out and showing kindness to people. I think if there were more people like her in the world, it would definitely be a better place.

4) What is your favorite part of training?

Other than running, my favorite part of training is after putting in months or years of hard work, I am able to do a move or lift a weight I couldn’t do before. I have experienced a lot of “firsts” at Roaster Barbell, and one of my biggest goals was to get a strict pull up, and I am now able to do two in a row. My strength seems to be creeping up on me, and I know it’s because I show up and work hard everyday at the gym. I know I have a long way to go with my strength, but it also feels good to know the work is paying off.

5) What is your least favorite part of training?

My least favorite part of training is working on my weaknesses. I always feel discouraged when I cannot lift heavy or do a move that is programmed at the gym because my body is simply not there yet. I always have to remind myself of where I started and how far I have come.

6) What has been your biggest obstacle on your fitness journey?

My biggest obstacles in my fitness journey are mobility and mentality. I have extremely poor shoulder mobility which makes overhead squats and squat snatches very hard to accomplish. Even though I really want to skip days when those moves are programmed, I still go because working on your weaknesses is just as important as working on your strengths. My mentality is also something I struggle with, and I get very discouraged when I think I have done poorly in a workout. I tend to be extremely hard on myself and become my own worst critic. I cannot do a lot of moves at the gym, and I certainly cannot lift heavy, so I sometimes dwell on my weaknesses too much which gets me down, and I have to remind myself constantly to just get up the next morning, go to the gym, and put the work in.

7) What would your ideal day consist of?

My ideal day would be to start off with a long run in the morning, and then enjoy the day relaxing at the beach with Robbie and my two dogs.

8) What is something that no one knows about you?

Something that no one knows about me is that I actually have my WAG nutrition certification, and I am really considering getting either my L1 certification or a personal training certification. I have really found a passion in fitness that I want to share with others and would possibly like to pursue this as a career.

9) Who is your biggest inspiration?

My biggest inspiration would have to be my husband Robbie. He is the most ambitious and persistent person I have ever met, and when he has his mind set on something, nothing is going to stop him from reaching that goal. It took him a full year of convincing me to join a gym, and he never gave up until I finally said okay I will join. He pushes me to be my best self, and he has so much confidence in me which is something that I lack. He is the reason why I joined a gym, and why I have accomplished so much because he is always cheering for me in the corner.

10) What brought you to Roaster Barbell?

Robbie essentially brought me to Roaster Barbell. He followed Roaster Barbell on Instagram and was always impressed with the programming. Robbie even had Pete program for him personally and saw a big difference in his strength within a month, so we both decided we wanted to take our fitness to the next level and joined Roaster Barbell.

11) How has the gym influenced your life outside of the gym?

The gym has really given me confidence in myself and that I can accomplish the goals I set out to do. I have no background in lifting weights or strength training, so when I joined the gym, this was very intimidating to me, but now that I have built up some strength, my self-esteem has really improved. I also suffer from anxiety, and I really think the gym has helped me to take control of that part of myself as well. I sleep better, eat better, and just genuinely feel better as a whole.

12) What advice would you give someone who is on the fence about CrossFit and Roaster Barbell?

My advice to someone on the fence about CrossFit and Roaster Barbell would be to just do it and join. Roaster Barbell has such a great community of people who will always root for you, cheer you on, and suffer with you through an extremely difficult workout. I was extremely nervous and intimidated when I started here, but everyone starts somewhere, and as long as you show up and put in the work, you will see yourself change for the better and get to know some great people who push you to better yourself.

13) If you could go anywhere in the world for a day where would you go and why?

If I could go anywhere in the world for a day, I would go to basically any city in Italy. I love art and history, and to be able to explore either Venice or Florence for a day would be a dream come true.

14) Is there anything else you would like to add?

I am very thankful to be a part of the Roaster Barbell community. My husband and I have seen so many positive changes to our strength and endurance, and we love being a part of a great community of people who push you to be the best. The programming Roaster Barbell has provided to its community is the best out there, and you get nothing but the best there.