From Coach Pete: Congratulations to our newest spotlight, Talia! The past year with Talia has been nothing short of exciting. Her ability to take coaching and apply it to her training has been instrumental to her success. From handstand push-ups to muscle ups to double unders and weightlifting technique, she has taken on the challenges put in front of her and she has risen to the occasion every time. Her energy and positive attitude in the gym has helped make our mornings a little more special everyday. From a coaching standpoint, Talia is everything you want in an athlete. Talia, your progress is far from surprising and we look forward to watching your continued success! Thank you for your help in make our community so special. And thank you for trusting me with your fitness. #teamroasterbarbell
1) What is your why? What gets you out of bed in the morning?
Every day is an opportunity to become a better version of myself, and I want to live a fulfilling life. But even more importantly, I just want to be happy and grateful for the life I have. One of my resolutions for 2025 was to take at least one photo a day of something I’m grateful for—it’s my own photographic version of a gratitude journal. At the end of each day, I compile the photos and post them on Instagram. The little things are the big things! I’m enjoying where I am while also embracing that there’s always room to grow.
2) What is your most meaningful goal? Could be life or fitness or anything.
I want to register for the CrossFit Open next year as an Rx athlete! I can’t believe I actually just said that out loud… Guess it’s time to start working on those muscle-ups!
3) If you could have lunch with anyone ever, who would it be and why?
I’ve never had a good answer to this question—but I think Kelly Clarkson is pretty cool. Growing up, I always wanted to be a famous singer, and I loved watching her on The Voice. Maybe I could feature on her next single or something—who knows?!
4) What is your favorite part of training?
I love that CrossFit has no ceiling—it’s not something you’ll ever completely master. You can always increase the intensity: lift heavier, move faster, learn a new skill, etc. There’s an opportunity for growth every day, and that’s what makes training so exciting!
5) What is your least favorite part of training?
If we’re talking about a specific movement—overhead squats, every time, without a doubt.
In general, it’s extremely frustrating when, mentally, I’m ready to do more but physically my body won’t allow it—when the weight is supposed to feel easy but ends up feeling ridiculously heavy that day. I’m learning that progress truly isn’t linear, and some days are just better than others!
6) What has been your biggest obstacle on your fitness journey?
Getting consistent with double-unders has been on my CrossFit bucket list for so long! Learning to accept failure and keep trying—“even if you have to suck for a little while,” as Coach Pete would say—has been a challenge. I’m working on getting out of my own head and embracing failure as part of the process, but it hasn’t been easy!
7) What would your ideal day consist of?
In a perfect world, I’m waking up in Lake Tahoe, enjoying a freshly brewed cup of black coffee as I sit outside on top of a mountain with my pittie, Nala. Then I’d head to the local CrossFit gym and crush a workout—preferably with some clean and jerks and maybe a few rope climbs. I’d spend the afternoon by the lake, soaking up the sun, paddleboarding, and jamming out to some country music. I’d end the day grilling out with the people I love most, playing a few board games, and enjoying s’mores by the fire.
8) What is something that no one knows about you?
I have a serious candy addiction—specifically sour candy. Tracking macros is all fun and games until there’s a bag of Sour Patch Kids in front of me. Zero self-control.
9) Who is your biggest inspiration?
The women at Roaster Barbell are badass! (Am I allowed to swear on here?) Being surrounded by strong, confident women every day is incredibly inspiring. They say you’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with, and since I spend a lot of my time at Roaster, I’d be pretty content being the average of our athletes here!
10) What brought you to Roaster Barbell?
My brother, Chad, has done CrossFit for a long time and had visited Roaster a handful of times while back home in Cleveland. I’d always admired the sport and had been thinking about joining for years. I spent a few years at TITLE Boxing Club, then Orangetheory Fitness—but after a while, I found myself getting bored with the workouts. Getting to classes became a struggle, and I started falling out of a fitness routine.
I spent a few months last spring trying the whole “work out in my home gym” thing before realizing that wasn’t working either. I signed up for my first-ever 5K in June and told myself I’d reach out to Coach Pete once that was over. I completed my 5K on the morning of June 22nd, emailed Pete that evening to sign up for the intro classes, and took my first class at Roaster Barbell two days later. I’ve been hooked ever since!
11) How has the gym influenced your life outside of the gym?
To make progress in the gym, you have to be disciplined. You do it when you’re happy, sad, angry, tired—you show up every day, no excuses (maybe a little complaining, but don’t tell Coach Pete). That discipline has carried over into my life outside the gym, shaping a lot of the habits and routines I’ve developed.
Since starting at Roaster Barbell, I’ve been living a much healthier lifestyle: better nutrition, proper hydration, more sleep, less drinking—the list goes on. Not only do I feel the best I’ve ever felt physically, but it’s also had a huge impact on my mental health!
12) What advice would you give someone who is on the fence about CrossFit and Roaster Barbell?
Honestly? You can come up with a million reasons not to do it—you just need one reason to start. You don’t have to feel ready, you don’t need a certain physique, and you don’t need to have an established workout routine—you just have to start.
The greatest thing about CrossFit is that it’s infinitely scalable, and if you put in the time, you’ll see results. The hardest part is getting started—and then you’ll be hooked!
13) If you could go anywhere in the world for a day, where would you go and why?
Bora Bora! It might sound ridiculous, but the first time I heard of Bora Bora was in The Parent Trap with Lindsay Lohan. Ever since, it’s been on my bucket list—maybe because it’s fun to say, but also because the island looks absolutely stunning!
14) Is there anything else you would like to add?
I’m coming up on my one-year anniversary at the gym in June, and it’s incredible to reflect on all the progress I’ve made since last year. Joining Roaster Barbell has truly changed my life, and I can’t thank Coach Pete and the entire Roaster community enough for all the support and encouragement.
Cheers to one year down—and many, many more to come!
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Thank you for taking the time to get to know Talia and her journey! If you would like to learn how you could become our next success story, just email Coach Pete at ptaylor@mail.bw.edu and lets begin talking about how Roaster Barbell and help you reach your goals!