From Coach Pete:
Today’s spotlight is a very special one. Heather has been with us since December 2019 and she is about to celebrate her 5 year Roaster Anniversary. The last 5 years with Heather have been both amazing and scary. The moral of the story here is to just keep moving forward. Life is a wild ride and no one knows what is coming up next. You will always have control over your effort and attitude and as long as you remember that, you’ll always give yourself the best opportunity at success. We are all so very proud of you Heather. Thank you for allowing us all to be a part of your journey.
What is your why? What gets you out of bed in the morning?
I am a single mom to five grown children, grandmother to four and a daughter/caregiver to my dad. I made a commitment to my children and my dad to be here for them. I get out of bed in the morning to honor that commitment.
What is your most meaningful goal?
The American Cancer Society statistics suggest that for all stages of pancreatic cancer combined, the one-year survival rate is 20%, which translates to an 80% mortality rate. I beat those statistics!! Of those 20% the five-year survival rate drops to 6%, which translates to a 94% mortality rate. My goal is to be in the 6%. It has been two years since my surgery… three more years to go. In the meantime, my commitment to my body through CrossFit will continue.
If you could have lunch with anyone ever, who would it be and why?
I would have lunch with Jesus (pronounced Geez-us, not Hey-sus…lol) I love how He answers a question with a question or a parable. He makes you think, decipher and get meaning while trust and understanding are gained in the process.
What is your favorite part of training?
Besides anything that has to do with being upside down, I love to see results. This includes mental/emotional, physical and spiritual results. Through the challenging times of going through Chemo/radiation and continuing my training, I often would get discouraged because I could not see physical results. Everything seemed to go backwards instead of forward. Then I came to the realization there is so much more to training than physical results. The year it took to finish chemo and radiation while training put me in beast mode mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Looking back, the community of people surrounding me at Roaster have all contributed to my beast mode!! Thank you all!
What is your least favorite part of training?
Peeing my pants while jumping rope!!!
The ripping sensation of a callus while on the bar.
Running in the cold.
Having one rep to go and Pete calling, “TIME”… Ugh!!
What has been your biggest obstacle on your fitness journey?
My biggest obstacle is myself. Specifically, not believing in myself. Thank God I have a community of believers that surround me every day in the gym that do believe in me. People that come along side me and physically finish a workout with me. A community of believers that encourage me and give me hope. Sending “notifications” through Zen planner, a smile and the words, “nice job” or a fist bump at the end of a work-out. All these things seem small, but nobody can see the struggles inside of us. The words of affirmation are huge.
What would your ideal day consist of?
It would be a warm, sunny day with a very slight breeze. My toes would be nestled in my “Altra King MT” hiking/running shoes waiting at the starting line for the Spartan race to begin. The sound of the gun starts the race and we are off!! I run from one obstacle to the next, never walking (not once) crushing every challenge before me. All the hard work I have put in at CrossFit is paying off. I am mentally and physically stronger than I have ever been. It feels great. After an hour and a half of making my way through the maze of obstacles, the finish line is in sight. I hurdle across the fire pit which signifies the finish line. I’m exhausted, but have an overwhelming sense of accomplishment. I sit back in my chair, the squish of mud between my toes and an ice cold beer in hand… what could be better?
What is something that no one knows about you?
I got my three step in the hurdles my very last meet of my senior year. Being last seems to be a trend with me…lol.
Who is your biggest inspiration?
I was born with a defective heart valve. Regardless of the challenges I was born with my parents never held me back from doing anything. Because of this I have always felt that nothing is out of my reach.
What brought you to Roaster Barbell?
SIRI… I asked her to find me the nearest CrossFit gym.
How has the gym influenced your life outside the gym?
I have been fortunate to be able to share my journey through the challenges of cancer with many people. Most of them I don’t know. The influence that CrossFit has on my life has hopefully reached many people and encouraged them to see physical fitness as a medicinal option when dealing with disease of any kind.
What advice would you give someone who is on the fence about CrossFit and Roaster Barbell?
I tell people all the time that CrossFit is an amazing fitness opportunity. It is personal training at its best. If you are the kind of person who doesn’t have time or want to figure out, or keep track of a workout regime, and you are looking for a community of people to support your fitness journey then Roaster is the place for you
If you could go anywhere in the world for a day where would you go?
I think I would spend the day at Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. Besides eating chocolate all day, I could dance with the oompa loompas, take a ride in the chocolate river, eat bubble gum that turns me blue, fly, then burp until my heart is content to land back on two feet and move on to my next adventure.
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Thank you for taking the time to get to know Heather 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!
