From Coach Pete: Carrie came to me in order to take her training to the next level. She was struggling with certain aspects of her training and she was looking to work her weaknesses in order to compete in the sport of CrossFit. Fast forward 9 months and Carrie has not only overcome her weaknesses but she has become an absolute machine of a masters athlete at 37 years young. This came as no surprise to me because Carrie is relentless in her pursuit of excellence. We are so happy to have you, Carrie. Thank you for helping make our community so strong. The future is bright!
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1) What is your why? What gets you out of bed in the morning?
My favorite quote is “Be the best you” so why not live up to that! Life is so short. We have been given the gift to be here and make the most of each day, so I try to start each day as a new begining. Let go of yesterdays bad but learn from it. Do something each day to not only maximize on your life but to also brighten someone elses.
2) What brought you to Roaster Barbell?
I had followed Roaster for a few years prior to joining and was blown away by the athletes and their abilities. I also have done a few competitions with or against Roaster gym members. The members I had met in the past have always been so welcoming and genuinely just great people. I almost came to one of the New Years Eve workouts in the past but chickened out lol. During covid I buddied up and did facetime workouts with Carmelo out of our own garages. I met Shawn who convinced me to do Murph with him at Roaster (I was so nervous because walking into new places gives me anxiety), who brought me back to a few more classes over the summer and eventually I signed up as a remote athlete. The workouts were extremely hard in the begining and nothing like what I was used to. The wods that are done at Roaster are very different, I questioned many times if I could do them and thought about giving up but I am glad I didn’t because I am starting to see the progress now and it has made it all worth it.
3) What is your favorite movement in the gym?
Oh man. My list of favorites has grown over the past few months. Anything gymnastics or that is in favor of me being vertically challenged lol (I am 5’).
4) What is your least favorite movements in the gym?
Thats easy! Concept2 machines!
5) What is your biggest obstacle so far?
The unexpected. I have learned that nothing EVER goes as planned. I take each moment as they come and just roll with the punches. I used to be a planner but somehow life just keeps getting crazier. Throw covid into the mix this year but running a business with hours that never stop. Being a single mom, homeowner, pets, school closings/delays, myself, staff or child getting sick etc
6) What is your greatest accomplishment so far?
My biggest accomplishment was pretty much 2019. I completed the open in March, then signed up for the Ironman 70.3 with a few friends to honor a close friend who passed away from brain cancer during the open. I learned how to swim, bought a bike and trained my brain to survive running more than 3 miles (I hated running). 2019 summer was tough, training 5 sports (weightlifting, crossfit, running, biking and swimming) being a single mother and running a business. I completed the Ironman in July and then refocused 100% back to CrossFit and made the online qualifier in November in the Masters division.
7) If you could have lunch with anyone in history, who would you choose?
My grandmother. She was the best cook, we would play euchre after we ate and her stories were the best. She was one of those Grandmas that said what she wanted and just didn’t care lol.
8) How has the gym affected your life outside of the gym?
The gym is my “me” time. It is my release from life. It is a place that I can continue to grow, feel accomplished and it helps build my self confidence. The gym has brought on new friendships and surrounding myself around people who are positive and encouraging. Having the gym keeps me on a routine and helps me to not get lost or sucked into the negative parts of life. It’s a stress reliever.
9) What is the most important part of your day?
Most important part to my day is lifting. I impatiently wait for 9pm hour to see what the next days workouts will be. Two other favorite parts of my day is when I finally lay down in my bed. I am a person that tries to get 10,000 things done in a 16 hour time frame and if I stop or sit down then I will probably pass out. So when everything is finally done and I am able to crash, it feels amazing. The other part of my day that I look forward to and really enjoy is my sons bedtime routine. We read in his bed before I tuck him in and tell him goodnight.
10) In your opinion, what is the most important aspect of life?
Family, Friendships, Happiness, Hard Work, Love and to always stay true to who you are.
11) If you had the choice, would you have infinite strength or infinite cardiovascular endurance?
Strength. Everyday life needs strength more then endurance. Carrying a case of water, holding a child, moving furniture, carrying a laundry basket, moving rocks or logs etc
12) Who is someone that you look up to and why?
David Goggins. He made something of himself from nothing. He stays true to himself. He blocks out the negative noise and always rises above. He pushes through pain and accomplishes the unthinkable. Goggins is very motivating and shares his journey, the struggles and is relatable. Goggins was a huge driving factor of my ironman training and when things would get tough during that training, I asked myself “What would Goggins do?” Thats all it took for me to snap back mentally and finish what ever it was I had to accomplish.
13) What has been the most impactful thing you have learned in the gym about yourself?
The mental game! The mind is so powerful. The body can do just about anything but its the mind you have to train. I have learned that 99% of my failures are becasue I failed myself mentally before or during the training session. I have always battled self doubt, the fear of not being good enough or living up to expectations but fighting through these workouts have helped me fight through these negative demons and transition them. I am no longer looking at my struggles as black/white failures but finding a positive, learning and celebrating the wins of the progress. Pushing through the mental desire to quit when it is hard and realizing I have weaknesses and the only way to turn them into strenghts is to start somewhere and just keep pushing.
14) Is there anything else that you would like to add?
Thank you to the Roaster community for accepting me, pushing me and all that you have done. Like I said earlier, new places give me anxiety but you all have been so welcoming. Joining this community has been one of the best things to happen in 2020.
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Thank you for taking the time to get to know Carrie 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!
