• LV 1 Cert

I can tell you that who I am today is an improved person as compared to who I was prior to beginning my job at CrossFit Republic in September of 2017. Although who I was prior wasn’t too shabby either, just different.

I have never been an athlete. I didn’t play sports beyond being my high school mascot and throwing a shot put before I graduated from Hickman High School in Columbia.

Before, during, and after that time, I was an actor and theater major at UMKC. I was a sorority girl and active in campus life but I didn’t graduate.

Instead, I moved to a small town and got married. 7 years later, I had my daughter and was a stay-at-home mom while assisting our family businesses. I was a Brownie troop leader, a room mother, a board member for community development groups, and oh, not to be ignored, I was overweight. Which I hated. A lot.

Like most people, I didn’t need to worry about my weight until my later 20s, and then the Taco Bell hit the fan! So I started to avoid the pool at the country club, shorts, and anything that reminded me that I wasn’t in a size 6 anymore.

In 2007, I started CrossFitting and by 2010, I became a coach. I had a successful blog-remember those?-which led me to become a writer for CrossFit Headquarters. It was an ideal job because it allowed me to stay home with my daughter, coach CrossFit, and make connections within the quickly growing community that is the sport we enjoy today.

In 2012, I was promoted to Head Writer of the North Central region. At that point, there were 13 regions that spanned our globe so I was flown to regionals yearly to cover our 11-state region. Off-season and during the Open, I would cover the news of those 11 states thru weekly articles and athlete profiles. Being one of only 13 Head Writers at CrossFit HQ was an honor and I truly enjoyed getting to know CrossFit thru the eyes of a sports writer. As the world demanded quicker information, I also live-tweeted and administrated the official CrossFit-North Central Twitter and Facebook pages for the 2015 season.

Oh, and I was still overweight.

In 2016, I decided to try my hand at bodybuilding and became a master’s bikini competitor. I placed 3rd in my first competition and competed again in 2017. gathering medals again in 2 divisions. I used the combination of CrossFit and proper nutrition to reach my weight loss goals. What was an honor was that my fellow writers at CrossFit were so shocked at the transformation that they wrote a featured article on the subject of merging the sport of CrossFit with bodybuilding which isn’t a common combination. It can be done!! I competed again in the 2019 season as a bikini and figure competitor, winning 5 medals and a nifty trophy for my garage gym wall.

In July 2017, I moved to Springfield with my then high school-aged daughter and began a new chapter in my life as a single mother. And on September 11th, 2017, I officially began coaching at CrossFit Republic.

Of all the changes and evolutions in my life, the greatest have occurred since the day I joined CFR.

So much so that I even tattooed what has become my new life’s creed on my arm as a daily reminder of my blessings.
“Love God
Love People
Pursue Excellence
Choose Joy”

Every day, I wake up and give thanks to God for my life today. I have the opportunity to serve and love the people who I coach. I have become my best self by helping them become their best and I choose to focus on the joys I see every day.

Being surrounded by a community of like-minded people has helped me focus on what is important and has been an anchor in my life and happiness. And with happiness comes personal success and peace so I am incredibly thankful for the direction my life has taken since joining our gym.

If you see me, I love Star Wars, animals, and pumping sunshine into your hour at CrossFit Republic. Also, I am obsessed with Disney World-my happy place. And I dream of retiring in Greece with my incredible boyfriend and an odd menagerie of pets.

And I hate cilantro, thrusters, and when people wave others thru a 4-way stop out of order. Spoiler alert: I am not moving till it’s my turn.