Celine (pronounced Suh-Lynn) joined the gym at the beginning of last summer, and has become a 6:30am class regular, and a 7:30am extra work regular. Almost every day after class you can catch Celine working on her ring rows, chin over bar holds, and pushups in the grey room (now grey area). The months of consistent dedication have really paid off- Celine’s first chin-up was a beautiful thing to witness! Celine has new goals now, and with her positive attitude, eagerness to grow, and commitment to her training, it’s not a matter of if but when. Read below to learn more about what Celine is working on now, how she thinks about feedback, and some of her motivational self-talk.

What does an average day-in-the-life look like for you? (food, training, work, recovery, leisure time, etc.)

My summer schedule is a bit different than my normal school schedule but it’s usually something like:
5:45-6:20 Wake up, eat banana, and head to the gym.
6:30-8:30: Class wod and extra work.
8:30-10:00: Eat breaky (eggs, egg whites, toast, some kind of fruit, coffee, protein shake), get ready for work/walk to work.
10:00-5:00: Shortly I get to work, I get hungry so I’ll usually have some oatmeal with fruit and peanut butter. Then its lunch time, where I normally have leftovers from the night before (stir fry or some type of meat with rice/potatoes and a veggie).
5:00-9:00: Relax, hangout with Luna Tuna (my cat), make supper (if not already prepped,) watch Netflix, read, sometimes I stretch (should probably do more of this).
9:00:930: Get ready for bed, clean up around the house if I haven’t already.
9:30-10:30: In bed and lights out!

Have you changed the way you eat since you began CrossFit, If so, how? If anything, I eat more! I find I get hungrier in the mornings since starting, and less in the evenings. Also, I started tracking macros during/after the 120 challenge but took a break when the gym closed and with the travelling I have to do for work. I’m excited to start up again!

How does training/CrossFit fit into your life? I was never a morning person until I started coming to 6:30am, but now it’s become such a habit/routine I don’t have to think about it, it’s my favourite way to start my day! And I really think it helped me stay organized/balanced during the school year, it fills that physical and mental need/aspect, but also helps me schedule my studying around it. For example, If I know I need to be in bed by 9:30, so I'd have to be done studying by 8:30-9 so I can get ready for bed.

What reasons did you have to train when you started CrossFit? Have those reasons changed? If so, how? I’ve always played sports when I was younger, and always worked out at a normal gym, but it was getting a little boring for me. Last summer I told myself I would try CrossFit just for the summer (lol) to mix things up because I’ve always wanted to learn how to snatch and power clean (they just looked super cool). I was a little nervous at first because I didn’t know anyone there and wasn’t sure I’d like working out in a group since I always worked out alone. But I guess I liked it enough to stick around? Turns out, I love working out in a group setting because it’s like being on a team again, which I really missed from playing sports. Now I train because it makes me feel good (and strong), and I like seeing how I can improve on all areas of fitness.

What improvements have you made in the past 6 months that you are most proud of? MY FIRST CHIN-UP!!! It’s something that I thought I would never be able to do, but with doing extra work 3-4 times a week (thanks so much coach Cal!) I got my first one in May (and T2B), and almost a pull-up! 
And after months of whipping myself with the jump rope (practicing 10mins 4-5 times a week), I can finally say I think I got double unders! Big thank you to everyone who gave me tips and tricks.

Do you currently have a main focus or goal(s) with your training? Right now, just trying to get back my gymnastic strength and focusing on nutrition. Eventually I’d like to be able to do all the gymnastic stuff, which will take YEARS but I’m ready!

What would you consider to be your greatest strength as an athlete? This is a hard one because I don’t like talking about myself (especially strengths), but I’d like to think I’m a coachable person. I LOVE getting feedback because I don’t like not being good at something, so if anyone tries to help me, I’ll try my best to apply it and remember it for the next time because I know it will only help me improve.

What is one thing that you do every day that you feel is essential in contributing to your success in the gym? Sleep and fooood.
When I first started training at 6:30am, I was not getting enough sleep, and it quickly caught up to me when school started. So, I made an effort to start going to bed earlier, and now my friends know (and make fun of me) not to make plans with me after 8pm.
With the 120 challenge, we played around with my macros, and at one point I was eating lower carbs and higher fats, and soon realized that that just doesn’t work for me (felt tired during the WODs, unmotivated to workout, etc). We fixed it shortly afterwards, and within a few days my energy and motivation came back. This just showed me how a simple change in nutrition can help me in the gym.

If you could give yourself one piece of advice when you started CrossFit, what would it be? It’s okay to take rest days! I’m a very compulsive/dedicated person, so once I’m hooked on something, I am HOOKED. I used to feel bad that I was missing a workout when I was sick or busy with something else and felt like I would lose my progress (so silly). Now I just remind myself that the gym will always be there when I get back.

Do you have a go-to self-pep talk? (i.e. something you tell yourself when things get hard with training or during a workout) 

Depending on my mood, it usually goes one of three ways:
“Come on you donkey go faster” – my hockey coach
“Almost half-way there, you got it!... Half-way there, almost done!... just a few more!”
And a super cheesy one “nothing worth having comes easy” or “this is when you improve and get better”

Is there anything you would like to add?

Family/friends always ask me how I can work-out every day, but it is REALLY easy if you pick something that you love doing! I always tell them to pick something that gets you excited/makes it easy to wake up at 5:45am every day to workout.
Also, I love everyone at 6:30am, you guys make my day every day:)