Athlete of the Month: Jeanne Shaffer

“I was in good shape most of my life but not considered an athlete or not into organized sports. I was strong enough to fight my own battles for sure but I was more interested in having fun.

After high school, I was blessed with two healthy boys and two pregnancies. I would like to say I had a 30 lb. first born and 60 lb. second born but that would be a lie. After that, in a nutshell, I was VERY heavy, exhausted and very unhappy for many years.

 I always wanted to get back into shape but was blocked and sabotaged at every turn. I tried all the gym memberships, gadgets, classes, DVD’s, pills, etc. on the market and it was all a bunch of promises …promises but nothing ever came of it.

A close family member had a stroke back in 2014 and I figured I would be next. I was out of shape and unhealthy and going through a lot at this time in my life. I needed a release and I needed to try something new because what I was doing WAS NOT WORKING. I was moving someone on Salem Street one day and I kept looking across the street at this new place, Crossfit128. I felt like I had absolutely NO business doing anything with CrossFit but I emailed Danielle and asked if she took “fatties”. She said come on in.

The first time I walked in and saw Danielle I was about to turn around a walk out when I saw all the muscles BUT I’m glad I didn’t. That day I joined (in secret so nobody would know I was a crazy person),

Then the fun began. I started showing up and listening to Danielle and Suzie and getting the crap beat out of me every day for the entire first year. For the first year or so I ran in the parking lot back and forth 16 times for our mile because I refused to run on the street so no one would see me. My WOD partner, Denise, was a runner so within a year she was lifting 60 lbs. overhead and I actually ran on the street (with much pushing – thx Denise – Miss ya).

To my surprise, I showed up for 2 years and people were noticing the changes in my body, mind and attitude. I finally had to fess up and tell everybody I was into CrossFit. I love all of my core coaches; Danielle, Suzie, and Adam (and all the new coaches) . Thanks for putting up with me and finally after three years helping me GET IT. If you guys think the yelling is bad now you should have heard my coaches when I started. It took a lot of yelling to get my body moving at the beginning – the yelling now is nothing really (true). I had some family and friends that didn’t believe I was doing CrossFit or that it wasn’t a REAL CrossFit because “How could I have jumped into the real thing???” You know who you are – Tina!! ☺ Hehehe

I feel great now and have more energy, less body fat, more muscle, cholesterol is down and all my numbers look great. But the best thing about CrossFit is the “family” that we have become. I love having fun and joking (talking) with my friends and I consider everybody a new friend for life. That is really the best part to me. I always wanted to surround myself with healthy, committed, strong and fun people and we have plenty of them at CrossFit128.

It has taken 3 years (really all three years) of CrossFit to get to the point that I feel like I belong at CrossFit128! I now have 2018 goals and my first one is getting my first pull up!

 The best thing Danielle and Suzie did was create the “committed Club”. Getting 15 classes every month was a great motivator for me and it’s so simple and silly at the same time but I wanted that brick sooooooo much and I GOT IT!!! It wasn’t easy but it was fun and challenging and I’m very happy and proud of myself for the first time in a very long time. ☺ Sending a huge thank you to my coaches and my CrossFit family for putting up with me all this time. I finally get it!!

All I can say is … life is SO MUCH BETTER with CrossFit in it! ☺”

1) Skill: Muscle Up Transition/Pull Up Technique

2) EMOM 30

Minute 1: 50 Double Unders

Minute 2: 3 Muscle Ups (5 pullups + 5 pushups)

Minute 3: 12 push press (115/75)