Our Member of the Month for August is Francine. She came to us during our 6 Week Challenge earlier this year and has stayed with us since completing the Challenge.
#Goals
Francine came to us with the main goal of losing weight. She had previously been at a few other gyms, and had been unable to meet her goals or had experienced life changes and been unable to continue her memberships. She heard about the 6 Week Challenge on Facebook and wanted to give it a try, so she signed up.
#Dedication
Once she signed up she was very purposeful and dedicated to getting into the gym, getting a good sweat on and changing her eating habits. And it paid off! She was successful at losing weight! While she initially did not hit her target, she has continued to work towards her goals and has not given up! She says that she knows it’s a journey and she’s not done yet!
We are so proud of all the effort she has put in and the consistency she has shown in working towards her goals.
#The Struggle is Real
While this might all sound pretty cool, and encouraging for someone who doesn’t know Francine, what makes this part of her story so inspiring, is that when she signed up, she was feeling very uncomfortable with group classes, mixed gender gym times and all of the new movements she was learning. Her body was unaccustomed to these deep squats and overhead positions, let alone running, skipping and rowing.
When I asked her how she felt on those first few days, she said “Terrified” with no hesitation. These classes were unlike anything she’d done before, and this time she had no gym buddy to go with. But she remained committed to her goals and stayed focused on the task in front of her.
#One Day at a Time
I asked her how she managed to stay committed and become successful. She said that she would literally tell her self “just one day at a time” and then make herself come into the gym, change and do the class. Soon enough, she was reaping the benefits of her commitment and was seeing success in her movements and cardio.
She is most proud about the fact that she can now do real burpees and has done things she would never thought she could do, like getting upside down! She was also very proud of herself the first time she ran 1 km in a workout. Then she brought her daughter along for a workout one Saturday and ran 2 km! These successes are motivating and remind her of how far she’s come in just 6 short months.
#Motivation
Since beginning her time with us in February, she has gotten much more comfortable at the gym, and has found it to be an inspiring place where members and coaches are non-judgmental, patient and encouraging. This has helped her stay motivated, along with the compliments from co-workers and friends who have noticed her weight loss and improving health. Francine is quick to note that weight loss is not an easy thing and with age working against her, she recognizes that now is the time for action.
Since losing weight and becoming more active, she has noticed her life outside the gym becoming more active as well. Wanting to go for longer walks, biking more, feeling better about herself, walking instead of driving as many places, feeling more able and fit in general.
This is exactly what we as coaches hope for, for our clients. We love to see you improve in the gym, but even more exciting is the reality of your daily life being positively changed by better functional fitness.
#Inspiration
One of the things that Francine would say about exercising and weight loss, is that “Anyone can, if you put your mind to it. It’s hard to start, but you can!” About Red Sea Crossfit, she made sure to mention that it is an encouraging environment, and that it really does feel like family. She even said that the small class sizes are something that she enjoys now, instead of working out solo all the time.
Well done Francine! We are proud of how far you’ve come and just how hard you’ve worked. We are excited to be on this journey with you!