What would consider your biggest achievement since starting at Solcana?
To be totally honest, the biggest achievement since starting at Solcana was my first workout. I was in a really weird place with my body when I started Body Adapt. I knew that I wanted to make changes so I could feel stronger, but I was terrified of starting. I hadn’t worked out regularly since college, and I was worried I was too out of shape and didn’t have the willpower to commit to anything. When I got to the first class, those fears I had let crystalize over the years melted away. Nobody in the class was judgmental, coach Jenn was so friendly, and I had fun. In all honestly, I expected to make it to maybe half of those twice weekly Body Adapt classes. I missed one total.
Is there something you can do now that you never expected to do? A change you never expected to see? A new ability you didn’t even know was possible?
Like everyone, I still have a lot of goals I have yet to reach. I want to be able to do a pull-up, I want to learn to love burpees, and I want to be more competitive in my olympic lifting. However, in the time that I’ve been at Solcana, I’ve hit some crazy milestones. The first time I managed to snatch 50 kgs, I thought I was going to cry. Sometimes I just do squats now for fun, like who am I?
I’ve also noticed that my attitude toward exercise has changed. I used to see it as all or nothing. You either run 5 miles, or you don’t run at all. I’ve learned to be a lot more patient with myself now. If I don’t manage to finish a metcon, life goes on. I still got a great workout, and I feel stronger.
Has your life outside of the gym changed in any way since starting, and if so, how? What habits have you formed? Have you had any major life changes?
I’ve had a longstanding agreement with my body where I don’t ask it any questions, and it doesn’t kill me. But lately, I’ve been really focusing on getting better in touch with myself, and I’m listening to what my body has to tell me. Solcana has been a huge factor in this. I spend an hour a couple times a week really pushing the limits of my physicality, and my body is definitely responding to it. This self-awareness has impacted my life outside the gym in ways I would never have expected. I’m much more confident in the way I move in the world, and I’m starting to find clarity on some long standing questions on my gender identity that I’ve been dealing with since I was a kid.
What is your biggest challenge at Solcana, and how do you battle it?
My biggest challenge at Solcana was undoubtedly the fear of not being good enough. There are some crazy fit people at this gym! When I went to my first 6:30 I saw people who could lift weights I didn’t think were possible. Meanwhile, I was over here sweating before we’ were even done with the gymnastics. There were days in the beginning where I questioned what I was doing at Solcana. I didn’t think that I was going to ever get to a point where I would feel comfortable around the other members. But, and this is a testament to both the people who work out at Solcana as well as the coaches, that fear was gone after about 2 weeks. There’s a feeling of community that I never expected to find, and while I’m still sweating before gymnastics is over, I don’t really care anymore. I know that the people I’m with either don’t care, or, if they do, respect my hustle.
What were your goals when you were starting out? What are your goals now?
My goals starting out were to super basic: don’t not go. I work a pretty stressful full-time job, I write for a late night comedy show on the side, I DM a running Dungeons and Dragons game, and I’m working towards becoming an amateur drag queen. I keep myself pretty busy. In the past, the first thing to go has always been my self-care routines. I was really striving to make sure that I made myself the priority with Solcana, and it worked. I went from hoping to work out maybe 3 times a month, to twice a week.
My goals now are all pretty focused on the Beginner Olympic Weightlifting Meet. I’m hoping to up my training to Crossfit 3 days a week, and Olympic Lifting with Ryan once a week. It’s going to be a huge challenge, but I’m excited for it.