Congratulations to our two September Athletes of the Month, Kelly Kohlbacher and Nicole Conti!
Nicole Conti was probably the toughest sell I have encountered so far, and to my great joy she joined us and has turned out to be one of the most engaged, curious, and dedicated members of the Solcana family! She has a hip condition that led to surgery. After physical therapy, she wanted to lift weights and do fitness, and she wanted to make sure she could do it without re-injuring herself, so she came to us with a million questions and a fair amount of skepticism. Once we talked about scaling and made a plan for her to get started without pushing too hard right away, and after a hundred emails, she was in, and she committed hardcore. All of a sudden my inbox was peppered with messages: questions about accessory work, pullups, weightlifting, stories of successes and failures in and out of the gym. Nicole is always hungry for more, checks in to make sure she’s doing it right, and is great at advocating for herself. She is strong and powerful and makes the best Italian hors d’oeuvres!
Kelly Kohlbacher is a quiet and capable athlete who has impressed everyone with her drive and work ethic since she joined back in February. She frequents evening crossfit and endurance classes as well as the WTF class on Saturday mornings. Coach AJ says “Kelly is most definitely bad ass. I’ve had her in class 1-on-1 more than once and it doesn’t matter if she’s by herself or in a full class, Kelly jumps right in and gives 110% to whatever the workout is.” Coach Marijke adds “Kelly has been very consistent and it shows. She pushes on heavy days and has been getting stronger every time.” And Mobility Instructor Amelia relates her experience partnering with Kelly during a crossfit class: “The first time I ever used the purple kettle bell was because of Kelly’s chill encouragement. She muttered “we probably should go rx” and locked eyes as we were walking over to pick em out. It’s so motivating to work out beside her. She keeps me honest and pushes hard while still keeping her cool.” CHILLS!