It’s the most wonderful time of the year! We love fall, cool breezes, colorful leaves, and our amazing athletes. Congratulations to our October Athletes of the Month, Andrea Shaker and Shannon Kerr!
Andrea “Dre” Shaker
Written by coach Morgen
Dre has been doing CrossFit for many years, and wound up walking through our doors in January of this year, looking to switch it up. What I notice about Dre when coaching is how thoughtful and inquisitive she is. She doesn’t just go through the motions – she truly wants to understand the movement from the inside out, and is extremely conscientious and holds herself to high standards. She is a great communicator, kind and so friendly. Underneath it all, she is tough as hell. She has been working hard on all of her lifts and is getting so incredibly strong. She has also been very consistent at Sunday rowing classes. Coach Kaitlin says “she came and rowed with Chris, Tamra and I one Sunday. She was only going to do 10k, but then kept adding on until she rowed the full half marathon, and then stayed and chatted with me while I finished the full.” What a great person, amazing teammate, and total smartie! In her life outside the gym, Dre is an accomplished filmmaker and visual artist, a professor of art at St. John’s/St. Ben’s, and a parent. We are so lucky to have you here, Dre!
Shannon Kerr
Written by Coach Hannah
Shannon gave me a shoulder rub during the Powerlifting meet this past weekend and said to me “this better get me athlete of the month”… so here we are! Just kidding of course, Shannon would have gotten AOTM with or without the shoulder rub! She has only been a member for a few short months, but Shannon has made a huge impression on all of us. Shannon always brings the fire in class, and is really committed to growing her strength skills. She takes all of my cues well even if she looks at me like I am insane. Not only has she really invested in her personal growth as a strong-as-heck athlete, she has also fully invested in the Solcana community. She attended the little cake-eating-party I held for Lindsay after she squatted 300#… and shortly thereafter they started dating (CUTE). So yeah, I am taking credit for that one. Shannon is a great friend, and a loving and caring person. She is a walking party and always ready to offer you a busch light out of her backpack. If you haven’t had the pleasure of getting to know her yet, find Shannon in the gym and make a fast friend.
Happy October everyone! Thank you for being amazing.