Client Highlight: Brooklyn Albin
We recently got to know more about Brooklyn with a short Q&A. I hope you enjoy learning more about her and her training!
1) What got you started at CrossFit BR?
In 2015 I reached out to Dwayne at CFBR to inquire about summer classes for younger kids. During our back and forth emails, he asked me if I was interested in joining. At the time I was just running and not getting any more fit, but I continued to put off the intro session because I was really intimidated by the idea of CrossFit. Dwayne continued to email me about the available intro sessions, so I eventually showed up to one of them. After talking to him about what the gym offers, I knew this was a good place for me to be. The LIVE program track makes it easy for beginner athletes to start CrossFit & the gym’s focus on safety and form made me feel really comfortable. I’ve been here over 4 years now!
2) What is a fitness accomplishment you’re most proud of?
This is a hard one to answer! When I started 4 years ago, I couldn’t do pushups or pull ups, my air squat was terrible, and I had horrible posture and back pain from lack of strength & flexibility. Being free from daily back and shoulder pain has been a huge accomplishment! I would say more specifically, I’m most proud of my pulling strength (strict pull ups, strict chest to bar) because it’s something I set a goal for right when I started. Dwayne gave me some exercises to do on my own & within a few months, I had my first pull up. It was the first time I made a real commitment to a fitness goal & achieved it. Overall, CrossFit has made me confident enough in my physical abilities that I’m willing to try new things without fear.
3) How do you stay motivated to continue training?
This is actually really easy for me. Being at the gym is really one of the few places I feel like I’m myself & I can let go of all of the stress I carry in my life. Sometimes there are days or weeks where I don’t train hard, and I’m okay with that as long as I show up. I need this gym just as much mentally as I do physically. The community of athletes that Dwayne has built over the years is really unlike any other.
Recently I started some 1-on-1 programming that has helped me out tremendously. If you’ve been considering it, I highly recommend it. By setting these short term goals for myself, it’s kept me really motivated to work harder. I’d suggest taking the time to talk to your coach about your goals if you’re feeling unmotivated!
