Pat Dry

Pat Dry is our featured athlete!

Pat came to CrossFit as a deal with her daughter - but she never planned to stay this long. 2 years later she consistently comes to the 6am class with her husband Mike. She realized community was very important to her and it makes her work hard every week!

Here is what Pat had to say about CFC:

How long have you been Crossfitting?
A little over two years.

What made you start CF?
My daughter asked me to join her in a six-week challenge.

What changes have you seen since starting CF?
I have seen many positive changes - muscle tone, better stamina, the ability to do a squat. But the biggest is my overall mood.

What is your favorite/ least favorite movement?
My favorite is power clean; my least is snatch.

What is your favorite part of CF Conway?
Working out with a group of people who are there to accomplish a common goal - a better lifestyle. To leave each class where everyone is either knuckle bumping or saying “good job.” The coaches who challenge us to do something we never thought possible. Most of all, the challenge!

What are your long term goals?
At 56 years young my long-term goal is to stay strong as I age. I am a small person and know the importance of keeping my muscles strong to prevent injuries when I’m older. Oh, and I would love to be able to do all the gymnastic moves.

What advice do you have for people wanting to start CF?
Give CF a try! It doesn’t matter what age or fitness level you are, CF is a program for all. When my daughter asked me to do the six-week challenge, I told her she had lost her mind. I had the misconception that CF was just for the “young and fit.” I was wrong. Here it is two years later and I leave each class spent, but can’t wait until the next time

Amanda Roussel

Amanda Roussel is our January Athlete of the Month and also was our 2019 Female Transformation of the Year.

Before

Her before and after pics speak for themselves. She has come such a long way and we are super proud of her!

Here is what Amanda had to say about her CF journey:

“2019 was a big learning year for me when it came to CrossFit!! When I had a seizure in July of 2018 and then brain Surgery in October of 2018 and not being able to workout much or eat much I was determined to get back to a stronger and healthier me!!
January of 2019 I was able to get back to the CrossFit box and begin rebuilding myself and muscles. Over the 6 months after surgery I had lost about 20 lbs and it was all muscle so when I got back it was very hard for me to do a lot of things! But I realized that I had to fuel my body with the right things and be very consistent with my workouts! I started off with 3 times a weeks so I didn’t kill my self or hurt myself getting back Into the routine.

During the 2019 Open is when things really began to motivate me because I was able to do things I had never been able to before during my 4 yrs of CF. It made me want to work harder and try more and more new things!!
I do have to say that losing the weight and getting stronger and showing myself that I can do anything I put my mind has been a game changer. Along with finding out you can’t eat and drink whatever you want and get the results you would like!! This holiday season has been a big eye opener for me showing me that alcohol and lots of sugary and sweet things are not what you need! I didn’t realize the effect food and alcohol had on me and my workouts and recovery. I am ready to start 2020 off by detoxing and seeing what transformations happen this year!
Also I couldn’t have done any of this without the amazing coaches and my awesome 8:30 “mom” group aka Jeff’s penguins!!!”

Kelly Hill

Kelly Hill is our spotlight athlete!

He has been coming to CFC almost a year and is one of the most consistent members we have. He is always encouraging and friendly and he is improving by leaps and bounds! He recently participated in our Fittest in the Box competition and is also #intheOpen2020. Here is what Kelly had to say about CFC:

How long have you been Crossfitting?
9 months

What made you start CF?
My daughter, she had started on a summer program.

What changes have you seen since starting CF?
I have definitely gotten stronger.

What is your favorite/least favorite movement?
Favorite movement would be clean and jerk /my least favorite would be snatches.

What is your favorite part of CF Conway?
The organized classes and getting to meet new people.

What are your long-term goals?
Try to get stronger and leaner. Just stay in great shape and stay healthier.

What advice do you have for people wanting to start CF?
It is a great program and you will get everything you want from it, but you have to be willing to put in the work and challenge yourself.

Pam Lee

Our current spotlight athlete is Pam Lee.

When Pam came to CFC she could barely lift a barbell or do a sit-up. It’s been so fun over the last year to watch her grow as an athlete. She has not only physically gotten stronger but mentally as well. She also is the most supportive cheerleader we have in the gym! We can’t wait to see where Pam is this time next year!

How long have you been Crossfitting?
I celebrated my 1 year CrossFit anniversary in July.

What made you start CF?
I decided to start working out at a local gym and attended a boot camp class. The trainer told us to do sit ups. I got down on the floor and suddenly realized I couldn’t do a single one. I work with Shaylene so I immediately told her about it. She had been telling me I need to join her at a workout. Of course after my realization that I couldn’t do a sit up I suddenly felt defeated and thought no way could I ever do CrossFit. However, I was determined to change my mobility and add a level of fitness to my life. I attended a Saturday class with Warren coaching, and signed up that day.

What changes have you seen since starting CF?
I have seen many changes since starting CF.
One is definitely my confidence level, it still needs improvement but when I started I was scared to jump on a box or jump up to the pull up bar.
My strength has improved also. I was not an athlete in high school and had never lifted weight before. It was all new to me. I love tracking the weight percentages in Trib and seeing where I started and how far I have come over the past year.

What is your favorite/least favorite movement?
Favorite: Kettle Bell Swings
Least Favorite: Overhead squats

What is your favorite part of CF Conway?
The coaches and the community.
The coaches are amazing. I had no clue what I was doing when I joined and the coaches teach you the correct and safe way to do the movements. I also love the community of members. From day one I never felt like I didn’t belong. Everyone was so welcoming and encouraging. I love that during a workout everyone cheers each other on and no one finishes alone.

What are your long term goals?
I have so many...
to improve my overhead squat and mobility is a major goal. Honestly, my long term goal is to keep being active. I want to be doing WOD’s for many years to come. My son watches me and I am thankful I can show him the importance of fitness and that it can be fun.

What advice do you have for people wanting to start CF?
Just walk in the box. Take that first step to see what CrossFit is all about. I think people have misconceptions about CrossFit and what it is about. They are also fearful that “they can’t do it”. You can! Show up consistently. Come with the willingness to listen and learn and watch yourself improve. It will change your life.

Westley Sullins

Westley Sullins is our Spotlight Athlete!

Westley has been in and out of CF for years but recently committed to coming with his brother Alex and they have been killing it together. Westley competed in his first team competition and took FIRST PLACE! He works hard and pushes others to do so as well. We can’t wait to see what is in store for him - sky is the limit brother!

How long have you been Crossfitting?
I have been committed to Crossfit for exactly one year.

What made you start CF?
I was completely out of shape, struggled with my health, and needed more energy throughout the day. And my brother made me go!

What changes have you seen since starting CF?
The biggest change is my ability to move and be extremely active throughout the day. I can work longer hours and feel better while doing so.

What is your favorite/ least favorite movement?
Full Clean favorite / ring muscle-ups least

What is your favorite part of CF Conway?
When I am there I have a complete hour of being stress free. No work, no to do list. It is only about the work out and getting better.

What are your long term goals?
At this point to be comfortable with my shirt off!

What advice do you have for people wanting to start CF?
Learn your body. Your body talks through strengths and weaknesses. As I come into my 30’s it is important to know my body and how it works in order to stay healthy. Crossfit can definitely help with this!
Newton’s first law of Motion: an object at rest STAYS at rest and an object in motion STAYS in motion… I feel that if you commit to CrossFit you will push yourself to new limits!