Ever have the feeling that CrossFit may be too advanced for you? We’ve all been there, but perception vs. reality are two very different things in CrossFit. Our member for our newest Members Story series, Tiffany Nevil, has been in the same position before and after several years, is going strong at CrossFit St. Charles!
From hating P.E. to growing a new passion for fitness, read all about it in our interview with her below!
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1. Introduce yourself! (Who you are and what you do)
My name is Tiffany Nevil, I work part-time and I am a student training to be a Spiritual Director. I’m married and I have 3 kiddos.
2. What was your background/ experience with fitness and exercise before finding CrossFit?
I played sports one time growing up. I hated P.E. all my life. My parents let me play basketball in 5th grade for one season, but I never tried any kind of sport before or after that. I knew zero things about sports or fitness. When I started having children, I began running and walking to try to stay in shape, but I was super bored and moderately motivated.
3. How did you hear about CrossFit and CrossFit St. Charles?
Me and a few of my girlfriends (Debbie Wiggins and Stephanie Bannon) got invited by one of the Coaches, Jessie Schoenrock, to try a kind of Couch-to-5K style fitness session that she was teaching for 12 weeks in the fall of 2017. Crossfit sounded really hard and way out of my league but Jessie promised us it was something we could manage. I really knew zero about what Crossfit entailed. ZERO.
4. What was your goal when starting CrossFit?
In all honesty, my initial goal was to do the 12-week class, learn how to do the movements, and then quit.
5. How has CrossFit impacted your life outside of the gym walls?
I would say Crossfit changed the trajectory of my life. That might sound dramatic but I’m so serious. My plan was to QUIT! But I fell in love instead. I have read so many books that describe the tremendous benefits that this kind of fitness has on a mind. In fact, I love researching the mental and emotional benefits almost as much as I love knowing about the physical benefits. I have more confidence, more balance, more grit, I am more willing to fail and I am more determined to trust myself and my body even though I have lots more to learn in all of these areas.
6. What are you most proud of since joining?
Double-unders and rope climbs! It took 4 years- 4 YEARS of practicing and trying to get them. I’ve never worked that hard for something! Every time I’m tempted to be mad about something I can’t do yet, I remind myself that I got double-unders and rope climbs eventually and it inspires me to keep trying for the other things I want to achieve.
7. What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced since joining?
It’s hard not to be down on yourself on the days you really suck at something. I get mad and feel stupid so often because this has been a steep learning curve for my unathletic self. Getting out of my own head is such a challenge for me when I go through a season of not doing so great at the gym. I still don’t have pull-ups, I still can’t string my toes-to-bar together, and that is so challenging for me because they are essential movements in CrossFit. You can’t get away from them. They’ll be there every.single.week. So you have to keep trying, keep grinding, keep working on it, and have a positive, growth mindset as you approach something you KNOW you are not good at, week in and week out.
8. What’s a big lesson you’ve learned since starting your CrossFit journey?
Chris Glover will not open the gym door on days when it is below 32 degrees no matter how hot the inside of the gym feels. LOL… but seriously how to pay attention to my body. Where it is in space and how to move it. And most of all, I’ve learned moving your body is key to your emotional, physical and mental health. It’s one of the many things that keeps me at CrossFit.
9. What’s something you would tell your old self before joining the gym?
I tell my husband all the time that it makes me so sad I didn’t find CrossFit earlier in my life. Man how I love lifting weights especially. I wish I would have known how fun it is to be strong! It feels so good to be grateful for your strong body. I would tell myself to try it even though it’s hard and scary and something so outside of what I ever could have imagined I could do. I would tell myself that I could do it; believe girl!
10. What’s next for you in your CrossFit journey?
Stringing together those toes to bar and pull-ups!
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Remember, CrossFit isn’t out of your league! No matter fitness/ athletic background and ability. It’s common to feel scared or overwhelmed when trying anything new, but we don’t grow in areas of comfort and we have to start somewhere. Who knows, you may just find yourself discovering a new passion!
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