ATHLETE PROFILE:
Name: Moni Collins
Hometown: Houston, Texas
Age: 39
Occupation: Senior Vice President & Relationship Manager, Energy Lending at IBERIABANK
When did you first start CrossFitting?: 2014
When did you first start training at CrossFit Katy?: April 2014
What class do you generally attend (morning/afternoon)? 5:00 AM Early Risers (early bird gets the worm, you know)
Favorite WOD: Anything with RUNNING!!! Also don’t mind deadlifts or back squats.
Least Favorite WOD: Anything with Thrusters or rowing or burpee box jumps…oh, and recently learned in 16.1 that I do not enjoy OH walking lunges (thanks, Dave Castro).
Tell us about you sports & fitness background: I wasn’t active really until college, when I started running – for fun. I ran consistently almost every day from about 20 until I was 30, when I met my husband. After that I worked out – running, biking, yoga, but I lacked the drive, intensity, and consistency I had when I was younger. While I was pregnant in 2010, I maybe went to the gym twice. After my son was born, I didn’t step foot in a gym for about three years.
How did you first get exposed to CrossFit? Take us back to your first WOD… what was it, and how did it feel? After not working out for almost three years after my son was born, I was ready to get back into a routine and get healthy. A few friends at work knew I was looking to sweat, so after some coaxing and reassurance from them that I would not actually die, I took my first class at CrossFit Eado (sidebar – Jenn Jones was my instructor. It was COMPLETELY lost on me at the time how seriously COOL that was. Now I know.) That was my first time doing burpees, so you can imagine how I felt. I tried a few gyms in Katy and came to CrossFit Katy to try it out because one of my clients is one of the owners. My first WOD at CrossFit Katy was in Leah’s 8:30 AM class, and I believe it was Push Press. I don’t recall how I felt physically, probably like most people do after their first WOD, but I do remember feeling SO welcome by everyone and not like the new girl that no one wants to talk to. That is honestly what sold me! Oh, and the AC.
What sort of changes have you seen in your body, health and fitness since starting CF (before/after)? I wasn’t fit at all when I started CrossFit. I was thin, but I had little muscle tone, minimal strength, and after three years of no consistent workout routine, my endurance had faded. For the first time in my life, I can see definition all over my body, and at my age, I am pretty proud of that. The last time I did a body fat test I was 13%!! I am much more thoughtful about what I am eating (most of the time – football season presents some obstacles), and I’ve learned how I need to fuel my body to prime it for workouts. The days of obsessing over the scale and letting that number define me are few and far between. Instead I work towards building strength – mentally and physically.
What sort of changes in your life have you experienced out of taking on something like CrossFit that were totally unexpected? My confidence outside of the gym has certainly benefited from my time actually in the gym. When you are able to push beyond the voices in your head while completing a hard workout or finally hit an elusive PR on a difficult lift – that confidence of knowing you can do more than you initially think you can begins to permeate the other parts of your life. Self-doubt can ruin your chance at your greatness! I still have those days, but knowing I have fought through many physically grueling workouts or hit a movement or lift I didn’t think I could remind me that I can overcome what my mind tells me I cannot.
Name one goal you have reached since joining CFK and one goal you want to achieve (example: deadlift/squat/press ___ pounds; do a pullup; do a WOD RX’d, etc.): During the 2015 CrossFit Open, I was barely able to do 3 pull-ups without a band. Trust me, it was comical. So I made it a goal to get those down. Not only did I meet my goal (hit 10 unbroken), but I got my first Chest To Bar pullups during the 2016 CrossFit Open!! I have many things to work toward, but I’d say 20 double unders unbroken is right up there!
Please share with us any favorite CrossFit / CFK moments: Competing in the Open is nerve-wracking, but so fun! That moment when your gym comes together and people you have never met are cheering you on and lifting you up…it’s incredible and defines CrossFit for me. A highlight of last year was placing third in the scaled division in one of our in-house partner competitions and competing in my first real competition! And pretty much any time I am the last person in my class finishing up a WOD, and my fellow Early Risers are pushing me to finish…that’s pretty great.
Any advice for people just getting started? Don’t listen to the voices in your head telling you that you can’t do it or giving you reasons why you shouldn’t. You will be amazed by what your body can actually do. You only have one life…live it.
What are your hobbies, interests and/or talents outside of CrossFit? I love me some Aggie football (Gig ‘em), the Steelers (I married a yinzer), hanging with friends, and spending time with my family.
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