‘I'm A Professional CrossFit Athlete—These Are My Secrets to Staying Strong'

Yahoo

12 hours ago

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I never expected to be a professional athlete when I was introduced to CrossFit in 2013. I played competitive sports through high school and college, but when I graduated at 19, I felt lost—I craved a new community and routine. Then, one day, I stumbled on the Beauty in Strength promo video on the CrossFit YouTube channel, which was a marketing effort to recruit more women to the sport. I was so inspired by the athleticism and strength of women, I signed up for my local CrossFit gym and gave it a shot.
The workout focused on short, fast intervals for a variety of movements pulled from Olympic weightlifting, powerlifting, gymnastics, track, and rowing. I loved that it was both cardio and strength work, but the community is what really sold me. Everyone was so supportive, and I felt like I was part of a team again. I knew right then and there that CrossFit was going to be part of my life forever. And I was right.
Almost 12 years later, I've now qualified for the CrossFit Games three times: 2019, 2023, and most recently, 2025 where it was my best finish to date and, most importantly, my favorite experience. I won the third event (out of 10 events total) by an entire minute and placed 17th out of 30 participants at the end of competition. My mindset and training regimen has looked different throughout the years, but as a professional CrossFit athlete, my goal is to be the strongest version of myself I can be.
Here's how I stayed strong, physically and mentally, to train for the 2025 CrossFit Games.
1. I train intentionally to build muscle and improve endurance.
I work out twice a day, six days a week, for three to four hours at a time. Every day looks different, but my training revolves around strength, gymnastics, and aerobic conditioning.
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings are dedicated to building muscle, so I primarily focus on powerlifting moves like power cleans, back squats, and deadlifts, where I typically do three sets of one to five reps. Depending on the day, I also implement carrying and conditioning moves such as farmer's carries and sled pushes.
Tuesday and Saturday mornings are dedicated to gymnastics, so my coach programs a variety of pull-ups, muscle-ups, and handstands. Thursday morning is dedicated to long aerobic conditioning (around 30 minutes), so I train anything from rowing to biking to running. The beauty of CrossFit is there's no same day, so there's a ton of variety.
My afternoon workout sessions are usually devoted to high power interval training, which means I'll work really hard for two to four minutes at a time, before completely recovering. I also incorporate lower intensity accessory work in the afternoon which includes free weight exercises like dumbbell rows, lateral raises, and triceps extensions.Hand Weights
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2. I don't shy away from carbs.
A lot of women think they need to avoid carbohydrates, but for me, carbs are my primary source of energy. Since I work out six to eight hours a day, my carb intake takes priority over everything else since I need the most energy to perform with the most intensity. For breakfast, I typically eat toast with jelly and a side of eggs and a cup of juice, while lunch usually consists of white rice, sweet potato, ground beef, and lots of fresh and dried fruit. I tend to avoid veggies during the day since they're hard for me to digest between training sessions, so I load up on the vegetables during dinner whether it's a salad, stir fry, or side dish.
I have gone through seasons of counting macros, but at this point, my eating is pretty intuitive. I know generally how many macros are in a meal, so I'm more focused on prioritizing fresh, whole foods and fueling my body in a way that feels good and satisfying.
3. I prioritize recovery.
Given the amount of training I do on a daily and weekly basis, recovery is non-negotiable. Between my morning and afternoon training sessions, I try to recover as best I can. During my lunch break, I typically use a muscle stimulator machine, which increases circulation and boosts recovery since it causes my muscles to contract and relax without putting stress on the joints. Hot showers, ice baths, and saunas are also key for muscle relaxation and pain relief when I'm sore. To stay injury-free, I also see a massage therapist and physical therapist once a week.
Sundays are my complete off day, and I honor that. I intentionally do nothing gym related. Instead, I love going for walks on the beach with my husband since we're lucky enough to live in Florida. It's my happy place and a time to collect my thoughts, pray, and reflect on the week.
4. I lean on community.
When I first started CrossFit, the community is really what pulled me in. Now, 12 years later, the community is what keeps me going. As a professional athlete, when your sport becomes the thing that pays your bills, it's easy to put so much power into the value of who you are on paper. But I am more than just an athlete, and my CrossFit community constantly reminds me of that — they love me for who I am as a person and not just for who I am on the leaderboard.
I met my best friends, mentors, and husband thanks to CrossFit and I'm forever grateful. My successes are truly a reflection of my community and the incredible people that have supported me to get where I am today.
5. I visualize competition day and mentally rehearse giving my best.
In preparation for a competition, I do a lot of visualization work. Before bed each night, I visualize everything from the competition floor to the crowd to the stage to my competitors to picking up my barbell to crushing all my reps. Not only does it help settle my nerves, but mental visualization enhances my performance. By the time it's competition day, I've already ran through it in my mind 10 times and know what to expect.
In a way, visualization techniques are like a pregame walk-through. Creating a mental movie of an upcoming competition is a way to condition my brain for successful outcomes, and the more I mentally rehearse my performance, the more it becomes habituated in my mind.
As I reflect on my third CrossFit Games, I am filled with immense pride and gratitude. My job was to be the best athlete I could be, and my hard work and passion undoubtedly paid off. They say the most dangerous competitors are the happiest ones, and I fully believe that — I think I smiled the entire time. My experience at the Games was redemptive and transformative, but I walked away with so much more than a 17th place finish. I walked away as my strongest self.
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