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We cover the sport of CrossFit from all angles. We talk with athletes, coaches and celebrities that compete and surround in the sport of CrossFit at all levels. We also bring you Breaking News, Human Interest Stories and report on the Methodology of CrossFit. We also use the methodology to make ourselves the fittest we can be.
Chill, chill, ay, ay, chill,
let's go I was born a killer,
I was meant to win I am
down and willing so I will
find a way It took a minute,
now it didn't happen right
away When it get hot in the kitchen,
you decide to stay That's
how it winters me Stick a
fork in the heater on my dinner plate
What's going on, everybody?
Welcome to the Clydesdale Media Podcast,
where we are highlighting
the athletes of the 2024
Legends Masters CrossFit Games.
And on this show,
you get two for the price of one.
And everybody loves a BOGO.
So we have Sandra Hinkle and Denise Moore.
What's going on, ladies?
Hello.
Hi.
How are you?
It's wonderful to talk to you.
Yeah, good to see you again.
Denise has been stalking our
chats and giving great
information in those,
and we love her for that.
Cindy,
I actually met both of you at the
exact same time.
Right.
You guys were standing in
line at the check-in of
Legends last year and got
to meet you guys there.
That was a fun interview.
Yeah, that was good.
Yeah,
and what I learned in that interview
is you guys are very good friends,
but you are polar opposites
when it comes to workouts.
Kind of, yeah.
You're more strength and I'm
more gymnastics type.
She's very gymnastic-y.
So if people did not see the
check-in interview from Legends last year,
I asked them what are they
most looking forward to
on the weekend and Denise
said a barbell and Cindy said gymnastics.
That's right.
Yeah.
So how do two ladies who are
polar opposites end up
becoming such close friends
and training partners?
Oh, my God.
I think that we just she
forces me to do barbell
stuff and then I force her
to do more gymnastic stuff.
And then I'll help her with that.
And she'll help me with the barbell stuff.
So, yeah, I'm actually scared of her.
She basically, two weeks ago,
I was working on handstand walk.
And my coach, who's the owner of the gym,
Matt, he was helping with handstand walk.
And she came over because
she was working out in the class.
And she looks at me and gives me a drill.
She goes, come on, let's try harder.
And I was like, oh, my God, okay.
I think I said just be aggressive.
Be aggressive.
So step back here.
Denise,
you're in the 65 plus division and
you're working on handstand walks.
I'm trying.
How?
I don't care.
You're doing, you're trying it.
That is so freaking cool.
Thank you.
I just learned the pegboard
like two Fridays ago.
I had never done it before
and I tried the pegboard and I was like,
hey, this isn't too bad.
What CrossFit is doing to
flip the idea of age on its
head is so awesome.
Yeah.
I mean, just,
it was probably five years
ago when Denise was kicking
up to a handstand against
the wall and could not do a
handstand pushup.
Like you did maybe one handstand pushup
every two minutes.
Right.
Yeah.
And now she's great at them
and starting handstand walks.
I mean,
and you started to handstand pushups,
you were probably 60.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And then, uh, during, uh,
I think it was a qualifier.
You were like doing a hang
clean and you did like 185 pounds.
Oh yeah, that's right.
Hand clean.
And she's like,
I just hang clean my husband.
Yeah.
um so how did you two meet
like how did this all come
together well we met at the
gym that we're still at
sorry 10 years ago yes when
you first came yeah because
I've been at the same gym
uh resolution crossfit for
14 years over 14 years
I've always been there, started in 2010.
They affiliated in like December of 2009.
And then you came when?
2012.
So, yeah, so two years later.
She was very gymnastic-y.
And so I was always like a
little intimidated by her.
But I wasn't really into
CrossFit at that time.
But around 2019...
We had another person that
wanted to do an online
qualifier for Legends.
I think.
Yeah.
Or was it Wadapalooza?
No, that was Wadapalooza was 2020.
We did.
Right.
Yeah.
So it was Legends.
Yeah.
It was Legends for 2019.
And we were like, all right,
we'll help this person, you know,
do the online qualifier.
We'll do it with her.
And yeah.
You know how qualifiers are,
online qualifiers.
You have to video everything.
It's a big production.
It's a big production.
And we kind of just clicked,
and we both made it to the
Legends in 2019,
where it was down in Carlsbad.
So, and then you won your division, right?
And I won my division and no,
no looking back.
Yeah.
That was a fun one.
That was very small compared
to how they are now.
Yeah.
So was 2019 like the start
of your competitive career?
Definitely for me.
Yeah.
Me too.
Yeah.
I mean, we always did the open.
I've done the open for years.
Oh, God, 12 years.
Yeah.
And then we would do the
online qualifier for the games.
But back then we both
weren't quite good enough to make it.
Yeah.
I mean,
the year that I could have been top
20 was the year they cut it to 10.
And it was, you know,
so I never I was never
quite good enough to go to the games.
So we would just do the open
and then we do the master's
online qualifier.
So what switch flipped that
you did become good enough?
Or was it just all that work
finally paid off?
Well,
I think when I bumped up into the
50-year-old division...
The 49-year-old division was
very competitive for me.
And then so when I bumped up into the 50,
I feel like a lot of things
came together and I got
better at some things and
it was enough to bump me up.
So right,
it was 2020 was the first year
when they bumped it down to 10 people.
And that's the first year I
made it to the games.
But that was also COVID year
and they cut us.
So it was my first year qualifying,
but I couldn't go.
So this is your third year
going to the games,
but it should be your fourth.
Correct.
Yeah.
I've qualified four times and gone.
This will be my third time.
Yeah.
Wow.
And are you the,
are you the oldest in the 50 to 54?
Yeah, actually I turned 55 next week.
So I will be 55 competing
with the 50 to 54 year olds,
just based on where the
time that cutoff is for my,
for the birthdays.
So I will definitely be the
oldest one in my age group.
Okay.
Yeah, my co-host Amy on our Tuesday show,
her birthday is actually
like the day after the cutoff.
Like the day after.
Yeah.
Which means she is the
oldest young person in whatever, you know,
when she gets up there.
Yeah.
Yeah, and I'm the next to the youngest.
I think Patti McGill is six
months younger than I am
because my birthday is October.
Okay.
So, so for Cindy, this is the,
this isn't okay.
Expectations because you are
the oldest in your division.
Do you pull those back a
little bit this year?
Yes.
My expectations aren't,
I'm going to work really hard.
I'll do my best.
But I say, if I make top 10,
I'd be really happy.
Cause I don't think I would
make top 10 because there's
at least 10 girls that are really,
really good.
But on the flip side,
next year is when you push.
Yes.
Next year I'll be the youngest.
Oh yes.
And by legends in December,
I will be bumped up to the
55 category just because of
how their timeframe works.
So that would be my first
one in that next age group.
So Denise, you're newly into 65 plus.
Right.
Well, technically October.
And this is, this is your year to push.
Uh, yeah, supposed to calm down.
Don't get too excited.
Well, no, I'm like,
at this point I'm like super tired.
We, we just ran this morning.
We ran a three mile hill run trail.
with vests on.
And so we're just sitting there going,
oh my God, I am so tired right now.
We did not stop.
And there's some really steep hills.
That was our goal.
And both of us did not stop.
And that's the first time we
haven't stopped on those hills.
So we're tired today.
You're freaking just at the right time.
I'll try it.
And the funny is that it's
hard for me to push her.
Because there's 11 years
difference between the two of us.
I think the only thing I
push her on really is deadlift.
I can deadlift more than she does.
But other than that,
she can clean and... Oh, Shannon.
Hi, Shannon.
Hi, Shannon.
Shannon Schlafer says,
Cindy and Denise are sweet
as they are fit.
Great girls.
Oh, it's a great...
all thank you and lee
frazier great job ladies so
uh last off was it october
shannon and shannon and um
oh my god that's my my
brain this is what happens
when you become 65 years
old right you lose people's
uh names anyway
I'm going to be really
embarrassed that I forgot her name,
but they came out to California.
Debbie, Debbie Corwin.
Oh, my God.
They created a team.
There you go.
Thank you, Chan.
They had a team,
and we competed in the city
of the industry.
I forget what competition it was,
but it was two teams.
And it was so fun to compete against them.
And it was right before legends.
It was a great lead up to legends.
And so we were on a team
that's some of the pictures we posted and,
um,
Shannon and Debbie were on a team.
Of course, they kicked our butts.
But we're the only two teams
in our age group.
I think we're the oldest age group, right?
It was like 50 and over.
Yeah, that was fun.
We had a good time.
Our ages had to add up to 110.
Yes.
And ours was like 119 or
something like that.
So Lee says, I'm about to turn 61.
I'm not very fit, but I'm working on it.
I plan to have a 65 and a 70.
Nice.
Perfect.
So you said that you can't
push Cindy much in the gym
other than on deadlift,
but there's something that
helps you become training partners.
And is it more the
friendship and the support
and the encouragement or
Yeah,
it's probably making sure we get in
there all the time.
Like even during COVID,
when we couldn't see each other,
Denise would video zoom me
and I would be in my garage.
And during COVID,
that's the only times that
I actually would finish a
workout was because I was
zooming with Denise at the same time.
And so we would push each
other when we were doing that.
But that's a good example of, I mean,
I wouldn't do it if you
hadn't made me zoom.
Yeah.
I think it's something that
we have the same goals.
When you share the same goals with someone,
it's just a matter of
having yourself in that environment.
She has two sisters.
I have two sisters.
I kind of look at her as my little sister.
Like when we travel,
I feel like I take care of
her like a little sister.
She does take care of me.
If I forget something,
Denise always has it.
She's like, here you go.
But it's something because
I'm the youngest in my family.
And I love my sisters.
We get along wonderfully.
And her sisters are amazing.
There's something I feel
like I have a little sister now.
And just having someone else
share the same goal you do
is very motivating.
And when you're both working
really hard and say in 2021
was the first year we both
made it to the games.
And for both of us to make
it like after all that,
I just couldn't believe I was like,
we are both going.
I cannot believe it.
And that was so fun.
And that was our first time.
And we got to go together to the games.
It was like, it was crazy.
Do you travel together when
you go to competitions?
Oh, yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So really, you guys are family now.
Yeah.
Yeah, basically.
We have very similar likes, dislikes.
It's just that we can look
at each other and go, yeah,
and have that conversation
just with our eyes,
like have a whole conversation.
We know what you're thinking.
Yes.
When we were sitting next to
each other this morning on
our little mats,
because we were doing VFs,
of course I did 15 VFs, she did 25.
She did 25 VFs in the amount
of time that I could do 15.
So I was like, oh my God, I really suck.
But I look over to her and she's like,
I know she's like,
I don't want to do this anymore.
So funny.
But what's really nice is, oh,
You guys are so close to
even have a combined shirt.
Oh, we do, yes.
Our gym is helping us raise
money and created that shirt for us.
Think of more ticket.
Yeah,
think of us as a political ticket there.
I would say we're conservative,
but we're very open-minded.
Yeah.
It looks awesome, just so you know.
I love the way it looks.
Thanks.
What's nice is, too,
she's a coach at the gym.
So she's very knowledgeable.
You have your L1.
You're taking your L2.
Yeah, a couple months.
A couple months.
I, unfortunately,
am stuck in a 9-to-5 job
right now until I retire.
But then I'll take my L1.
But what's nice about this year is our –
owner of the gym, who is my coach,
is coming to the games with us.
He's going to be my coach there.
He'll probably coach me too.
How many people are you taking?
My sister's going with me
and she's actually going to
be my official coach.
She's staying with us also.
Anybody in the crowd?
I leave,
I leave my cat to my husband at home.
That's okay.
Are they going to be watching the stream?
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
We'll make sure everyone
knows where to watch the stream.
How cool is it that you guys
get Sean Woodland calling?
Oh my gosh.
That's amazing.
There, when he was there, uh,
2022 in San Diego, uh,
with Bill Grundler, I can't say his name,
and Annie Sakamoto.
Those three were just so amazing.
They were so open to
everybody coming up and talking to them.
They were staying in the
same hotel that we,
most of everyone stayed at
the hotel that were there
in San Diego near the venue
and just amazing people.
just for him to yell out
your name about something
on the floor is going to be,
it would become my ringtone.
I made a post about it.
It's on there.
They,
they were very complimentary on your
clean.
Yeah.
Yes.
There was a Viore moment
because Viore was their sponsor.
And all three of them were
talking about the win.
I think I did like a 150 clean.
Something like that.
It was just really nice to
just hear them say my name.
So to have Sean back there
again at Legends, I mean, at the games,
it's a dream come true for us.
Yeah.
For most of the masters.
You get Sean, Chase, Tommy,
and Lauren doing it.
Yeah.
Pretty, pretty awesome.
I think isn't Chase.
You said Chase too.
Yeah.
Yeah.
He did say Chase.
Okay.
Yep.
Yeah.
It's fun.
Yeah.
That's, that's like the A-team.
Yeah.
We get the 18 this year.
It's great.
Yeah.
So, um, and you're doing now,
what are you doing?
You doing about behind the scenes?
We are.
That's amazing too.
Yeah.
We're gonna, yeah,
we're going to just hang out in the back.
Uh, Ellie Hiller and myself, um,
just capturing
conversations you guys are having.
Um,
really like we want to just
be flies on the wall just
you guys interacting and
talking and kind of
capturing all that back
there I'm sure we'll talk
as well but um and then
we're gonna have a couple
videographers out front
capturing stuff on the
floor and put that together
in a behind the scenes just
like savon does with uh
elite division okay nice
that's that's the plan um I think there's
Go ahead.
I'm sorry.
My vision for it is to
highlight the community of
the Masters Division.
Whenever I'm there,
you guys are the friendliest.
You're so easy to talk to.
You guys hang out together
even though you're competitors.
You support each other.
So I told my videographers,
the workout stuff's great.
I want high fives.
I want hugs.
I want support.
I want screaming for each other.
That's the stuff I want from the floor.
That's wonderful, Scott.
Yeah.
We appreciate it.
That'll be very fun to watch.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So that's what we're looking
at doing for that.
And I, you,
of course you too will be a part of that.
We will, we will grab you as you're,
as you're working out and
warming up and doing all those things.
I, I'm usually pretty silly behind.
I'm like, yeah,
I'm always cracking a joke or something.
Try to keep it light because
otherwise you get too nervous.
I think the only serious one
I would be super serious on
would be whatever the lift we do.
Yeah.
I wonder if they're going to
release any of the workouts
before you guys get there.
Cause they have,
we've heard nothing from the masters,
but usually they give us like one or two,
even in legends, right?
The week before it won't be for, yeah,
it'll be a little bit later.
Yeah.
Legends lecture.
We didn't know anything
until that athlete brief on
Wednesday night.
Well, I did send an email to Joe asking,
there were a couple of
things because when I saw
that there was a post that
said that athletes for the
individuals had to find
their own way to the venue.
Like they didn't get like a bus.
For the swim.
They had to provide their
own transportation to get to the swim.
Did you hear that?
Yep.
Okay, so I'm like, well,
I'm panicking because we
don't have a car because
we're staying at the venue.
So I sent Joe an email.
I said, hey, listen,
we need to know whether we
need to rent a car for any
off-site venues,
thinking like swimming or
running or whatever.
And then the other thing is I said,
I need to know whether to
pack my bathing suit because
I need to know if I'm going
to drown or not.
And so I got a really, I don't know,
a general email back saying
for any offsite venues,
we'll have a transportation
system and you will have
everything you need at check-in.
Like, okay.
Yeah.
He did say, if there's a swim,
you will get everything you need.
So we still don't know if
we're swimming or not.
Yes.
We'll know at check-in.
Very well-written response
to not like anything.
So I'm like, all right, Joe.
Yeah.
Thanks.
But we met Joe and Bob back in 2019,
and we've always really
been big supporters of what they do.
And even back then,
they said they wanted to
treat the masters correctly,
treat them right,
give them a competition
that they'll enjoy and that
will test their abilities.
i know like denise you
balance a full-time job uh
you work in i.t correct yes
kind of yeah cindy do you
do anything to for work
well I'm a co I'm a coach
at our gym so I coach and I
have two girls so I'm for
some reason very very busy yeah
And they're teenagers, correct?
They're teenagers, yes.
Yeah,
my oldest is actually going to school
in Toronto.
And I have to fly her there
because it's her first time there.
And I have to move her into
the dorm the weekend before
we go to the game.
So I'll be flying with my
daughter on Thursday to Toronto.
staying in Toronto till the
following Monday,
flying home on Monday and Tuesday morning,
getting on the plane to go to Birmingham.
So I'm always juggling
family and trying to train and just,
I can't train as much as I want to,
but that's okay because I
don't mind doing stuff for my family.
Did you used to work in marketing?
I did.
I worked at an ad agency.
Well,
several ad agencies until I had kids.
And then working at an ad
agency was just too many
hours for me to take care
of the kids also.
And my husband's job was more demanding.
So he didn't have any flexibility.
So we needed someone in the
family with flexibility.
And I couldn't do that
working in advertising anymore.
And coaching fit the bill to
make your own hours.
Yes.
Well, I stayed at home for a little while.
And then when I started doing CrossFit,
I loved it so much.
And the owners asked me if I
wanted to coach.
And I said, yes, that sounds amazing.
So,
and I'm sorry that I'm asking Cindy a
lot of questions.
I've talked to Denise for a half an hour.
So I know a lot about her
stuff on another interview, but...
You went all over the place.
You were born in Canada.
I was.
I was born in Canada.
Then I was raised in Texas.
I went to school in Texas, Texas A&M.
And then I met my husband in
Texas and we moved to
Florida where we lived for 10 years.
And then from Florida,
we moved to California
where we've lived for 12 years.
So we've been, I've been all over.
So you have a big frequent flyer account?
Yeah, I do.
My daughter flies free with
me every time I fly because
I always try to use Southwest.
They have companion pass.
Whenever we go anywhere,
I have to fly Southwest.
I know.
I force her to fly Southwest
because I have all the miles.
I don't want to pay for anything.
I'm going to admit something
here on the air.
I have hated Southwest
because I hate the cattle
call to go on the plane,
but I heard they're getting rid of it.
They are January.
There's there, you're assigned seats.
Once you learn how to do the
cattle call and you get really good at it,
you always get the seat you want,
but you just have to be on top of it.
You have to know what to do.
And then plus I'm a list too.
So I automatically get first on the plane.
So I get to pick my seat.
Wow.
I never, ever get,
I think I'm on top of it,
but there's people that
like I go the minute I can
and I still can't get in a, a group.
Yeah.
I've done it.
I'm actually starting to use,
just use Southwest anyway, because I,
I flew up to Reno by myself
and I ended up with Southwest.
Okay.
Yeah.
Yeah.
But now that they're assigning seats,
I may, I may start flying them again.
Someone was talking about,
there was a lot of people
that could use that were
using wheelchairs and get
on the plane in the beginning.
And then they're
miraculously fixed because
they don't need a
wheelchair when they get
off the plane at their destination.
It's like 25 people need
wheelchairs to get on.
So they get on early before everybody else,
but two need to be picked up at the end.
Yeah.
I have so many gripes about
the airline industry.
I think they should charge
for carry-on and not for
checked because then there
would be plenty of room for
you to put your bag on the plane.
Yeah.
That's a good point.
Yeah.
Everybody charges for checked.
So then everybody's trying
to fit their crap on the
check-in or on the carry-on
and it doesn't ever fit.
And then the people in the
back can never get any carry-on space.
Well, that's spirit.
Like my husband flew spirit
to Vegas and it was like, Oh,
here's a cheap flight.
And then when he's like, Oh,
I'm going to bring my golf clubs.
Oh sir.
That's $40.
And then your bags, $40.
And he's like,
but if you fly Southwest two bags free.
Yeah.
They let you check in for free every time.
Yeah.
I'm a Delta guy.
I'm a Delta guy and,
and I don't mind paying for a bag or two,
but, um,
and I just want to know what my
seat is well ahead of time.
Cause I'm a Clydesdale and I need my,
I need some room.
I need some elbow room.
Yeah.
Um, and yeah, even with that,
I flew from LA to Columbus
overnight one time in the middle seat.
I wanted to die.
Oh no, that's torture.
Yeah.
My back would be out.
Oh, so bad.
Well,
So how's training been going
up to the games?
You guys ready?
I think so.
We're getting there.
So I think I like right now we're,
we're doing pretty good.
Um, I went to Canada for a couple of weeks,
a few weeks ago,
and that put a little damper on it,
but I'm back in and now
we're running more, um,
doing those trails.
Um, so I feel much better.
Yeah.
Are you, do you have a,
you keep talking about running trails.
Do you think you're going
offsite on a trail run?
Possibly.
I think it helps our fitness in general.
Yeah.
I feel like if you work that
cardio and you do running
and sprints and stuff,
that's going to kind of
translate to any other
workout as far as your stamina.
Yeah.
I know when Morning Chalk Up
released that the games
were going to Birmingham,
one of the attractions was
that there were trails
right beside the venue.
So that's why I was leaning
to see if you'd heard.
I hope those are in the
morning or evening.
Yeah.
It's going, it's, it's that wet, humid,
hot.
That's just awful.
Well,
it was hot here this morning when we were,
we were,
it took us a half hour to
actually cool down.
Yeah.
It's been hot here, but we, yeah.
And we get a little bit of
humidity when I lived in Florida.
It was like that hot is different.
yeah florida is like
suffocating I lived in
tallahassee the armpit of
florida and uh and it was
like an armpit it was hot
and sweaty and sticky and
yeah just uh yeah who wants
to live in tallahassee I
mean is it is the living
cost of living low
It was pretty low,
but the reason everything's
low because the wages are
low because it's all
college students and retirees.
So they're willing to work
for less money than a,
than a normal person.
But I worked for the state
of Florida and that's their capital.
Okay.
Yeah.
So I got a job with them and
that's why I live there.
And other than the heat,
I actually liked the town.
Yeah, it's more like a college town,
right?
So lots of things to do.
Florida State and Florida
A&M are both there.
And it's only like 110,000 population.
It's easy to get around.
So you didn't have traffic issues.
But Kathy Wirth cannot wait
to show you what he's done in person.
That's my sister.
That's my sister.
She's meeting us there on Friday.
She's my coach.
Where's she coming from?
From Dallas.
She was hoping that we were
going to be in Fort Worth also,
which would have been great.
Does she cross?
Yes, she CrossFits also not as much.
And when she comes in town to visit,
she'll always come to CrossFit with me.
And I have another sister
who actually introduced me to CrossFit.
She's in Seattle.
Her name's Susie.
I didn't know Susie introduced you.
Yes,
because I had never heard of CrossFit.
And Susie was doing CrossFit
at one of her friend's.
uh garage and she says oh we
love it so when I went to
visit in seattle it was
probably I mean like 15 20
years ago right when they
started probably we went to
the garage with um I went
to the garage and we did a
crossfit workout
And I really wasn't very good at the time,
but I really did like it.
I remember we had to put,
I could not do it at all.
We had to put a hundred
pound barbell on our back
rack and just walk with it.
And I was like, I can't do this.
I can't put a hundred pounds.
I couldn't put a hundred
pound barbell on my back.
My sister had to take it for me.
Wow.
But yeah,
that was the first time I had
done a CrossFit workout was with Susie.
A hundred pounds is a lot.
I mean, I've done,
I've done like the Easter
wad where you just put a barbell,
empty barbell on your back
and do like four hundreds.
And that, that gets to be too much for me.
And I'm a big guy and I can
squat a lot of weight, but that is not.
Yeah.
I mean, it really hurt me.
I couldn't really do it.
Susie had to take it for me.
Yeah.
Wow.
Now is your introduction.
That was my introduction.
Yeah.
Yeah.
What was it like when you
first came to resolution CrossFit though?
I mean, so when I first went to Resolution,
so I had a gymnastics
background and I would go
to the other gyms, right?
And I would go do their
kickboxing classes and other classes,
but they ended up changing
those all to like Zumba.
I'd walk in, they're like, no,
it's not boxing anymore, it's Zumba.
And I was like, I can't, this is just,
I can't do Zumba.
So-
There was a CrossFit, our CrossFit,
that I would walk by every
time because the fitness
place and LA Fitness, I mean,
and Resolution CrossFit
were within walking distance of my house.
So I'd walk by the CrossFit.
And so I said, you know what?
I'm just going to go try
this CrossFit instead of doing the Zumba.
So I went there.
I never picked up a barbell.
So I actually enjoyed the
gymnastics part of it,
like the pull-ups and stuff.
Um, but I picked up the barbell and I,
I couldn't get into a front rack.
I couldn't do an overhead squat,
but I eventually, um,
just kept working on it.
And you fell in love.
Yes, I did.
Yeah.
Once I got better at the barbell,
then everything was kind of,
kind of went into place.
Yeah.
And I felt much better.
I think honestly, she is a, um,
attribute to someone had had
a gymnastic background fit
she was very fit because
when she first came we were
all looking at her going oh
man she's fit she's gonna
kill us all and so then but
she didn't have the core
strength of being able to
do clean snatch all that stuff
And once she started
realizing that she could get stronger,
it's amazing that how old
are you when you started?
Like 40?
I was 40, like 41 when I started.
I had never picked up a
barbell till after I was 41.
And now she's 55 and she's
crushing lifting weights.
It's amazing how much
stronger and she's getting
stronger every year.
I started at 41 as well.
Yeah.
And, uh, I'm 55 now.
Yeah.
It was same timeframe.
Yeah.
I started in 2011, November of 2011.
I, I probably different circumstances.
You were really fit.
I was 450 pounds.
So, uh, yeah, totally different journey.
I'm sure.
But, uh, yeah,
I had the same struggles probably.
Yeah.
Yeah, it saved my life.
I mean, CrossFit truly saved my life.
I was going to die if I didn't find it.
Oh, no.
That's amazing, though.
You weren't always overweight?
Or were you athletic when
you were younger?
So I was a college swimmer.
So I was swimming five hours
a day and I was super skinny,
but I never learned how to
like nutrition or how to eat.
So when that went away back then,
there was no CrossFit.
There was no competition for
me to jump into to like
keep me motivated to do something.
And I tried powerlifting.
I tried some other stuff.
It never really sunk in.
And then time after time,
you just get older and fall
into the bad habits.
And then at 41, I found CrossFit,
lost 260 pounds.
Wow.
That's amazing.
And then it's, but it's,
it's never a straight line.
Right.
And then I had a back injury
that like really sucked it to me.
And now I'm coming back from
that and I'm on like my
second journey of that.
So is your back all healed?
Sure.
It's, it's like, I just, I can't,
I probably let my ego get in
the way of a lot of things
and like squatting.
Oh,
almost 500 pounds was not smart at my
age.
And, um, and I don't know if that,
the doctor said it wasn't
even that it was being
overweight for years that
actually hurt my back.
Um,
it was just literally I picked up a
laundry basket.
That's what was sent me over the edge.
Oh no.
And, uh, I've had 12,
12 procedures on my back.
and but I haven't had I
haven't had to have
anything in four or five
years now it's just scary
and it's trying to figure
out what the new me is
right yeah just work your
way back up very slowly
yeah and so like I think
now I'm going to do a
combination of swimming and crossfit
I'm going to get to the pool
and start swimming a couple
days a week just because
it's no impact and it's easy on my back.
Just to get some reps in
that way and then add
CrossFit in to that.
Did you have a passion for
swimming so that now that
when you're getting back into the pool,
it feels like home?
I don't know.
I haven't started back yet.
Oh, okay.
It's going to happen after the games.
Right now,
I'm just working out in my
garage doing CrossFit every day.
But my passion is more for CrossFit.
I just don't know if my body
can handle that.
So trying to figure out
something to get me down to
a good weight where I can
handle that every day,
if that makes sense.
It sounds,
your path sounds a little bit
similar to mine where I was
high school and college.
I played softball and volleyball.
I played golf and things like that.
But toward the end of college,
I weighed 193 pounds, almost 200 pounds.
And it was really hard for
me to lose that weight.
And when I finally lost the
weight and I started
getting into running and then golf,
then running, then the CrossFit gym,
then I had, and I got down to like 155,
something like that.
And then I ended up having breast cancer.
And during breast cancer, I just said,
you know what?
I don't, I don't care.
Even though I did CrossFit,
I'm just going to eat whatever I want.
And I ended up getting up back up to 186.
And now this morning, I'm like 146.
But it took a long time for
me to get from the 186 to say,
you know what, I'm ready.
I'm ready to actually take
responsibility for my
nutrition and get back down.
Denise is impressive.
She's very,
very good at being disciplined
with her food.
You know, she tracks it every day.
Well, she just doesn't eat.
Whenever we go anywhere, I'm like,
can we eat something, please?
Because I'm starving.
I'm getting better.
And then she'll get like a
burger and eat half of it.
And she goes, I'm fine.
I'm full.
And I lose weight every time
I travel with her.
Wow.
Lee Frazier says, I started at 55.
I'm so inconsistent,
I think is what she's saying there.
CrossFit saved my life as well.
Yes.
Yeah, this has been fun, guys.
It's funny because my travel
person to events has been Jamie.
And Jamie's going to be
competing at the games as well.
And so we're going to be kind of separate.
She's doing her thing.
I'm doing my thing.
But we eat so different at events.
Like she has to tell me to
eat or I forget to.
And she needs to get her
calories in because she's working out.
And it's, it's kind of the same way,
but yeah.
So we're,
we're all going to be there
supporting you.
We're going to have this documentary.
Hopefully it turns out awesome.
Cause I want something for
you guys to have after this
is all over to remember the
weekend and kind of the fun
that you had there,
not just the competition piece.
Yeah.
The behind the scenes sounds amazing.
It'll be fun to watch.
We appreciate it.
Yes.
Yeah.
Can't wait to see you guys down there,
ladies,
and hang out and see what you
crush it on the floor.
We're going to try.
I'm going to try.
I'm going to leave it out
there as much as I can.
And that's the best part of this, right?
Right.
Put it all out there, and it is what it is,
but make sure you have fun.
I only have to hurt for like
eight minutes.
That's it, right?
Unless we're running like a
20 minute workout.
They're not going to have 20
minute workouts.
There's way too many people to cycle.
That's true.
Yeah.
Well guys,
it's been an honor having you on
here as always.
So much fun.
Can't wait to see you there.
Everybody in the chat.
Thank you for being here.
We will see everybody next
time on the Clyde sale media podcast.
Thank you for having us.