Upper East Side

Ashleigh is one of our most dedicated athletes. She never gets discouraged or frustrated when working on weaknesses and is very coachable and modifies when needed. She’s made huge improvements in her gymnastics and Olympic lifts, and her positive attitude is infectious and motivates those around her.

— Coach Jenna

How/when did you get involved in CrossFit?
I took an EVF 360 class with Coach Hugo. I never really worked out before that, but he was very encouraging and I didn’t feel embarrassed like I had in other gyms. I liked it so much that I decided to join. After 6 months of 360, Coach Garen told me it was time to switch over to CrossFit. I wasn’t sure I was ready because it seemed intimidating, but he explained how everything is scalable and you can go at your own pace. That was it! I took On-Ramp and here we are!

Do you remember your first workout? How was it?
Interesting to say the least. It was test week and they were testing a 1RM snatch, strict pull ups (max set), strict hand stand push ups (max set) and a 1k row. At this time, I didn’t know what a HSPU or a snatch was. All I remember was at-tempting to snatch the bar and being the last one off the row.

What were your goals when you first started? How have they changed?
My goals were to learn it all. There are so many lifts and different movements. I later changed my goal to strength. I realized if I get stronger, that will in turn help me with a lot of the movements I wasn’t able to do. I’m going to continue to work hard and one day I can hopefully do most of the WODs Rx. Maybe even be as strong as EVF members Rebecca & Samantha 😉

How have you grown in that time — health, body, mind, etc.?
I feel like a better version of myself has come out since I started. Over time, I built the mind strength necessary to endure pain I didn’t think I was capable of. This has enabled me to get through those harsh workouts and encouraged me to go a heavier on the Olympic lifts.

I also changed my diet. Eating healthier has helped me perform better, which I know isn’t something new but it was for me. To this day I am learning ways to continue to eat clean and find tastier foods to do it with.

What do you enjoy most about CrossFit?
I enjoy many things about CrossFit but three that come to mind are the results I have seen from training, the fact that the coaches push us to other levels we didn’t think we had in us, and the camaraderie it brings. I now have some of my closest friends that I wouldn’t have if it wasn’t for CrossFit. Who else would un-derstand dying from Fran unless you suffered through it together?

Favorite lift and WOD?
Grace/Isabel (scaled for now) but soon to be Annie. I just learned double unders and I can’t wait to try it Rx.

Snatch is by far my favorite lift. There is a lot of technique behind it, and it is fun to practice. Every time I get 5 more pounds on that bar I am excited!

What about your least favorite?
Fran. Well, anything with thrusters!

What motivates you?
The journey. Everyone has their own fitness journey and their own goals. There is nothing better than to look back at where you started and see how much you have achieved. You then continue to work hard for where you want to be.

Do you have any advice for new members?
Don’t be intimidated. When you start, it seems like everyone is so good and you might not feel that confidence. Just know that this is your own journey and to not worry what everyone else is doing around you. Be confident in yourself and lean on the coaches. The EVF coaches have taught me more than they proba-bly know and I am beyond grateful.

What do you hope to achieve in the coming year?
Overall strength and handstand pushups with no mat. Possibly a bar muscle up, but that might be a stretch. Reaching for the stars.