Congratulations to Kori for winning October’s “Member of the Month” award! In accordance with our core values at Wayfarer CrossFit, Kori exemplifies respect, selflessness, a great attitude, and a solid attendance record.
We recently sat down with Kori to ask her a few questions so you can get to know her better. Her answers are in red.
Q&A
What is your occupation? I’m an ER nursing supervisor at Allegheny General Hospital on the North Side. AGH is a Level 1 trauma center.
What are your hobbies outside of CrossFit? Cookies! If you haven’t checked out our Facebook page please check out Caad’s Cookies (shameless plug). Outside of Cookies, when the weather is nice, I try to ride my bike. Although, not much riding has happened since Caad made his debut in the world. For those that don’t know, Caad was named after the Cannondale Caad, which is the bike that I ride. Jeff and I met doing a 150 mile bike ride, so naming our son after a bike only seemed fitting.
What is the best advice you’ve ever been given? The only person you should try to be better than is yourself. Wake up everyday and set a goal to try to be better than the person you were the day before….mentally, emotionally, physically. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t always get it right (just ask my husband), but I try.
How long have you been doing CrossFit? How long at Wayfarer? 3 years. All 3 years have been at Wayfarer.
What is the biggest accomplishment you’ve achieved since you started doing CrossFit? Getting Toes to Bar. And improving on my DU’s. It took me forever, but I’m slowly getting there. Still working on my pull-ups….maybe someday. Lol
Why did you start doing CrossFit and what made you choose Wayfarer CrossFit? Dana Pessolano, who I’ve known since kindergarten, told me about CrossFit. She was/is at Wayfarer. It took me about 6 months before I finally decided to give it a try. Prior to that I was running and lifting weights on machines at a gym. I was just kind of going through the motions on the machines. I didn’t even know if I was using the machines correctly. Dana spoke very highly of Wayfarer and she looked fantastic. So after getting over my nerves about trying something new, I decided to join.
Favorite WOD/movement? Cleans! Cleans! Cleans! Did I say Cleans?
Least favorite WOD/movement? I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but it was burpees. However, I’ve grown to appreciate burpees. My appreciation is minimal but they’re no longer my least favorite movement. Front squats are definitely my weakness. It’s an awkward movement for me that I haven’t learned to get comfortable with.
What is your favorite music to listen to during a workout? Alternative/angry rock. There’s just something about the best that puts me in the mood to workout.
What is the one cheat meal you won’t give up no matter what? Peanut butter straight from the jar. Jeff looks at me with disgust when I do it, but I can’t help myself.
What is your worst gym habit? Not taking advantage of the extra time to work on movements that I’m unable to do.
What would you recommend to someone that is just starting CrossFit or is too afraid to try it? Just try it. It’s scary as hell at first. And there’s a fear of “everyone will be better than me”, “what if I finish last”, “what if I can’t lift the same amount of weight that everyone else can”. It’s ok! Just trust the process. You may not seem like you’re advancing, but believe in yourself and the coaches, and you will notice the gains. Also….don’t look at the scale! It took me a long time to get over that as I’ve seen the number on the scale go up. But with that number on the scale going up, I’ve seen the numbers on my barbell go up too!
How does it feel to be named Member of the Month? I was so taken back by it and honored. I look at other people at the gym and see their accomplishments and think they are so much more deserving than me. So it was heartwarming that I was picked.
What the (Blank)?
My typical post workout meal is currently…Broccoli in the air fryer. But I won’t say no to a burger or steak.
I can’t go to the gym without my My witty sarcasm and equally witty and sarcastic husband. All joking aside, I love going to the gym with Jeff. He motivates me to go harder. When I get discouraged about my finish time or how much weight I lifted, he brings me back to reality and makes me feel better about the workout..
CrossFit is an entire family outside of my family. The camaraderie at the gym is like no other I’ve ever experienced. Everyone is great at Wayfarer and they’re all great to Caad too. We’ve been fortunate enough to find a gym that has been not only great to Jeff and I but has welcomed Caad too. Believe me…we all know what a jerk Caad can be at times, nobody knows better than Jeff and I, but we truly appreciate everybody tolerating him for an hour a day.
