Heather Cheek!
About Heather:
Age: 43
Occupation: Marketing Technical Support Specialist
Fitness background:
Mostly yoga, but have been consistently exercising 3 – 4 times per week at a gym for over 20 years
Hobbies: I rescue, foster and rehome homeless or abandoned pets; spending time with my dogs and my significant other, Mac; making japa mala necklaces; making wood-stain art; working on updating our new home.
Favorite pre/post workout meal: I usually eat a salad after an OP workout – I have Coach Bomba’s voice resounding in my head encouraging me to make the most of my workout by having a nutritious meal full of vitamins and nutrients afterwards.
What is your spirit animal?
Deer – they are at my house and in my yard on a daily basis (and sometimes peeking in my windows), and I’m fascinated with their ability to move through life’s obstacles with gentleness and grace. They remind me that you can find balance in being strong and resilient, as well as gentle and sensitive
What is your favorite “Cheat Meal”?
Pizza! But even with this, I can throw in some spinach and veggies to make it less of a cheat meal.
When did you start Crossfit and why did you choose OP?
I kept getting retargeting ads for the New You program, and the pictures of the women in the ads resembled my age-range. My neighbors were crossfitters at another box, and they loved it and talked about it quite a bit. I was always curious and interested in crossfit, but didn’t believe I could do crossfit workouts. I started in the New You program with my 2 friends and colleagues, Yuille and Misty, in April 2019.
What was your first workout/most memorable workout?
Wallballs, the assault bike and push-ups, I believe were my first workout.
I really enjoy the weight training exercises, as I make the most improvements with those. It’s exciting to realize one week to another that I could perform an exercise that I couldn’t do a week or 2 previously. Little by little, I’ve been able to see improvements in my strength, physical abilities and overall health. I rarely get sick now. I previously struggled with lower back pain and dizziness the first few months of joining CFOP; however, I have had no lower back pain whatsoever the last 3 or so months, and the dizziness hasn’t returned for several months as well. I believe this is due to the amount of muscle and strength I’ve built over the months I’ve spent working out at CFOP.
What were/are your goals and how has Crossfit and OP helped you accomplish them?
I want to be healthy and stay mobile as I grow older. It’s also a bigger struggle to maintain a healthy weight as I grow older, and I’ve found that I’ve decreased size in inches since I’ve been working out at CFOP, where other exercise routines did not work for me. The positivity and encouragement from not only the coaches but also fellow crossfitters is a big motivator for me as well.
What are your favorite Crossfit movements and why?
I really like squat cleans. I seem to improve the most with them, and I’m always pleasantly surprised at how much weight I can squat clean, and I’m able to build onto the weight almost every time I do squat cleans now.
What is your proudest Crossfit accomplishment?
I can squat clean 85 lbs now, which seemed impossible a few months ago. Having Coach Jim tell me it was time for me to move up to a heavier weighted bar in my bar workouts made me feel accomplished as well.
What’s something memorable you’ve realized or learned while being at OP?
A workout or movement may seem impossible at the time, but with practice and time it will happen.
More from Heather:
I really like the diversity of the classes. I am never bored with any of the workouts at CFOP, and every workout is different than the one the day before.
I always feel good, physically and emotionally, after a good hard CFOP workout.