We are proud to share our June Athlete of the Month;
Jessica Gambone
About Jess:
Age: 36
Occupation: Air National Guard/HR
Fitness background: Basketball & Running up until Oct 2018 when I started CF; Now I mostly CF & run
Hobbies: My kids are my hobby; we enjoy all the outdoor activities!! If it is a nice day, we are outside doing something. Pool, beach, walks, playgrounds, exploring! If it is just me, I like to explore new areas, running (my newest fave is with a vest), or I seriously could lay on a beach all day not doing anything.
Favorite pre/post workout meal: Thanks to OP’s Nutrition Challenge, I was doing coffee, water, & oatmeal w/ blueberries before workouts. Post workout I enjoy a giant omelet – either homemade or when we go out to breakfast with whoever could join after the 9am workout! Of course, coffee is always involved 🙂
More Fun Facts:
What’s your favorite Cheat Meal?
I “might” have a bowl of ice cream w/ bananas or strawberries in it almost daily. Is it a “cheat meal” if you do it often? LOL
When did you start Crossfit and why did you choose OP?
I started Crossfit in September 2018 with the Onramp Fort Eustis class. The following month I started classes at 9am with OP. Almost immediately, I fell in love with the 9am group. I made a point to hit up a class whenever I could (sometimes it was a 12 or 1530 class) if work or travel changed my schedule; but the 9am class was my sweet spot. A big bonus though of why OP and really the main reason is that I could bring my kids. Turns out, they also fell in love with the other “friends” that will come. I enjoy the camaraderie, encouragement and positive peer pressure to push myself out of my fitness comfort zone that OP has.
What was your first workout/most memorable workout?
The OPEN!!! Wow! Just. Wow. I loved coming to Thursday Night Throwdowns and Friday Night Lights. The energy was a whole new level for me. Just seeing everyone push and cheer everyone else on was amazing to see.
How has Crossfit and the OP community helped you accomplish your goals?
When I started CF, to be honest, I didn’t really have any goals other than I knew I needed a change from just running. Initially I would joke that I would “just want to be able to pull myself up if I was falling off a cliff.” Now I guess you would ask, “Well why would you be hanging from a cliff?” IDK. LOL. But I think it was just my way of saying I just wanted to be my strongest self. I will definitely say that OP has helped me with this. As I have said before, everyone is always so encouraging. It’s the moments when I doubt my skill/ability but then someone there will push me to try it or adjust it in a way that I still may not be able to perform it, but I am working towards being able to do it. For me, those moments are the most helpful in accomplishing my goals.
What is your proudest Crossfit accomplishment?
Things I literally never thought I could do… rope climbs & pull ups.
What’s something memorable you’ve realized or learned while being at OP?
To be honest, the Nutrition Challenge was really good for me in learning about what/how I am consuming. I think it has been a huge reason why I feel better during a workout. My most memorable from a Coach will have to be when I was trying a kipping HSPU for the first time but failed. Dani said to me all serious-like “Ok do it again, now like you mean it.” The way she said it…even though I didn’t have the confidence at that moment for the skill, I felt like she knew I could do it and it pushed me to try again. I ended up getting it and it felt awesome! So now when I fail a rep, for whatever reason in my head I hear her say “Now like you mean it.” I guess it helps me mentally to push past whatever I have in front of me at that moment.