November Athlete of the Month: Cat Hanson
Congratulations, Cat! You are our November Athlete of the Month!!
Cat started CrossFit at NoCoast only 9 months ago, but in that time she has totally immersed herself in the training program, nutrition challenges, as well as our community events. Cat is everything we want our community to represent - she pushes herself every time she’s at the gym, she takes advantage of our coaching and specialty classes and we’ve seen so many improvements in her movement. Cat has also participated in our Nutrition Challenges transforming her eating habits. And, she’s been such a supportive member of our community who is always there for her peers. Congrats on all of your successes, Cat! We’re looking forward to seeing what you do in the future!
Quotes from Cat:
NoCoast has improved my overall wellness a lot. I’m in better shape now than I was when I was Active Duty. Aside from physical changes, the biggest improvement I’ve noticed is my mental health. CrossFit has been such a big outlet for me and I’ve noticed that I’m not as anxious or depressed anymore.
The NoCoast community has been the best part of this whole journey. It truly feels like family and I love how supportive everyone is of each other. I have fallen in love with the sport but it’s the community that makes me want to be there day in and day out. If I’m struggling or doubting myself, someone is always right there to motivate me and push me to get through whatever I’m doing. And when I get a new movement down or hit a PR, they are just as excited as I am and it’s the best thing to be surrounded by so much positivity.
Age/Weight:
31/143
Athletic/Sports history/highlights:
I played softball growing up and still love it. I also enjoy hiking, biking, and flag football.
How long have you been CrossFitting?
February 2019, so about 9 months.
How did you get into CrossFit?
Honestly I was fascinated everytime the Games came on TV. I was always low-key interested in trying CrossFit but everyone I knew used to talk about how bad it was so I always wrote it off. Last year I was struggling to motivate myself to workout so I Googled CrossFit gyms near me and found NoCoast, and the rest is history.
What is your favorite WOD/CrossFit movement?
I love Chippers! I like the challenge of pacing myself. Picking a favorite movement is hard but probably deadlifts, bench press, and handstands.
What is your least favorite WOD/CrossFit movement?
Running, Burpees, Wall balls.
What is your most memorable CrossFit moment?
I think competing in the Festivus Games in September was a pretty big moment for me because I realized that this is something bigger for me than I anticipated. It made me see how far I’ve come and it definitely motivated me to continue to push myself so that I can improve and compete more.
How does nutrition play a role in your fitness and recovery?
Oh man, nutrition has probably been my biggest struggle. I really like food, but between the nutrition challenges and asking all the coaches about various aspects of it, I’ve been better about what I’m putting into my body. Meal prepping and eating real food vs processed food has played a huge role in my performance over the last couple months. I can definitely tell a difference in how I workout after eating clean and eating not so clean.
How has CrossFit improved your overall wellness?
It has improved my overall wellness a lot. I’m in better shape now than I was when I was Active Duty. Aside from physical changes, the biggest improvement I’ve noticed is my mental health. CrossFit has been such a big outlet for me and I’ve noticed that I’m not as anxious or depressed anymore.
How has the NoCoast community impacted you on your journey?
The NoCoast community has been the best part of this whole journey. It truly feels like family and I love how supportive everyone is of each other. I have fallen in love with the sport but it’s the community that makes me want to be there day in and day out. If I’m struggling or doubting myself, someone is always right there to motivate me and push me to get through whatever I’m doing. And when I get a new movement down or hit a PR, they are just as excited as I am and it’s the best thing to be surrounded by so much positivity.
Advice to new people:
Be patient and trust the process. There are a lot of movements in CrossFit and some of them take a lot of time and work to progress to. Don’t try to rush and be willing to put in the work to build up to them and it WILL pay off.