September Athlete of the Month || Meg Livingston!!
Each month we spotlight a different CFA athlete who stands out and shows just how awesome they are. What is it that makes up an Athlete of the Month? It may not be the person that finishes the fastest, Rx’s every WOD, or gets a PR every time they walk in the gym. Although we love and celebrate when those things happen, the Athlete of the Month is made up of much more than physical ability. This person shows up, gives their best every time, and then gives a little more. They are hungry to learn and always ready to do the work. They support their fellow classmates and encourage them to reach their goals. This athlete embodies what we believe the CrossFit Austin Community should be about.
Our September Athlete of the Month is Meg Livingston! Meg joined the CFA Family in the spring of 2019 and fell right into place with us. Meg is one of those people that you immediately know has a good heart! Meg’s smile and friendly greetings definitely make everyone feel welcome and happy to be here. The coaches also appreciate coachable Meg is and just the pure dedication to working hard in class. Meg, we are proud to introduce you as the September Athlete of the Month and as an awesome part of this team. Thanks for your all your hard work and we look forward to seeing all you accomplish in the years to come! Congratulations!
State your Name and/or Nickname please: Meg Livingston
Words to live by? Speak your mind – even if your voice shakes
What is your fitness background? I (poorly) played sports high school but that was pretty much the extent of my fitness background prior to getting involved with CrossFit.
How long have you been CrossFitting? Roughly 3 years
Take us back to your first day of CrossFit… How did you feel? How do you compare it to workouts today? I felt like death! I jumped into a free session to try it out and I think I was sore for at least a week after. I found a different gym for an intro class and it was really encouraging to learn the basics and not feel so far behind everyone else. I haven’t thought about it much until now but I’ve improved a hell of a lot from day one and am now at the point where I really enjoy the workouts as opposed to suffering through them.
What’s your favorite part of CrossFit Austin? It’s hard to pick a favorite. The programming of the workouts is phenomenal and so are the coaches. And the community. Yes, impossible to pick just one!
Current Training Goals/PRs? My goal since starting and learning about this workout has been to complete Murph. I’ve lost sight of that goal over time but am now focusing on it again.
What advice do you have for folks just starting out in CrossFit? If you keep working at it, it can literally only get easier. Eventually you’ll be challenging yourself to do things you never thought your body could do.
Things look a little different right now, how are you staying focused in your training and in your life during this time? Staying focused has always been a struggle for me and is even more so now with the serious weirdness of the world. I’m learning to take things one step at a time and to understand that having a bad day or even week doesn’t mean I’ve derailed myself. Tomorrow always brings a new day and new possibilities for success.
What is your cheat meal go to? Stupid, delicious pizza.
How do you use your fitness outside of the gym? Prior to working at a cat only vet clinic, I used my fitness daily at work by lifting/carrying/holding/
Tell us about a moment you felt most proud of yourself during a workout. Anytime I hit a PR after learning proper technique. I think I was only able to front squat 65# or so when I first started. Squatting was probably the hardest movement for me so far but now that I’m more efficient I’m up to 135#. Still a ways to go but having moments of massive improvement is really encouraging.
What are the biggest challenges you’ve faced in your fitness journey? Nutrition. That has always been my main challenge and historically has been my excuse for giving up on fitness goals.
If you could create a WOD and name it for yourself, what would it be? This is tough because I’m not very creative. I’d probably choose a 5000m row because I haven’t done that since my first month in CrossFit and I’d like to compare. I can for sure tell you what would NOT be in that WOD – burpees and thrusters. They’re both very terrible.
What keeps you going on the days you don’t feel like it? Understanding that time is going to pass regardless of whether I’m personally moving forward or backward so I might as well keep moving forward.
What are your hobbies, interests and/or talents outside of CrossFit? This is the third time I’ve been asked this question in the past week and every time my answer is the same – I spend most of my time outside of work watching/playing/annoying with my dogs and cats. I really need some new hobbies!
Tell us something we don’t know about you… I lived and worked at a primate sanctuary in South Africa for a year and a half.
Leave the fine folks of CrossFit Austin with some parting words… Early voting starts October 13th-30th. The deadline for voter registration ends October 5th. Election Day is November 3rd. Get out there and vote!