Outstanding Member Success for January/ February 2010- Christine Whitsel

When did you start Crossfit?
I started last March.

Why did you sign up for the Fitness Challenge?
I signed up for the 99 days Fitness Challenge in the hopes of losing some weight and to help me start living a healthier lifestyle. Also, I was sick of always being tired and I was struggling to keep up with my four year old daughter's endless energy. Additionally, my health was not that great. I have Type II Diabetes and Hypertension. I was having a hard time manging my blood pressure due to stress and diet. And my hemoglobin A1C and blood sugars were not where I or my doctor wanted them to be. So, my ultimate goal for this program was to see what I could do to greatly improve my health. This program helped me jump start to living healthy and with the hope of being fit someday.


What did you gain from this program?
The program taught me better diet choices and helped me improved my Crossfit techniques and performance. It was as close to having your own personal trainer (without the fee) and they gave you individual attention and encouragement. I can still hear Jeff telling me, “What's 3 more...Anybody can do 3 more.” Three is the magic number! Dan helped me improve my techniques. Debbie & Andrea kept an eye on me and pushed me (I think my squats were low enough:). Mikki, is so supportive. She presented a nutritional class that gave me the knowledge on how to eat healthier and to make better choices for me and what I gave my family. I guess this was the hardest part for me and I still struggle with it but I am and my family are in a much better place than before I started the challenge.


Did you think you could win?
NO! Winning the performance section of the Fitness Challenge was a surprise to me. Ultimately, I did achieve what I wanted in the challenge. My blood pressure prior to the challenge was 120-130/80-90 at rest and my hemoglobin A1C was 7.0. Towards the end of the fitness challenge my Blood pressure ranged from 110-120/65-80 and my hemoglobin A1C = 6.4. I lost 11 pounds during the challenge and 2 dress sizes. So, I'm pretty happy with that.

Congrats Christine! We are so proud of you!