Rebecca can back squat 275lbs (working towards that 300 club!)
finished vested Murph in 41:27 this year, and was in the 89th percentile in the US and 87th percentile internationally in last year's Open (aiming for quarterfinals this year!!).
CrossFit Level 2 Trainer
HSN Nutrition Coach
CPR and AED certified
I grew up playing just about every sport you could think of - soccer, basketball, softball (to name a few). In High School, I stopped all of those to try something new and joined the school water polo team with zero experience, no clue how to tread water, and only a vague idea of what the sport even was. As the slowest swimmer and a former soccer goalie, I started in goal there. Determined to play the field and build her skills, I joined the swim team where I swam butterfly and the individual medley. After building some skills, I was able to move to the field, became Varsity captain my senior year, and was awarded the "spirit of the team" award. I went on to play club water polo at the University of Iowa. After graduation, I moved back to Oak Park where I coached for a club swim team as well as spent 3 years coaching the JV Water Polo team at my former high school. It was there that I found a passion for coaching others, and being a part of someone's journey to success, especially for those who are starting something brand new. As someone with a competitive drive, I missed having her own sport though, and realized a need to find something to fill that spot. Once again, with no experience, and only a small idea of what it was, I looked at CrossFit and decided to join Spero.
With all the athletics listed, you might expect that I grew up in the picture of fitness. While I had built strength through those sports and could use my build as an advantage in water polo, I also spent most of my life overweight. In my head I always thought "as long as I'm not this weight, I'm okay"...but that number came and passed in college. I didn't just gain the "freshman 15," by the end of school I was almost 240lbs. But it wasn't just the number, being active was harder. It was walking through campus and being out of breath all the time, it was knee pain after standing during a night out. I knew I wanted to make a change but didn't know what to do. Then I found CrossFit Spero. I joined Spero in January of 2018, with no experience with a barbell, no clue what a rower was, and definitely no idea what AMRAP, RFT, or EMOM meant. Determined to make a change, and to also get the most use of my unlimited membership, I decided to just show up. I had to start all over as the new kid again and be okay with being "bad" at things. Luckily I found an incredibly supportive and helpful community at Spero where coaches and members were always there to help. After a bit I noticed things changing - walking was easier, there was less pain, and my goals shifted from a random number on the scale, to what I could accomplish. First, it was "try to be top of the committed club," then my first pull-up, then a 300lb deadlift. There was always a new challenge, a new way to grow, and help to get there. It took this community, but I got to a place I never imagined for myself. I never thought I could accomplish the things I do today, and I never thought I'd enjoy exercise. It wasn't just a physical change for me, but a mental one too. I stopped putting a limit on what I'm able to accomplish both in and out of the gym, and I'm so thankful for the lessons this experience continues to teach me.
Now as a coach, I have the opportunity to share my experience and what I've learned to help others. Each person's goals are different but it's an incredible blessing to be a part in their journey to accomplishing them. I want to be there to help someone find what they need to be 1% better each day and make that step towards breaking their own barriers.
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