- Name: Dawn Brotherton
- Age: 39
- How long have you been doing CF for: 2 years with approx 1 year Olympic lifting prior to this.
Why did you make the decision to join CrossFit: I firstly joined an Olympic lifting group at my old gym as I was having issues with my back & tried the lifting to see if, as I built muscle, this would help with my back issue. I then went on to have personal training sessions for approx 6 months & also did Circuit training classes. The CF WODS would be done during the PT sessions, as my fitness & confidence grew I decided to join CrossFit Leyland.
How did you feel when you first walked through the door: When I first walked through the door at Leyland, I was very nervous as I was used to my old box which is a lot smaller with less people & also, because my technique wasn’t the best I was worried what other members would think of me. It takes me a while to settle in to places & get to know people but once I get to know everyone, you’re a friend for life.
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Dawn pre-CrossFit
What were your goals when you first started: To get fit & get a little stronger. Plus, to get a CF bum & thighs!
What do you enjoy most about CF: The camaraderie, we all help each other & push each other; no one is left on their own. The friendships, I love meeting people & I like the ethos behind CF, in that it is a community & we are all there to support each other, no matter what level each person is at there is a movement suitable for that person. I have made a lot of good friends & met some lovely people through CF.
Dawn’s journey…
I initially started CF for fitness only and because I enjoy Olympic lifting so much; I never entertained the thought of competing because I never thought that I would get to a level good enough to compete. I was always happy to go to competitions to support my friends & still am. I have competed in 2 competitions to date and finished in the top 20 at my first competition, something I never thought possible.
I also completed Born Survivor, obstacle course with 10k run, in 2016; this also is something that I never thought that I would be able to do because, before CF I couldn’t run effectively but PT sessions at my old gym helped with this & I had a good running coach in the form of another member at the box, Denis, who would run with me during WOD’s and talk me through my breathing during each run.
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I have had time out recently, from competition, due to a displaced patella stemming from issues with my back but I am working on this & the coaches at CF Leyland have been brilliant by adapting WOD’s for me so that I can still train and have also offered rehab advice to help my knee recover.
I suffer with depression & anxiety, in part due to burning myself out in my teens/early 20’s from partying too hard. Because of this I don’t sleep very well & had quite a long bout of insomnia over a period of around 2 years following the death of my great grandmother. As I have a place to come to burn off my excess energy & lose myself in a workout, this relaxes me & helps me to sleep.
When I think back to where I started, when I was massively overweight at 14 stone & not moving a lot, this makes me happy and glad that I started on my fitness journey.
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The post Dawn: from nerves to weightloss, a members story appeared first on CrossFit Leyland.