She bounces into the gym with her blonde pony tail and her illuminating smile. Sonja is MBS’ December Athlete of the Month. No one makes sweating look cuter.
Sonja’s Vital Stats
Height – 5’4″
Weight – 115 lbs
Career – Professional nerd (AKA: Aerospace Engineer)
Favorite CF move: Toes to Bar
Most Hated CF move: Wall balls
How long have you been Crossfitting?
Off and on for 2 years – pretty consistently for the last year at MBS!
What got you into CF?
My sister – she is an avid CrossFitter, and now a coach and gym owner.
What were your athletic endeavors prior to CF?I was a ballerina! I actually took a month off of CrossFit in December 2011 to dance in the Nutcracker ballet again. It was interesting to see how my body had changed going back to ballet after doing Crossfit for a year. Some things I was actually better at, like jumping.
You’ve competed in some lifting meets, tell us more about that.
Olympic lifting is a LOT of fun. The lifts are amazingly technical, and take a lot of practice. I’d recommend anyone giving a meet a try. You’ll definitely push yourself. Coach Rich and Coach Bender have both done Oly meets as well, and have some great programming. Having something to train for is a good motivator. I also did a team CrossFit competition (Girls Gone Rx’d) with Emily Pieper and Amanda Russell this year which was so much fun!
Any goals you’re working on right now?
I spent a lot of time this last year working on Olympic lifts, but have recently been focusing on more gymnastic stuff – handstands, muscle-ups, dips, etc. I have a goal of being able to do 3 ‘strict’ pull-ups in a row, and would really love to be able to walk a gym length on my hands.
Your performance in the Bear Complex portion of the 2012 Turkey Challenge was inspiring. Tell us what was going through your mind and what pushed you through.
I really can’t even tell you how much I wanted to put that bar down after the 2nd front squat. I think the mental side won because I heard my husband Brian and Coach Shirley screaming at me to keep going, and also the knowledge that if I put the bar down, I’d just have to pick it up and start all over – and would get zero credit for all the work I’d already done! It was pretty rewarding to finish it.
Give us a little insight into what goes on in your life outside the gym.
I love to hang out with my husband, Brian: we enjoy snowboarding, rock-climbing, camping, and gardening. Our dog Dakota is pretty much one of the family! My job keeps me on my toes for sure, but I love it. I try to make time to do some crafty things, like crocheting, sewing and beading. I also enjoy paleo cooking.
What’s your favorite non-paleo food?
Neon sour gummy-worms, and pizza.
What was your favorite toy as a kid?
Legos!!! (my nerd status was established early in life…)
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