Gaby L. is a member of the Stars 99 softball team and has been training at MBS for almost a year now to enhance her softball skills. Gaby’s dedication recently earned her Athletic of the Year from her school. From Gaby’s Mom:
First of all I wanted to tell you at the beginning of 8th grade Gaby said “Mom at the end of the year at Continuation they give out this award Athletic of the Year I want that award… that award is mine!” I told her you will have to work hard all year…
I wanted to share with you some of the speech that the Athletic teacher Ms. Kendal, gave at Gaby’s school while presenting Gaby with the “Athletic of the Year” award during the Continuation Ceremony. Ms. Kendal does CrossFit so she can relate to Gaby and what Gaby was talking about when they would get together and talk about their WOD, how sore they were, how to stretch and all that other stuff cross fitters talk about! She said Gaby was “rare” and that she thought it to be rare for someone Gaby’s age to be so interested and determined to change. Ms. Kendal said she watched Gaby from the beginning of her CrossFitting, last year. After a month or so she stated to notice the change in Gaby, her weight, her balance, her strength, her endurance and even her speed had improved. She said she had an “edge” and Gaby had soooooo many questions about nutrition. She noticed at the softball, volleyball, and basketball games that Gaby had an “EDGE” over the other players! She said she felt CrossFit had given Gaby that EDGE. She said they talked Cross fit all the time and she knew Gaby was determined. She said Gaby would tell her; jokingly “MBS Cross Fit was better because they had better instructors, they don’t mess around”! She would always invite her to come to MBS. Any way… I think Gaby will be a Cross fitter forever. It is one of the best things that have ever happened to her and she loves it. Thank you both for your support in helping Gaby reach her goal. She did it she got the award she had been working all year long for and Cross Fit played a big part.
GABY’S VITAL STATS:
Height:5′ 3 1/2″
Weight:160 lbs.
Career: Beginning my freshman year at Wheatridge High School. In the future I want to be a professional athlete and study sports medicine
Favorite CF movement: back squats, squats and wall hand stands
Most hated CF movement: burpees!
How long have you been CrossFitting? since 2012; almost be a year.
What got you into CF?
Some generous, wonderful sponsors paid for a big chunk of our team’s membership. Coach Kale signed up our whole softball team so we could get fit for the up coming softball season.
What were your athletic endeavors prior to CF?
I worked out to Insanity almost everyday, played, softball, volleyball, and basketball at school and I played softball with the CO Stars 99. I also caught for several different pitchers at the Baseball/Softball Academy and I had hitting/practice lessons twice a week.
Any goals or goats, athletic or otherwise you’re working on right now?
Kicking Cancers A$$! On July 10th I was pre-diagnosed with Leukemia and July 12th I was diagnosed with APML which a rare form of Leukemia. There is treatment and a CURE. The road won’t be easy but…APML has not met Gaby Loya I will fight and I will WIN! I have been powered by MBS CrossFit too, thanks to Coach Kane. The Doctors said doing CrossFit and being an athlete will play in huge role in my fight and recovery. Here I thought Coach Kane was kicking my a$$ and getting me ready to fight for a spot on the varsity softball team little did I know I would be fighting this!
Give us some insight into your life outside the gym.
Before the ”cancer curve ball” I went to softball practice, softball tournaments, almost anything softball, school sports, played in the school band, training, family events, hanging with my friends. And now I say “Life threw me a curve ball and….I’m going to knock it out the park!” I think about my future and I will soon be able to look back on this “curve ball”.
What’s your favorite non paleo food?
Dairy Queen!
What’s the weirdest food you’ve ever eaten?
By brother Vic makes these spring rolls. They are good but they are weird!
What’s your favorite summertime activity?
Anything softball.
Ski or snowboard?
Snowboard
Cat person or dog person?
Dog
What advice would you give to a new CrossFitter?
You are about to get your a$$ kicked! Don’t quit! At first it will not be that hard. But after you learn the workout movements and start to do WOD’s it will start to get harder. Don’t give up no matter how much you want to. You don’t want to quit because you want to have that satisfaction you feel when you are done with the workout. If you quit you will regret it! Look at the people around you and see that they are not going to quit so YOU don’t quit. When you don’t quit it brings you up to another level. You feel like you have accomplished your goal. There will be times when you feel like you have gotten your a$$ kicked. Get used to it! Go hard or go home! Motivate yourself, I would listen to my favorite music real loud while my parents drove me to MBS. It helped to motivate me and get my mind set. Hang in there and at the end you will be able to call yourself a proud member of MBS CrossFit. You will get to the point where you will crave working out. It got to the point where I craved working out. I could taste it!
***Visit http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/gabyloya to learn more about Gaby and to donate to her fight.
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