Introducing our September 2016 JCCF MVP! Congratulations Jamie Faulconer. She is a 5am Warrior. Always smiling and keeping it real. I had the privilege to coach her smiling face this morning, and I can’t say another person is more deserving. She is the epitome of her favorite quote, “Work Hard, Stay Humble and Be Kind.” Her interview made me tear up!! Jamie, Thank you for being a part of our community! Here she is:
Name: Jamie Faulconer
Age: 26
Family: Me and my two dogs, Lacy and Dawn. You may know my sister and brother in law, Jessica and Joey Gerbes, they are pretty cool.
How long have you been CrossFitting?: Just over a year.
What time do you come to WOD normally? 5 a.m. Rooster Crew
Favorite Lift: Snatch…It is my weakest but I love seeing the little improvements. Also, I like telling people about my snatch.
Favorite Met Con/Cardio: Although I complain about it I would have to say running. It is a love hate relationship we are in.
Favorite Gymnastic/Body weight Movement: Burpees, just kidding! Hand Stand Push Ups only because I discovered I can now do them.
Favorite Shoe to WOD in: Reebok Nano 5 thanks to going on vacation with my friends. I went on vacation but did not pack tennis shoes because I thought we were working out on the beach or at the house. Little did I know, everyone planned on hitting up a local box so needless to say I had to go buy new shoes and I wasn’t really heartbroken about it.
Favorite Meal: Wine, I mean probably Mexican food.
Favorite Beverage: I think instead of blood in my veins I have coffee. And wine, I also like wine.
Funniest memory at the box: I do not remember exactly when this happened but I know I had been coming to JCCF for a while. We had a WOD that started with rowing for time then you had to complete other movements. Jake had written everyone’s name on the board and recorded our rowing times so that we did not have to worry about remembering. At the end of the WOD, I walked up to the board to write down my second score but I could not find my name. The name Amber was on the board and there was no one named Amber in our class. I asked Jake who Amber was and he told me he thought my name was Amber. We got a good laugh out of it and he said I looked similar to a girl he knew named Amber.
Tell us some about your journey, greatest accomplishments. Like what was your reason for starting, why you stuck with it? What makes you keep coming back?
My friends, Sami, Tyler, Kyle, and Steven were always telling me how much they loved CrossFit. I would say that doesn’t sound like fun to me. I always found excuses for why I could not join. (sounds hard, I don’t’ have time, and I am not in shape for that) Finally one June day, I decided to send an email to JCCF to try a class. I attend the 5 am class. I do not remember what the WOD was but I remember a lot of power cleans were involved. I was instantly in love. I sent another emailing saying I wanted to sign up for On Ramp in July. During On Ramp, I remember Maria teaching us how to snatch. I thought I am supposed to do what with that bar? She promised it would get easier and not to over think it. I stuck with CrossFit because I enjoy the challenge of the WODs. I was guilty of “cherry picking” but now I just suck it up and do it. If I showed up on a day we had to do 101 burpees, knowing we had to that then I can survive anything. I was a nervous nelly when I first started CrossFit. I was worried I could not do a movement or I would not remember how to do a movement. As time passed, I became more comfortable and I realized how much I enjoyed it. I keep coming back because I love the results and the community. My job is stressful sometimes and I have found that CrossFit is my outlet. I walk in knowing I need to relieve some stress, I put all my energy into the workout, and then I walk out happy. I have told numerous people I do not know what my life would be like if I did not have CrossFit. It really is just more than a gym. I love this community. So I received this email telling me that I was chosen as the MVP for September and I was beyond excited. I thought this is going to make my day great. Spoiler alert, I had a pretty rough day. I forgot all about it until I went home that night and I saw the email again. It instantly made me feel better. It is the little things that make a difference.
Tell me some of your greatest accomplishments at the box:
I have so many accomplishments. RXing my first workout, getting 100 pounds on my snatch, hitting 205 pounds on my back squat, and competing in my first individual competition. I can tell you that all of these accomplishments would not have happened if it was not for people pushing me. At every one of these accomplishments, I say I don’t know if I can do this but there is someone next to me saying you got this or add more weight on the bar (I am looking at you Audrey Walker).
What was it like experiencing your first CrossFit Competition?
My first competition was the most nerve racking, exciting, and rewarding experience. My goal going in was just not to be last. So when I finished towards the middle I was super stoked! I am pretty sure that I never would have survived without Jake and Maria there to coach and cheer me on. I loved it so much that I signed up to do another competition. Jill West and I are going to kick some booty at WODfest. Go team Sweat Angels! Also, what nobody told me was that when you go to bed the night after a competition you cannot move at all. My body felt like a 1,000 pounds but it was totally worth it!
If you could give any advice for a person new to CrossFit, what would it be?:
Don’t compare yourself to everyone else. This is hard when you are a competitive person like myself. You just have to focus on how to improve yourself because at the end of the day, that is all that matters. Also, you need to embrace your strengths and weaknesses and never be afraid to ask questions. The most important thing is just have fun.
Please list two future goals. 6 months and One year:
6 months: pull-ups
1 year: Competing RX in a competition.
Favorite Quote:
I’m not sure it is really a quote but I like the saying Work Hard, Stay Humble and Be Kind.