Athlete Spotlight: Jami Poore

Name: Jami PooreJami (2)
Age: 33
Occupation: Development Assistant, Wyndham Hotel Group
Which class time do you usually attend? 6:00pm
Favorite WOD: not sure I have a favorite, but participating in Murph for Memorial Day was a pretty awesome experience
Favorite Lift: bench press
Deadlift Max: 170
Back squat Max: 125
Favorite Food: Mexican
Favorite Movie: kinda embarrassed to admit it, but I loved the Step Up dance movies…especially the first one with Channing Tatum.
Favorite Athlete: Justin Timberlake, he’s an athlete, right??
Dream Job: Win the lottery and become a world traveler?
Dream Vacation Destination: New Zealand

How long have you been CrossFitting?
“Since March 2013, so a little over a year.”

What keeps you coming back/motivated?
“The great group of people at No Excuses keeps me coming back, but I really do enjoy the WODs (most of the time). Seeing not only great physical results, but also getting stronger mentally is rather addictive.”

How did you find CrossFit?
“My husband Scot started CrossFit while we were dating and it took him awhile to talk me into trying it. Once I did I was hooked!”

What is your athletic background?
“Participated in rec league sports when in elementary school (basketball, softball, gymnastics, etc) and then got into cheerleading in middle and high school. I also played the flute and piccolo in marching band – which is more athletic than you would think, haha. Did some intramurals in college but nothing I was very serious about. I have always been active in one way or another.”

How has CrossFit changed your life, lifestyle, level of fitness?
“CrossFit has gotten me to a level of fitness within one year’s time that I never thought would be possible after a hip injury during a fitness boot camp about 4 years ago. I was able to start slowly (scaling where need be) and build my strength back and I can honestly say I’m in the best shape of my life. I have also learned a lot about nutrition through No Excuses and eat a much more healthy diet than ever before. And the ‘icing on the cake’ of all this is that I’ve made some pretty awesome friends in our coaches and other athletes at No Excuses.”

What is the one thing you have done here that you never thought you could do?
“CrossFit has allowed me to do a lot of things I never thought I could do (or do well anyway). I am able to do ‘real’ (man-style) push-ups, I can run a mile without dying, and I also surprised myself with doing some double-unders during the Open. Need to work on stringing those together though.”

Who or what motivates/inspires you?
“My awesome husband Scot is a constant motivation for me – we have made it a priority to make CrossFit and healthy/clean eating a lifestyle for ourselves. We keep each other accountable. Also, the great community at No Excuses keeps me excited about showing up for the WODs – it’s pretty awesome to walk into the gym knowing you get to chat it up and sweat it out with some really cool people!”

What is your proudest CrossFit achievement?
“Participating in the Open this year and posting a score for every work out – I definitely exceeded my own expectations on some of the weights and lifts that I had never done before such as overhead squats and snatches.”

Name one goal/personal achievement you would like to achieve through CrossFit?
“Really want to do a pull-up!!!!”

Hobbies/Interests outside of CrossFit?
“I love food – whether it’s cooking a new recipe or trying a new restaurant with the hubby or friends. Also enjoy traveling, reading, yoga and playing with our two weimaraners, PJ and Molly.”

Any advice for new members?
“I was REALLY scared to walk in those doors the first time. My husband is very competitive with CrossFit, so I automatically assumed everyone in the gym would be like him. Don’t be intimidated thinking that you maybe aren’t in good enough shape to start CrossFit or that everyone will be in perfect shape and fitness level. I made those untrue assumptions for a while before having the guts to come in for my intro assessment. Did I finish some workouts last? Yes, and I still do sometimes, but the truth is that every workout is scalable to your own level and there are folks all ages, shapes and sizes participating and killing it every day. You will be welcomed with open arms and cheered along every step of the way. And before you know it, you’ll get better and stronger and feel great about accomplishing your personal goals! I won’t say it ever gets easier, but then, why would you want it to be easy?”

Any additional thoughts/comments:
“It really is an honor to be chosen this month for Spotlight Athlete – not sure I’ve ever even considered myself an athlete before in my life. Thank you to all of our great coaches who lead us to be better than we think we can be – for me, especially to Coach Crowder in my beginner days of CrossFit Basics for giving me ‘tough love’ when I didn’t have much confidence in my physical abilities, and also to Coach Laura for always giving me encouragement and extra help when I need it. I could not have done a 65 lb overhead squat without your lucky Olympic Lifting shoes 😉 In all seriousness, having coaches that I know I can trust with my well-being is so great!”

Coach Crowder’s Take:
“Jami wanted to quit one of her first couple workouts and I wouldn’t let her! She has come so far from where she started. What she can do now compared to what she could do then is incredible. She is definitely one of the most improved athlete’s mobility-wise and has worked really hard at at that among other aspects of her fitness.”