Hi, I'm Shannon! I am proud to be one of the OG Titan members. I am married with 3 kids, ages 8, 5 and 7 months. If you have never been to a noon CrossFit class, there is a good chance we have never met since this is the only class I attend. I actually live in Howard County, so I hit the noon class on my lunch (Thanks Bill!)
What led you to try CrossFit?
I started CrossFit back in 2011 shortly after graduating from college where I played D1 Lacrosse. I was tired of working out by myself. It was boring and monotonous. Going from a team environment most of my life to working out solo was not going well for me. The Little Red Box, aka the original Titan was next door to my first job. One day, my co-worker and I decided to give it a try. And I have been at it ever since.
Why do you continue to CrossFit?
Working out is truly my therapy! I love getting lost in a workout. It’s a great way to clear my head. CrossFit has really grown with me over the years. When I first started out, I was fresh out of college and had all the time in the world to hang out at the gym and work on new skills. I was consistently in the gym 6 days a week. Now, I am married with 3 kids and a full-time job. If I’m lucky, I can make it to the gym 4x per week for an hour. I truly believe CrossFit can work for any season of life you are in, even while you are pregnant or postpartum.
Describe how your attitude towards health and fitness has evolved since you began your journey.
As I mentioned above, when I first started out, I had all the time in the world to dedicate to CrossFit and improving my fitness. I would spend 1.5-2 hours in the gym religiously. As a gym, we did a few paleo challenges, but this was never a sustainable way of eating for me. Even though I was working out 10+ hours a week, my body composition was not changing much. Fast forward to Fall 2016. I just returned to the gym after having my first baby. As I walked into the gym, I was blinded by Rose and her 6 pack abs! Don’t get me wrong, Rose has always been a total badass. But she had clearly done something different while I was on maternity leave. Of course I had to know what it was. She introduced me to macro counting. This was a total game changer for me. I loved the flexibility it offered. And it's true what they say, abs are made in the kitchen!
Share a memorable CrossFit moment that makes you laugh or puts a smile on your face.
This one also goes back to 18.3, one of the CrossFit Open workouts. The workout started with 100 DUs (double unders) followed by 20 OHS (overhead squats), followed by 100 more DUs. After that came 12 ring muscle ups, which I couldn’t do. So, I needed to have a really good tie-break time. During the second set of 100 DU’s I full on peed my pants (mom problems!). Tiffany Malstrom was judging me at the time. She yelled at me to keep going. She knew I needed a good tie-break time, so she wouldn’t let me stop. While I was catching my breath before attempting MU, Tiff cleaned up the mess I had made. Such a great friend!
What are you proud of and why?
I have 2 big ones that stand out:
1. During my first CrossFit competition (The Hopper), I had to snatch 95# three times. This was my one rep max at the time. I worked so incredibly hard to hit those 3 reps. I couldn't let my team down. To this day, when I load 95# on the bar, I still think back to that competition and how far I’ve come.
2. Getting my first bar muscle up during the Open in 2017. I followed it up with several more during the same workout. Shout out to Chris Day for recording the moment!
What's your advice for other CrossFitters or people looking to start?
Just do it! It’s always scary to start something new. I promise you will not regret it. Especially if you come to a noon class, we are by far the most fun. Keep coming back and it will get easier.
Why the coaches chose Shannon as Titan of the month:
Shannon is an athlete in every sense of the word. She thrives on improving her performance. Competition no matter the level is a big motivator. Whether it's picking someone in class to try and beat, shooting for a personal record or cheering on teammates during the CrossFit open, Shannon is always striving to be the best she can in the moment. She's a great example of how to balance family, work and fitness. She will meet friends to workout for accountability. She makes time in the middle of the day to exercise so she can be present for her family at home. She encourages her girls to join her for at home workouts to lead by example. Recognizing her time limits, Shannon isn't too hard on herself when that work, life, fitness balance needs to shift. Life changes, all we can ever do is with the time we have!
Anyone that has attended a class with Shannon will remember her. She helps new people with equipment and gives out advice when she sees people confused or struggling. She will encourage other athletes to push themselves outside their comfort zone with challenging reps or weights. Always smiling she doesn't hesitate to introduce herself to new people or dish out friendly smack talk as a form of encouragement. Shannon embodies all of what Titan CrossFit strives for. If you are looking for a gym that's more than just a gym, come to a noon class. Shannon will show you how Titan and the people here become home away from home, where it's safe to ask questions and strive for self improvement.
