This month we are celebrating our first group for Members of the Month: The Swole Patrol!
The Swole Patrol consists of PUSH511 members Lauren, Steph and Danica. They're fixtures in PUSH's morning group CrossFit classes. Many of us know how tough it can be to roll out of bed in the morning and make it to the gym, especially when you have busy family and work lives, but the Swole Patrol keeps each other accountable by encouraging each other to make it to the gym. This is why the PUSH511 team loves having the Swole Patrol in class:
Having all three Swole Patrol members at 6AM in the gym is a joy to have. Show up early to claim there usually spot where they all share equipment and space. All three are super coachable and they all feed off each others energy which is awesome when it comes to keeping each other accountable.
Well deserved Members of the Month! Friends outside the gym bring their game to the 6 am class. All 3 are regularly in the Committed Club and it is great to see how they hold each other accountable, plus they help push each other a little bit out of their comfort zone. All are moms with busy lives but they make sure fitness is a regular part of their day.
I occasionally get to work out with Swole Patrol in the morning or coach them on Saturdays, and I'm always impressed by their commitment and support of each other. They are always fun to be around and work hard in class. They've created a culture of fun and accountability that is a model for our gym - they really epitomize everything that we're about here at PUSH!
The Swole Patrol are a top-notch fun-brigade. How adorable, they used Chat GPT to come up with their group text name to encourage each other to hit the gym every morning. Although they can be a morning gossip gang, they take their form seriously and with a bit of encouragement, they’ve continued to push their limits. They’ve come a long way in a short period of time and I can’t wait to see what else they achieve this year!
Now, let's get to know our March Members of the Month!
When did you start CrossFit?
- Danica: June 2024.
- Lauren: August 2015. Spoiler alert, CrossFit was my idea! I went to the first few classes at Red Point Crossfit in Fayetteville, NC solo, until I could convince Coach Joe to join me.
- Steph: June 2024. Lauren told me about bring a friend week and the rest is history!
What's your fitness background?
- Danica: I played basketball in high school, and took a long break from fitness during my early 20s. In my late 20s I got into Barre, Pilates, and the Peloton during COVID.
- Lauren: I've never been very athletic, but I grew up doing competitive dance and cheerleading. RahRah!
- Steph: None! I'm not athletic so I never did sports growing up. Regular gyms never really appealed to me, though I did belong to one many moons ago.
What’s your favorite CrossFit movement?
- Danica: Deadlift.
- Lauren: Sit ups (aka laying down)
- Steph: Deadlifts, only because it is the one barbell movement that I actually know how to do and don't have to watch a video beforehand.
What’s your least favorite movement?
- Danica: Burpees, I hate them!
- Lauren: Most of the Olympic lifts.
- Steph: Wall balls. I end up getting hit in the face quite a few times when we do them.
What do you do for work?
- Danica: I do brand marketing for Frank’s RedHot hot sauce and French’s mustard at McCormick.
- Lauren: I'm an architect, focusing on corporate interiors.
- Steph: According to my family, I'm a Transponster. I'm actually an HRIS Analyst, doing system configuration for HR.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and your family.
- Danica: I live with my husband, Jason, and two sons, Crue (3) and Trey (1). We love living in Canton, walking to school, the park, friends houses, and happy hour.
- Lauren: I'm originally from outside Philadelphia. I'm a Philly sports fan, Taylor Swift enthusiast, and wine (tasting) connoisseur. Coach Joe and I went to highschool together, and married in 2014 after dating for 10 years...We live in what may be the closest house to the gym and you'll likely see our kids Camila and Carter stealing candy from the gym desk during Bootcamps. Our 10-year-old pup Sir Charles used to be a regular gym pup, but hasn't made an appearance in quite some time!
- Steph: I am a creature of habit so you can find me Wednesday mornings at Cafe Dear Leon getting my coffee and financier and at Lee's on Friday afternoons for pre-kid happy hour with friends. If not at either of those places, I’m at home where I live a quiet (i.e. boring) life with my husband, fellow PUSH member Mike Delaney, and our two kids Maeve and Cole.
Tell us something we don’t know about you!
- Danica: I like to ski and started when I was 2. It’s something I love to do but don’t get to go as often as I’d like these days. We plan to take the kids next winter!
- Lauren: I worked as Bert at Sesame Place in highschool!
- Steph: I got chicken pox in the second grade and had a side effect where I couldn’t walk straight and had to be helped down the stairs. I still struggle to walk in a straight line to this day.
How has CrossFit affected your life outside the gym?
- Danica: I feel better, have more energy, and don’t dread walking up all the stairs in my house.
- Lauren: I feel generally healthier and more well rounded.
- Steph: I'm feeling stronger and more confident in my day-to-day chasing after 2 kids!
What do you enjoy most about PUSH?
- Danica: It's one hour a day when no one is calling or texting me. I don’t have to worry about work contacting me at 6am, and the rest of my house is (or should be) sleeping. I am not being missed by anyone and I can just be free from my phone and watch while at the gym. The gym has a great community, and everyone is a friendly face – it’s a great way to start my morning.
- Lauren: The community, the events and the Swole Patrol.
- Steph: It is the one hour a day where I focus on myself and no one else. As someone that is new to CrossFit, and working out in general, I love the support that I get from everyone as I try to better myself!
What tips would you offer someone who is just getting started with working out?
- Danica: Working out is for you. Do what feels right, it doesn’t have to be the heaviest weight or a PR, sometimes getting up and getting to the gym is the biggest accomplishment.
- Lauren: You can modify ANY workout to fit your needs and skill level. I've been scaling/modifying workouts since 2015!
- Steph: Show up and do your best! It's definitely overwhelming learning all new movements but keep at it, even if it feels difficult. Everything can be modified (I would know, I literally modify most everything) so don't feel like you have to keep up with others!
What's your favorite song to work out to?
- Danica: Anything except for the time Steph requested the Wicked soundtrack.
- Lauren: Joe's emo pop/punk extravaganza.
- Steph: Late 90's/early 2000s pop. It adds an extra challenge to a workout since I'm trying to sing and work out at the same time.
What's your favorite restaurant?
- Danica: Tough one, depends on the day and occasion. Ellie’s for dinner with the kids. Snake Hill for drinks and dinner, Gunther for date night, Naked Grill Sushi and Thai Street for takeout!
- Lauren: Marta at the moment.
- Steph: Palmolive (aka Love, Pomelo but that doesn't roll off the tongue as easily as Palmolive) is probably the one I suggest the most for a place without kids.
Who's your hero (real or fictional)?
- Danica: My parents.
- Lauren: My family and Taylor Swift.
- Steph: Single moms. I’m typing this as I wrap up day 5 of solo parenting and it is freaking hard doing it alone!
What does your frequently used emoji tab look like?
- Danica:
- Lauren:
- Steph:
Words to live by or favorite quote?
- Danica: "Everything happens for a reason."
- Lauren: "Baltimore, actually I like it"- as seen on bumper stickers.
- Steph: "What is meant to be won't pass you by."
What's your favorite travel spot?
- Danica: Any place new! Favorite place I’ve traveled would be New Zealand or Vietnam
- Lauren: Hawaii.
- Steph: My favorite local place is Lewes, DE because it is very chill and great for kids! My favorite place I've ever traveled would probably be Thailand because it was a once in a lifetime trip.
If you could win an Olympic gold medal for any sport, real or fake, what would it be?
- Danica: Multi-tasking!
- Lauren: Is Karaoke a sport? If so, I'd crush that. Just ask Sam.
- Steph: Sleeping. I love a good nap.
What's your hidden talent?
- Danica: I make a really good elephant sound.
- Lauren: Rapping Ice Ice Baby (at the Karaoke Olympics)
- Steph: I have the absolute worst memory except when it comes to song lyrics. I can still probably sing an entire song I haven't heard in 20 years.
What are your top five favorite movies?
- Danica: Crazy Stupid Love, Barbie, The Holiday, Happy Gilmore, Back to the Future
- Lauren: I can't think of favorites, but I'll surely pass on SciFi and Horror.
- Steph: Jurassic Park, Shawshank Redemption, Steel Magnolias, Lion King and Harry Potter (except #4, that is the worst one) - these are movies that I'd watch every time if it was pre-streaming service days and I actually flipped channels and found one of them.
