Get to know Coach Laura!

Coach Laura coaches group CrossFit classes and Olympic lifting open gym at PUSH511! She shared a little about herself and why she loves coaching at PUSH511:

When did you start CrossFit? July 2013 about 4 months after I moved to Maryland.

When did you start coaching at PUSH511? First class was July 12, 2020 in the parking lot when we reopened from the pandemic shutdown!

What is your fitness background outside of CrossFit? I grew up playing soccer, basketball, softball, volleyball, and rugby. I was also a competitive tap dancer and took ballet as a requirement of the team. I played college basketball as well and was inducted into my college's athletic hall of fame in 2017. Dabbled in other various pursuits throughout my life such as figure skating, snowboarding, bowling, and now social league football. I have also coached college basketball for four years before moving to Maryland. I enjoy learning new sports, so I know I will continue to jump into other things for the rest of my life.

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your family. I am the youngest of three and pretty convinced I'm the favorite. I grew up just outside of Detroit, Michigan to a set of parents that are very much into SciFi, however, please don't ask me about Star Wars/Star Trek or any superhero movie. Chances are I have no idea what you are talking about. I work in the Admissions Office at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing and love supporting those in the healthcare profession. I am an aunt to three adorable little human beings and I am trying to find ways to get them to compete to be my favorite. I enjoy gin cocktails, all kinds of beer (except Stella, don't get me started), puzzles, and Sudoku.

Tell us something we don't know about you. I have my own electric smoker and enjoying smoking pork shoulders, chicken, turkey....really any type of meat.

What is your favorite movement in CrossFit? Power cleans, hands down.

What is your least favorite movement? Front squats, GROSS.

When do you normally coach? 4:50 am! I KNOW, I KNOW. But, we really do have a good time and I cannot say enough about how amazing the early crew is during the dark hours!

Do you prefer working out in the morning, afternoon or evening, and why? I prefer the morning! I am most energetic and productive between 4:30 am - 1:00 pm. Once my workday is over, I like knowing that the evening time is open for whatever it is I want to do. Which is usually, cook dinner, read, and get in bed around 8:00 pm, for which I have zero shame.

What is your favorite song to work out to? I will work out to most music that isn't country or Sam's bass boosted playlist.

How has CrossFit affected your life outside the gym? It has taught me so much about being consistent and showing up for myself. I think there are a lot of parallels we can draw from our experiences in the gym and in life. When you physically push yourself through hard things, you also stretch your mental resiliency in the process. If your body didn't give up, and you place trust in it supporting you through challenging workouts, you can learn to silence the voice in the back of your head that is speaking doubt. When you can learn that skill in the microcosm of the gym, you can put it into practice in your everyday life. Whether it's life or a WOD, challenging situations will always present themselves, and as you continue to tackle them, you will gain confidence within yourself that you can get through whatever else comes your way.

What do you enjoy most about coaching? I love watching our members evolve and grow. CrossFit is not a quick ride, and progress is never linear. It's a long, winding road full of successes and failures, and I enjoy being there for our members to celebrate victories no matter how small and help them through the times in which they feel like they are failing. I enjoy pushing members to just try and working with them to find the best option for where they are at that moment. That trust that members have with their coach is something so special, and definitely not something that I take lightly.

What’s the next goal you’re looking to achieve as an athlete? I am currently in a phase in my athletic adventures where I am just enjoying my ability to continue down this path every day. I want to be healthy and active for life so that I can put myself in the best position to be on this earth for a while and annoy my loved ones with my weirdness.<//p>

What’s the next goal you’re looking to achieve as a coach? I would like to get my rowing certification at some point and in a couple of years, my L2.

What’s one thing you’d like to say to all our athletes at PUSH511? Please don't hesitate to reach out! Whether it is on Facebook, Instagram, randomly pulling me aside at the gym, email, whatever, please don't be afraid to ask for help or advice. I love to talk about this journey and how you can navigate the peaks and valleys that come with progression, life balance, mindset, efficiency, really all of it!

What tips would you offer someone who is just getting started with CrossFit? Stay open and honest with yourself. We are rarely great at things when we first start and CrossFit does a good job of making sure that the sport evolves so that no one is ever the best at everything. That is the point! Stay humble and hungry and always willing to show up for yourself.

Where is your favorite place to vacation? Don't have a favorite place, just give me a mountain, open space, or a quiet beach.

If you could have any superpower, what would that superpower be and why? I am not sure if this counts, but I want to be able to teleport. Mostly so I would never have to commute for work.

If you could only watch one show for the rest of your life, what would it be? Schitt's Creek

If you could have any job in the world, what would it be? I would like to name ice cream flavors.

Come meet Coach Laura and try CrossFit out for yourself!