Each month Overland Park CrossFit recognizes a member who exemplifies our values and motivates others in the gym to push themselves with encouraging words. February’s Athlete of the Month is Ashwini Kamat. Ashwini was chosen because of her hard work and daily dedication (sometimes twice a day!) at the gym. She has devoted numerous extra hours a week trying to learn new skills and improve her barbell movements, as well as taking the next steps in trying to better her nutrition habits! Her tremendous work ethic is inspiring to those around her and we love having her as part of the OPCF community! Learn more about Ashwini below.
Each month Overland Park CrossFit recognizes a member who exemplifies our values and motivates others in the gym to push themselves with encouraging words. February’s Athlete of the Month is Ashwini Kamat. Ashwini was chosen because of her hard work and daily dedication (sometimes twice a day!) at the gym. She has devoted numerous extra hours a week trying to learn new skills and improve her barbell movements, as well as taking the next steps in trying to better her nutrition habits! Her tremendous work ethic is inspiring to those around her and we love having her as part of the OPCF community! Learn more about Ashwini below.
- How long have you been working out at Overland Park CrossFit? I became a member on August 31, 2019.
- What were your thoughts after your first CrossFit workout? Do you remember what it was? My first workout was a Saturday morning Bootcamp class (100m run, 15 wall balls on repeat for ten minutes). It was a difficult workout, but being around motivated and friendly people sparked a desire for me to sign up and keep coming.
- What has been your favorite workout so far? 100 Pull-ups – 80 KB Push Press – 60 Sit-Ups – 40 Power Snatch – 20 burpee box overs. (Minus the 100 pull-ups… that didn’t happen)
- What is your favorite cheat meal? Spring rolls
- What did you want to be when you grew up and where do you work now? In elementary school, my goal was to become an archaeologist. I don’t really remember when that dream fizzled out, but now I am involved in brain health research at the KU Alzheimer’s Disease Center.
- What do you like to do outside of work? I enjoy tutoring and being a hospice volunteer.
- What advice would you give a newbie just starting at OPCF? A piece of advice I would give to someone just starting out would be to try to be more self-assured. Showing up and being consistent is an accomplishment in itself. Though I tend to still struggle with taking my own advice, both the patience of the coaches and the positivity from the community are very powerful. So my advice to anyone just starting out with minimal experience is to have confidence, stay persistent, and know that there is support all around.
- What is your favorite/least favorite movement? Least favorite: Skierg Favorite: anything else
- What’s one CrossFit goal you have set for yourself to accomplish this next year? Since starting the Nutrition Challenge, I am paying more attention to my lifestyle choices and hope to forge a more sustainable balance between nutrition and fitness. Also, double-unders. I would like to be able to do those.
- What changes have you seen in yourself since starting at OPCF? Joining Overland Park CrossFit was my first real foray back into the world of fitness after high school and has profoundly changed my life. I started with the goal of just working out more often. Now, my goal of wanting to get more exercise has evolved into much more. Working out at OPCF has posed emotional, mental, and physical challenges, but the coaches and my peers have helped me push beyond the limits I set for myself and see the culmination of my daily efforts so far. I realize that I have built muscle and become more of a fitness person. I am not as weak as before and hope to keep making more positive changes over time.
- What is your biggest improvement or proudest accomplishment thus far? I still consider myself a beginner so I don’t have any major accomplishments, but I am proud of myself for showing up to the workouts almost every day.
- What is something you have always wanted to do but haven’t yet?CrossFit-wise…everything. Outside of working out…I have always wanted to work as a medical interpreter.
