• Share this story:

I’m stronger and more fit than I EVER have been…my confidence has improved, as well as my commitment for health. Most importantly, I have more energy to wrangle my boys and keep up with my active husband!

Member At:

Farmgirlfit Cd’A

Occupation:

Emergency Room/Behavioral Health Case Manager for Kootenai Health.

Tell us about your fitness journey. How did you come to Farmgirlfit?

I’ve never been “athletic” or competitive, and am insecure when working out in public, and oftentimes don’t push myself when exercising on my own. In 2014, my friend surprised me and signed me up for a triathlon. I was mortified…but I DID IT! Since then, I have worked to make my health more of a priority. So, when my sweet friend Jill approached me about Farmgirlfit, last October when the Cd’A location opened, I was intrigued. Initially, the workouts were sooo hard, and I felt like I was never going to progress, but still I was hooked, and I really have progressed SO MUCH! I still get nervous driving to the gym, but when I’m there, the members and coaches are so encouraging that I feel comfortable doing each workout to the best of my ability, even if I might not be the fastest or the strongest.

What has been your greatest fitness/performance accomplishment so far?

There have been several, but I am really proud of accomplishing box jumps…they intimidated me for so long, and now they are one of my favorite exercises! I also had a really fun day in September where Kelley, Jill, and I all PR’d our back squats and I finally ran my first mile.

What are your next health and fitness goals?

God has blessed me with such an amazing family and has provided me so many great opportunities, that I’m committed to prioritizing my health so that I can fully participate in my roles as wife and mother. Most importantly, I want to keep up with my husband and two busy boys, instilling in my children the importance of a healthy lifestyle. A couple specific goals, I would love to conquer a pull-up and head stand. And SOMEDAY, I will do   another triathlon to see if my time/endurance has improved since I’ve been working out consistently at Farmgirlfit (which I’m sure it has). :)

Favorite exercise at FGF is:

As I said, I really enjoy box jumps! I also love deadlifts, front squats, back squats…almost any lift, because I love seeing my progress with adding weight/reps.

Least favorite exercise at FGF is:

OVERHEAD SQUATS and plate pushes plates….ugh!

Favorite workout song?

Dark Horse by Katy Perry.

My favorite thing about Farmgirlfit is:

The coaches and other members have been so gentle and encouraging! I love our pretty, purple everything, the loud music, and the notebook which allows me to track my progress. Childcare is AWESOME (complimentary at that), so that I can bring my boys, who love to see mom exercise!!! Jeni even made them their own Farmgirlfit member cards. :) I also love the yoga classes. Katie is such a great instructor! Since starting Farmgirlfit, I have found that I truly LOVE yoga!

How has the rest of your life been impacted by Farmgirlfit?

I know I’m stronger and more fit than I EVER have been. I also know that my confidence has improved, as well as my commitment for health. Most importantly, I have more energy to wrangle my boys and keep up with my active husband!

When you're not pumping iron at FGF, what does the rest of your life look like?

My husband, Justin, and I have been married 13 years and we have 2 boys, ages 3 and 5. When Justin and I are not working (he is a firefighter/EMT), we spend every second we can with the boys playing outside, spending time at the lake, traveling, exploring…and we are looking forward to snowboarding, wakeboarding, and riding motorcycles as a family as the boys are growing up! Professionally, I’m a social worker and recently obtained a new job that I love, which is so much less stress and allows me to be home more with my family and take more time for myself to work out at Farmgirlfit. :)

My happy place is:

At the beach with my family!

Any advice for new members or your fellow farmgirls?

I’m just so proud to be a member of a gym where women genuinely support and encourage each other. No matter how hard the workout, you always leave feeling so accomplished! Farmgirlfit workouts have so many opportunities to demonstrate growth, whether you add more weight, increase reps, move up a level, or finally conquer an exercise that once seemed impossible, you WILL improve and get stronger!!!