Get to know our latest Daybreakers of the Month!
These Daybreakers represent commitment and dedication to their fitness, health and well-being. They work hard, stay positive and help form the key threads of our community fabric. Get to know the current Daybreakers of the Month!
About Amanda
I live in Weston but moved to the Boston area 23 years ago with my husband, Brandon. We have 4 kids and a Labradoodle named Sasha. My oldest recently moved to California to study film production and my youngest is in 6th grade. I’ve been doing CrossFit at Daybreak for 5 1/2 years and my regular class is the 8:30 AM in Wayland. I’m a stay at home mom, but I’m also starting to think about the rapidly oncoming post-kid chapter of my life so grad school may be in the works sometime soon.
What keeps you coming back to CrossFit each day?
I love the workouts and the coaching. These WODS are tough and a humbling reminder to give your best to whatever life throws at you. Also, the 8:30 AM crew is a literal riot and I love starting the day with some of the funniest, supportive, hardworking people I know.
You’ve made so much progress this past year dealing with your frozen shoulders. What advice would you give anyone coming back from an injury or setback?
Have patience, throw your energy into what you can do, and good things will eventually happen. My legs got super strong during that time and I improved my core strength and my form. I learned to appreciate that mods can be just as hard as the regular workout. Enjoy the journey and don’t compare your progress to anyone else.
What was the best family trip or outing you took in 2019?
I took my oldest daughter and her best friend on a HS graduation trip to Greece last June. It was the perfect combination of culture, outdoor adventure and relaxation. The highlight of the trip was canyoning down Mt. Olympus. And the baklava at the Acropolis Museum.
Did you make any New Years resolutions for 2020?
Yes, I want to work on balancing four different areas – physical, social, spiritual and intellectual. The goals I am working on right now are: Improve my upper body strength, figure out how to incorporate social media back into my life (I’ve been on a 2 year break), practice daily meditation, and read one book a week. Watching more Netflix series is on the list too because in my opinion it covers all four categories.
What’s your spirit animal (an animal that represents you)?
Wow, I literally don’t know anything about this. Could I have a spirit food instead? My spirit food is Michele’s banana cream pie.
About Elli
I live in Sudbury with my husband, Thomas, two daughters, Reese (14) and Hayden (12) and our Chocolate Lab, Riley. When Im not driving a gaggle of teenage girls to and from their extracurricular activities, I lead the marketing operations and demand generation teams at the Digital Federal Credit Union (DCU) in Marlboro, MA.
Tell us about your CrossFit journey so far, what have you learned about yourself, and what keeps you coming back?
My CrossFit journey began one Saturday morning on the soccer sideline when Erica told me that she was opening a gym that Fall and that I should consider stopping by. I knew right then and there that it was exactly what I needed. Just a year prior to that I was skiing in NH with Thomas and the girls and had a pretty gnarly fall. Unfortunately my bindings didn’t release and my legs got tangled up with my skis which resulted in two broken legs and a torn ACL. It was a long year to say the least. And after using up my allocation of physical therapy appointments, I didn’t know how to get back to the same level of fitness that I was at prior to the accident. I was a mess both physically and mentally. I started out with 1:1s with Erica and eventually joined the 5:30PM class where I spent time relearning the basics and building confidence. Slowly but surely I started to build muscle and improve my conditioning and now you can find me at the 5:30AM class. I admire what Erica and Mel have built and I’m so grateful to be part of such an amazing community of supportive, dedicated and strong athletes.
Tell us something that would surprise us to hear you’ve done.
When the girls were 5 and 7 years old I started backpacking with them through the White Mountains. Together we’ve summited over 20 4,000 foot mountains and hiked countless ridge lines. Our goal is to summit all 48 4Ks by the time they graduate from high school.
What’s one of your guilty pleasures?
I can get down with a bag of Cool Ranch Doritos!
Great stories!