Amy Barbarie: Starting Off Right

 Amy Barbarie took the fast lane into CrossFit: she did Personal Training sessions, and then jumped right in. Her excellent fundamentals are obvious when you see her move, and though still a relative newcomer, she's coming along very quickly. This is Amy's story.Photo (10)

    In the fall of 2008 I took a
couple of Intro to Running sessions with Mike Watson and I remember him trying
to convince us to give CrossFit a try and thinking at the time “there is no way
I will ever be able to do that!”   In
2009 I was working in Afghanistan when our Canadian Gym was given official
CrossFit status and watching Soldiers do the WOD’s thinking that “it was definitely
not for me, it was too hard and I’ll stick to my treadmill and exercise ball
thanks”!  I was convinced that CrossFit
was only for the US Marines, the physically fit, elite athletes and of course
for the foolish.

     Fast forward to the fall of 2012,
in anticipation of an upcoming milestone birthday I knew I wanted to commit to
some kind of  “exercise regimen” and my
friend Stephanie Mick strongly urged me to try CrossFit.  She promised that I wouldn’t regret it and
that I would become an addict.  I was
terrified but talked with Chris briefly via email and then set up an
appointment with Mel.  I worked a couple
of days a week with Mel for a couple of months before I was brave enough to
jump into the Noon Group Classes. In January 2013 I started Noon Group and I am
loving it.    I miss my one on one with
Mel so I still throw one in now and then to shake things up and work on my
technique.

     I have always had lower back
issues and am so happy that they are starting to subside due in large part to
my core getting stronger and the introduction to foam rollers and
softballs!  I find that I’m not scaling
as much as I did when I first started and the urge to want to vomit does not
happen as often as it used to!  One of
these days I will do a full HSPU and toes to bar – they are my ultimate
goals.  It’s exciting that everyday I’m a
little stronger than the day before.

     The Open started this month and
because I was doing the workouts anyway, there was no real reason not to sign
up – at least that’s what Mel said!  I am
excited that I am experiencing this at the beginning of my CrossFit journey so
that next year I can look back and be amazed at my progress.     

   
Photo (11) The comraderie within the group is
amazing, I like to see other people achieving goals, I love hearing everyone
cheer for everybody else, the high fiving and “good jobs” at the end of every
workout make finishing so much easier. 
Every day at 1:00 I am completely exhausted, sore and so proud of what I
accomplished.  I love the feeling of
pushing myself beyond what I think my limits are and finding out that you
really can do anything you put your mind to. The workouts don’t ever seem to
get easier because you just keep pushing harder.  That is a very empowering feeling.

     I worked in a war zone for a year
and thought that was life changing but walking into Catalyst in November has
truly changed my entire life.  I am
healthier, happier, more confident and so much stronger than I have ever been –
mentally, emotionally and physically.  I
love that this is something that I see myself doing for many years, I love that
I miss it when I don’t go and I love the feeling of being a part of this
team.  I will celebrate that milestone
birthday soon and I am so happy with the gift that the entire Catalyst Family
has given me.  Thank you!!

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