January Athlete of the Month: Kelly Lovelett
New year, new AOM! Kelly has been training at CFSBK for a little over 3 years now and has been a great presence in the gym from the start. In addition to making some great strides in her training, she’s always supportive of her fellow classmates and is a regular at gym-related social events and extracurriculars. Learn a little more about this globe-trotting teacher from a kooky upstate town.
Fox: Hi Kelly, and congrats! When and why did you start Crossfit?
Kelly: Thanks! I’m honored! I started around the corner from here at Class One CrossFit and MMA in July 2012, then came to CFSBK before the end of that year. I’d been doing some boxing and Muay Thai at that gym and decided to give CrossFit a shot. Once I started it I didn’t want to miss any workouts, so the punching and kicking took a back seat. When they suddenly got rid of their CrossFit program, I knew I wanted to continue. I was deciding between CrossFit Prospect Heights, which was brand new, and CFSBK. Though the thought of being part of a gym’s culture from the very beginning was appealing, I decided to come here where I figured there would be more seasoned athletes who I could push myself to try and keep up with. I’m obviously glad with that choice!
Fox: Do you keep up the fighting skills? Like, could you beat David in a fight?
Kelly: Ha! No, not really. I do miss it, but I don’t prioritize it anymore.
Fox: Ok, but you didn’t really answer part two of that question. Kidding! What sort of athletic things are you prioritizing these days?
Kelly: I’m currently working on Butterfly Pull-Ups. With the Open coming up, I want to dial them in. I’ve also started doing Muscle-Up progressions and trying to get my false grip stronger. It’s so hard to swing using it! And since I want to get better at EVERYTHING, I’ve been doing some drop-ins to Next Level Weightlifting Club.
Fox: That’s a pretty comprehensive list. One of the things that stood out to the coaching staff is that you’re always going the extra mile to improve. We likey! Coming from another CrossFit gym, what were your first impressions coming here?
Kelly: I liked the programming overall, especially the dedicated strength training aspect. Right away the quality of coaching stood out to me as well. Not even just how knowledgeable the coaches are, but that you can sense their passion for what they do. A few years into training here, I can also see how the coaches evolve across the board. You generally won’t hear a cue or something from a coach that contradicts what another coach said. That consistency is noticed. I started by dipping my toes in at CFSBK with just 2 drop-ins, then a 10-class card, then 3x/week, then 5x/week, and now I have the unlimited membership. Seems my first impressions were correct! I read the blog for a month before attending my first class. I could tell the community was extremely supportive and felt like I knew people before I met them. I also have to add that I read one of David’s Inside the Affiliate articles a while back and am so glad he called this place a gym and not a box. I don’t like when people call it a box!
Fox: You mentioned that you were doing some boxing and Muay Thai prior to starting CrossFit. Were you always into that?
Kelly: Not really, though I’ve always been active. As a kid I played and did it all. Skiing, soccer, softball, gymnastics, even bowling. I really liked gymnastics, but my parents grew tired of the 50 mile round trip to bring my friends and I. Bowling was also pretty far, but it was only once a week. In high school I played field hockey in the fall and ran track in the spring and have generally always been a gym rat. I even had a stint as a personal trainer for a short bit after college.
Fox: A 50-mile round trip does seem like it would get old. Where’d you grow up?
Kelly: Yeah, bowling was awful though! We were three pip-squeaks trying to bowl a ball we could barely pick up! I grew up in Mt. Tremper, NY in quite the house. That house actually affected me more than I ever realized. It was (and is) pretty great. It’s a 150 year old farmhouse. The word “dilapidated” is not an overstatement to describe the condition it was in when my parents bought it. My grandmother actually cried when she saw it, and they weren’t tears of joy! The house was under construction for my entire childhood and my dad did the lion’s share of the work himself. It was a series of projects, usually with a few of them going on simultaneously. The were so many fun things about the property. My dad converted a barn into a recording studio, built a pool and pool house. There was plenty to explore as an inquisitive child whose parents let me roam the property freely. There was a small mountain behind us that I explored and a creek across the street that I swam in. One neighbor had a pond where I caught frogs. I’m still an upstate girl at heart, and my upbringing is the reason for my interest in science.
Fox: I’m envisioning sort of The Addams Family house …and it sounds amazing! Tell us about you outside of the gym. What do you do for work?
Kelly: I got my bachelors degree in SUNY-Geneseo thinking I was going into the health field. I was originally Pre-Med. I decided to get my teaching certificate while I was there because the school was known for their education program and was originally a “normal school” that only trained teachers. After graduating I started working at high schools here in Brooklyn. I’m currently the Assistant Principal of Biological Sciences at Brooklyn Tech and have been there since 2010. I’m fortunate to have landed there since it’s such a large school (over 250 faculty and 5700 students), so I can be an Assistant Principal with a focus in Biology.
Fox: What about hobbies?
Kelly: I can’t just say working out? I rarely cook anymore, but I like to entertain and grill out on my building’s roof deck. I also do a bit of gardening up there. And, like most Brooklynites, I like to day drink, eat brunch, and explore different neighborhoods. I also travel a lot and get to do much of it with my work. I organize international trips with my students and have been to Costa Rica and Iceland with them, to name a few. I really like that part of my job since, for me, school trips were such a memorable part of growing up.
Fox: I’ve heard that your cat is allergic to you. True story?
Kelly: Yes! Poor thing has to take medication just to live with me!
Fox: Alright, last question. What do you think we should look for in a future AOM?
Kelly: Character. It’s important to be kind, welcoming, supportive, and competitive in a constructive way. Be honest, and don’t be afraid to give yourself “no-reps” when they’re deserved. Seek growth, do a bit of extra work, and make small sacrifices to grow and improve.
_____________________
Yesterday’s Whiteboard: Push Jerk | Burpees
Your Dog Really Loves Reggae Music NY Mag
Mid-Line Stabilization: The Hip Extension CrossFit