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I'm always wanting to seek knowledge and learn more.

I feel like I can pick things up easily. I have the ability to absorb knowledge, cues, or information, so I felt like I was able to adapt relatively quickly.

All right, what do I need to do to get better or to learn?

When you start, there are so many emotions and thought processes like, "What about this? What do I need to do?" You want to make sure you're as prepared as possible. The mindset and mental training I've done over the years definitely had a parallel effect. You have to stay calm because if you get inside your head and have negative self-talk, it can impact your physical effort. I could feel that carry over. I've done so much competition that I get into a routine and flow for how I want to do things. Then, when it comes to the same thing—like the shot—I'm like, "All right, cool, relax. Don't think of anything else, just focus on the task at hand." That definitely helped.

The mental aspect, the mental training component, is very hard. People ask, "How do you do that?" It takes time. It's hard to measure, like stretching. You can't touch your toes today, but over three or four months, you'll be able to. It takes time, consistency, and repetition to get there.

I'm not good at basketball at all, but you see people taking those shots, like during a penalty, and you think, "How many shots have they taken from that line? How many repetitions have they done in their one, two, five, or ten-year career?" It should be something they could almost do with their eyes closed. Doing something for so long becomes natural, like the back of your hand. The more you do it, the more comfortable you'll feel. It's tough in the beginning because you're wondering, "Am I doing it right? Is this a waste of time?" But it's not. There's a purpose behind it, even if it's hard to see at times.

When I've worked with a variety of people, whether it's coaching or traveling for seminars, talking to them, hearing their stories, I tell them, "It will be worth it." Sometimes it's hard to get there. We are creatures of habit, so if you create good habits, it will be easier to fall back on them or rely on them in specific moments.

I remember afterwards, it was like a six or seven-minute AMRAP of burpees and snatches. Afterward, I felt like I was dying—I was so out of breath—but I felt rejuvenated. It was so hard, but I wanted to get better. It was so challenging, but I felt like life was pumped into me. Losing my sister in 2008 left me lost, trying to find my way. Fitness became an outlet for me. Moving, specifically running, was an outlet. I could think, or I could listen to music, and whatever emotions, thoughts, or stress I had could all go out the window, or I could process them while running.

I found something that could help me channel my energy. I fell in love with it. I loved that physical push, but I also loved the challenge. It's you against yourself—what can you do? What are you capable of now, and what will you be capable of in the future?

I remember telling one instructor, "I want to go to the Games." He said, "Sure, okay." Years later, we worked together on seminar stuff, and he said, "Of all the people who told me they'd go to the Games, you actually did it. That's insane." I was like, "Thanks, but if I didn't try, if I didn't put all my eggs in that basket and take that attempt, I would never know." I might have had regret later, thinking, "I wish I would have."

Even now, I tell people that the community is the biggest thing. Yes, it's physically and mentally challenging, but if you're looking for something to help you physically, mentally, or emotionally, it can definitely be that. It doesn't have to be CrossFit, but the community aspect is huge. The camaraderie, support, and uplifting energy people provide are invaluable.

After being at the Games and volunteering, I was like, you know, I really want to be here. Seeing these athletes—men, women, and teams—on the competition field, I thought, "I want to do that. I really want to compete." So, it's like, what do I need to do? The job I was at, I was a marketing coordinator, and they were actually leaving and going to the East Coast. I thought, "Yeah, I don't think I want to do it." So, when that job left, I was like, all right, I'll coach full-time. I took a pay cut, lost health insurance, but I didn't care. I loved training people because I had gotten into personal training before, and I loved helping people. I saw how it helped them as well. I know how physical exercise and movement helped me, so I hoped I could help others. That's where the training and coaching came in. I thought, I'd rather try to get to the Games and help other people in the process while helping myself. If it happens, awesome; if not, then we’ll see. I remember my dad was like, "So, how are you going to make money?" I said, "I don’t know. We’ll figure that out later."

Recognize what you can change, then move that forward.

I visualized myself on the podium. It wasn’t a guarantee, but I put so much faith and work into the mental work and visualization that when I did it, I felt like I won. I really made it. You have to give yourself credit because if you don’t, you're never satisfied. I always try to, and I tell people now, to make the most of every opportunity because nothing is guaranteed.

I had to be really good at time management. It was like, all right, the first two hours in the morning from 8 to 10, I’d get up, eat breakfast, do some computer work, emails, and check on the licensing paperwork. Then I'd go to the gym from 10 to 4. If I didn’t get everything done, I could push a little longer. In the evening, I’d eat dinner, get back on the computer, finish things, go to bed, and repeat that for days, weeks, and months. I’m so grateful for it. People ask, "How'd you do it?" Honestly, I just had to do it. I didn’t give myself any options. I just found a way.

What are you going to do after that? I know I’m not going to compete forever. I could compete, I could evolve, but I think we evolve as individuals and grow. So, what am I going to grow into? I love fitness, and I love wine. If I can blend these two together—no pun intended—and help others find their passions and aspirations, maybe that’s something I could do with fitness and business. That’s where the idea of starting a wine company came from, getting licensing, and selling wine.

I might be a little crazy, but I’m like, if I don’t do it, who’s going to do it for me? I don’t have a sales team; I am my sales team.

For me, I love that personal connection. I love working hard and seeing the results, and I think that’s why I loved working out on the farm. I love going down the rows of the vineyards and harvesting grapes, and after four hours, thinking, "Cool, I got one row done. Great, I have 10 more to do." It’s that hard work you put in, and I know you can relate to that effort, then you get to reap the rewards and celebrate afterward. I love it. Sometimes, you’re in a deep, dark hole, and there’s not much light. But you know that tunnel is going to end at some point. It’s not a train—you will get there. You just have to be resilient and maybe a bit stubborn to continue.

Being in the fitness industry for 14 years, it's so important and valuable to me, and I want to continue to do that. I evolved by putting up a lot of content and videos for free, teaching people—whether it's teaching movements, workouts, or educational components. If I constantly push and challenge myself, I'll get better, and I am drawn to that.

I go back to my 2011 version of myself. I wanted to make it to the Games. All right, cool, you did it. Awesome. And then I did it for six years in a row as an individual, and with teams, it was like, all right, pat yourself on the back, enjoy it. But what do I want to move on to? As I got older, I realized we're not always guaranteed every day, week, month, or year. What can I do to enjoy my life now, but also tomorrow and next month? I want to make the most of every opportunity.

I remember having this crazy dream—it was super quick. If you've ever been to Hawaii or Honolulu, they have Waikiki with a lot of high-rise apartment complexes and hotels. I was sitting in a living room—it wasn’t mine, just some random living room. I saw her outside this sliding glass door. Her hair was all crazy, super dark and curly, flipping around. I ran to the door and opened it. As soon as I did, everything was calm—no wind, no noise, nothing. She said, "I can't come in, but I'm okay." As soon as she said that, I woke up. I tried to go back to sleep to have that dream again. I think it was her way of communicating with me, telling me she's no longer here but she's okay. That gave me some peace of mind.

I feel like death is something we don't celebrate. It's going to happen. Our time is finite. We're all going to pass away at some point. How and when we pass, we don’t know. When my sister passed, we held a celebration of life to honor her. As much as I want her to still be here, and I know she would be loving life, it’s my way of continuing her story and dedicating it to her. The new wine label I have has a little bit of her in it.

I think I struggled more internally, and for me, running or working out was my outlet instead of turning to drugs or drinking. There were definitely times when I partied, but it never got too crazy. I used fitness and running to cope. When I moved to the Bay Area, I was thankful to find friends who were also personal trainers and loved fitness. A couple of friends were training for half marathons, and I thought, "Why not? I'm never going to run a marathon, let me try this." It was good—it helped me. Those first three or four years helped me pivot and decide where I wanted to go and how to move in a more positive direction.

We get caught up in the rat race. We always think about the next thing—next week, next month. Having goals and aspirations is great, but sometimes, when we stop and don’t have anything going on, it’s easy to be distracted. We can hop on our phone, play a game, or watch a movie. But when was the last time you just sat and stared out a window, looking at the mountains, and sat with your thoughts and emotions?

I try to put things in perspective. Some people don't have legs or arms. Others live in fear of being shot by a different tribe or live in huts made of mud. We are privileged to have this opportunity. We chose to be here, to compete. We're going to do this workout, and even if it makes us nervous, perspective is huge. It’s a good reminder. The pressure is a huge privilege. A lot of people don’t get that kind of pressure. Sometimes you don't want it, but you signed up, so step up.

I think our body knows, our heart knows, and our mind knows. They pull us in different directions, and intuition is huge. If your body is telling you something, listen to it—there’s a reason why.

I like being around good people because you feed off that good energy.

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