Athlete of the Month: July – Sarah Henry

First, tell us a little bit about yourself. What are your interests outside of CrossFit?

My name is Sarah Henry! I’m 25 and grew up in Apex. For college, I started by swimming at a D1 school in Maryland but decided to transfer to UNC-Chapel Hill to get my teaching degree instead. I work at a local elementary school as a soon-to-be fifth grade teacher and I love my job. As a former competitive swimmer, I’ve been an athlete for my whole life. I also attend a local church and serve there.

How and why did you get involved in CrossFit?

When I first heard about CrossFit in college, I was convinced it wasn’t the best kind of exercise because of its history with injured athletes. When I exited college, I was still working out on my own and ran a half marathon. After that, I was a bit over the running thing, and I learned that one of my friends who swam with my growing up started CrossFit after college. Her husband was a coach and she really enjoyed it. My future roommate also expressed she was interested in starting, and I took it as a sign I should look into it. I was intrigued by the idea of keeping cardio in my workouts while focusing some on Olympic & power lifting, which I’d like always wanted to try. I get bored easily during workouts and figured something combining all these movements would keep me entertained. A guy that attended my church owned a local box in Fuquay where I completed my first workout, but I needed to find a place closer to home. Surmount came up on my Google Search and the rest is history!

What was the first workout that you completed?

My first workout at Surmount is one of my favorite stories to tell about CrossFit! It was a Saturday morning in July 2018 and I’d just come back from Seattle and eating out a lot. It was a partner WOD and I was with Kelly Kanellis (who was pregnant at the time and an absolute beast). It had something with pull ups, kettlebell swinging and sit-ups. I remember trying to finish the workout and running out of breath. The next thing I know is I was running out of the gym and getting sick. Nick was watching this event unfold and I think he was convinced after I’d never come back. I remember thinking I was so excited to come back because I enjoyed ur so much. I signed up for On Ramp the next week!

What are your current and future training goals?

Before quarantine, I was primarily interested in working toward getting chest-to-bar pull-ups and lipping handstand pushups consistently. Now, I’m noticing I need to work on increasing the speed at which I complete body weight movements like pushups and burpees. Overall, I’m a highly competitive person, so working on the mental aspect of training like comparison and trusting the process of skill development. I want to continue to laugh, work hard and get stronger all while having fun!

What is your favorite activity or lift, e.g., pull-ups, dead-lifts, running, front squats, snatches, burpees, etc.?

Lifting is my favorite, especially cleans, back squats and deadlifts. I also became very proficient at double unders during CrossFit and love having them in a WOD. Running isn’t bad either!

What is your least favorite activity or lift?

Any gymnastics skills don’t come naturally to me so they are frustrating to work on (hence trying to trust the process more ).

What PR are you most proud of achieving and why?

Any PR I get while weightlifting is exciting for me. One rep maxes are my jam! I also was pleasantly surprised by my Fran time earlier this year.

What do you enjoy more, strength or conditioning and why?

I definitely enjoy strength work more. I came into CrossFit knowing I’d be a decent lifter and getting stronger has been a testament to that. I also enjoy cardio, especially running and double-unders!

How have you handled your training during the quarantine?

Training during quarantine has been interesting. I have lived in an apartment for the couple years, so I don’t have access to much of the equipment we use at the gym. I ended up purchasing a kettlebell and a jump rope, so those came in handy. I took a break from the Whiteboard and used a mix of the workouts prescribed for us and made up my own. A couple months in, I connected with my current mentor who is a personal trainer and has a whole CrossFit gym basically in her garage, so I was able to touch a barbell over this time (Thank God!). I’ve been working out some with my sister and boyfriend/fiancé as well, trying to stay motivated! Now that the gym is back open, I’ve been able to gain some normalcy which I’m grateful for!

Favorite food(s)?

Anything involving cheese.

What are 3 fun facts about yourself?

1. I swam on the same club team with a another girl also named Sarah Henry, so I got referred to by my last name, the nickname “Younger”, or “Little Henry”.

2. I’ve been singing since I was 3. I serve on my church’s worship team and I used to be in an acapella group in college.

3. I just recently got engaged!