ATHLETE OF THE MONTH!

Denise P. had never heard the word triathlon...let's say she may have heard the word but never thought she would compete in one.  7 months ago Denise P. could not swim.  She was hesitant to wade in the shallow end of the water.  In a Basic Training class she received a pamphlet to train for a triathlon, The Tri for the Cure.  She thought about it and decided that she will learn how to swim rather than let it stop her.  She set a goal to train for 7 months for her first triathlon.  During this time she continued Basic Training to become stronger, faster, and more confident and to stay motivated.  In addition to that she found the best swim coach at Team CWW and worked consistently on learning how to swim.  Denise P. says, "What inspired me was the never-ending support from Denise Tryner, Team CWW and the commitment to succeed!"

During the race Denise P. had a smile on her face the whole time (well at least most of it).  She kept hearing her coach in her head telling her that she can do anything.  She thanks the people who supported her, her friends, family, her workout partner and loved ones.  On Sunday, August 6th she felt rested, strong and ready to compete in the Tri for the Cure.  She attributes her feelings of confidence to over 7 months of consistent workouts with Denise Tryner that gave her the experience of running hills, lunging, pushups, sprints, dips, and weight lifting.  She felt she could do anything.  She say's, "in the one brief moment I felt I could not complete the ½ mile swim, I thought of Denise Tryner's Basic Training motto - endurance, speed, power, and strength, I repeated the same words to myself.  Crossing the finish line is one of the BEST feelings in the world."

I am so extremely proud of Denise P.  She trained so hard, making every moment count.  If she wasn't in class then she was at the pond swimming.  If you couldn't find her at the pond then you knew she was out for a long bike ride.  She amazed all of us on her bike; she is extremely strong and fast when she rides, this is definitely one of her strengths.  She is an inspiration to all of us.  From the day we met over 1 year ago she has done nothing but impress me with her commitment, positive attitude, great energy, strength and endurance.  She is a true athlete that will continue to strive for more.  She has already said that this was just the beginning of her triathlon journey.  She plans to travel to various cities to participate in races/events to have fun, while staying fit.  And just to prepare you, if you know Denise P. you may already be registered to compete in your first triathlon.  She is making sure that everyone she knows and cares for is experiencing everything that she did.  Denise P. says "as long as Basic Training is around you will find me there.  The best part of my experience was seeing women of all shapes, sizes, and ages doing something so extraordinary for themselves."  Her words of advice, "remember, have fun, keep a smile on your face, believe you can do anything and never give up.  Never."

Last Month's Athlete of the Month is TOBI...congratulations!

We race, run, sprint jump and climb.  We challenge ourselves with these things and then learn that our bodies can do so much more than we ever dreamed of.  Knowing that anything is possible gives us the drive to keep moving forward, always pushing ourselves to achieve more.

Tobi has been an amazing inspiration.  She has been with me for over a year, always pushing herself even when she didn't want to.  She lost inches and pounds through hard work and dedication.  She is incredibly strong both mind and body.  Her endurance has improved tremendously not only muscular but cardiovascular as well.  Tobi ran a marathon in Hawaii (which is impressive in itself) then wanted to do something not only challenging but also fun.  The World Famous Mud Run at Camp Pendleton California was it.  Tobi and her brother Kenney drove to San Diego to experience this amazing race.

The Mud Run is a challenging 10K run with hills, tire obstacles, river crossings, two 5-foot walls with mud on both sides, tunnel crawl, slippery hill climb, and the final 30-foot mud pit.

At the beginning of the race Tobi was drenched with fire hoses, ran through streams and jumped hay bails.  Tobi said, "in the middle of the race there were a lot of tough hills, but just knowing there were more obstacles ahead helped me push through the hills.  The highlight of the race was when I ran upon a lake and saw race participants walking through the water that was up to their chest.  The moment I realized I would have to walk across the lake was exciting.  When I finished the race I felt great.  It was a challenging 6 mile race but that was the most fun I ever had running anything.  I didn't even feel like I ran a race."

Tobi highly recommends the Mud Run and plans to participate again next year with family and friends.

She encourages others to get out there and do it!  During her words of encouragement, inspiration and motivation Tobi said, "I would like to thank Denise for giving me all the tools I needed to improve myself.  Denise would push me past my comfort zone even though I didn't like it.  But that is exactly what I needed.  Now I can push myself on my own knowing the benefits far out weigh the temporary discomfort.  Your mind tells you that you can't when your body really can.  I have learned I can do a lot more than my mind tells me I can.  It's a great feeling.

I have seen vast improvements in my whole life ever since I started working with Denise.    Thank you Denise for the motivation and support."
 

I have competed in triathlons for 3 years and training on my own, saw only small improvements.  Denise's classes have a unique balance of cardio and strength training which provided the boost I needed to get better results.  I went from having the simple goal of finishing races to placing 8th in my age group at one event and recently took 8 minutes off my previous Turkey Trot Run (4 miles).   Her classes are challenging and fun, but most of all they produce tangible results.

I am honored to be one of her athletes of the month.

Thank you Denise for pushing and encouraging me not only am I a better athlete but a better father and husband.

Scott

JUNE's ATHLETE OF THE MONTH - SHARI!

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your encouragement and support.  Taking your group fitness classes helped inspire me to do my 1st traithlon. I found the endurance, strength, and positive attitude with the group encouraged me to take my self to the next level of mind over body and the ability to compete with 2761 triaithletes.  I finished with pride and accomplishment (mixed class I was 59 out of 555).  I look forward to taking my body to the next level in health and fitness with your fitness classes.   I know I can do anything I set my mind to.  "You bring out the Gold in all of us"!

Thank You for all you encouragement and inspiration in obtaining my goals.

Your Friend Shari Lesser

 I did it! What an accomplishment!