May Athlete of the Month: Molly Lord

Congratulations Molly, you are the Athlete of the Month!

Molly has been CrossFitting for just over 6 years now and has found her community alongside  her dad, Greg, in the evening classes. Molly’s consistency and hard work has not only paid off physically over the years, but her workouts and our community have been a big part of her mental and emotional health too! Molly is invested in our members and our gym . . . she is also a NoCoast softball team member and always willing to lend a helping hand! We have been incredibly grateful for her marketing expertise and support as of late as well! 

We appreciate all you bring to NoCoast and our community, Molly. Thank you for all of your support! 

Quotes from Molly:

“CrossFit has improved my physical, mental, and emotional wellness in ways I could have never imagined. It's helped me redefine my self-image and given me so much confidence in all areas of my life. I've worked fully remote for the past few years, so the hour or so a day I spend at the gym is where I get to feel connected to people and a community, which is something I am incredibly grateful for. As much as I love getting stronger and crushing a workout, the mental health benefits of staying so active and having such a wonderful community are really what keeps me coming back day after day.”

“CrossFit has given my dad and I an amazing connection point. I'm at an age where I see a lot of my friends drifting away from their parents, but I spend at least a couple hours a week with him in the gym and at least a couple more talking about the workouts, the competitive Games athletes and anything else going on in the sport. We push each other, support each other and it's been really great.”

Age: 30

Athletic/Sports history/highlights: 

I played sports all the time growing up, primarily softball and tennis. I was a catcher for softball for about 15 years - part of the reason I have so many knee issues today.

How long have you been CrossFitting? 

I started CrossFit in 2018, so just over 6 years.

How did you get into CrossFit? 

A couple different things brought me to CrossFit. I had been doing a bootcamp style workout program and had stopped feeling challenged. I also really wanted to start lifting heavier which wasn't really an option with the program I was doing. I also watched the CrossFit documentary, the Redeemed and the Dominant, which really piqued my interest. But really, my dad had been doing CrossFit for years and so I finally decided to join him at his gym.

What is your favorite WOD/CrossFit movement? 

Heavy squats, front or back. Or heavy squat cleans. 

What is your least favorite WOD/CrossFit movement? 

I'd say running but I don't actually run. In lieu of running, I'd have to say double unders. Really, really hate double unders.

What is your most memorable CrossFit moment? 

This year's open was actually really special for a few reasons. It was the first Open where I was able to complete/RX all 3 workouts. In previous years, I'd either been sick, traveling, or injured. It was also really special because I did all three of them with my dad. I definitely couldn't have gotten through 24.2 or 24.3 without his encouragement and support.

How does nutrition play a role in your fitness and recovery? 

Nutrition is definitely the aspect I struggle the most with, but meal prepping has become a massive part of my routine. Having balanced meals ready to go helps me feel better in workouts and just all around. I've done a couple of the challenges through the gym and have learned so much about macros and how to better fuel myself.

How has CrossFit improved your overall wellness? 

CrossFit has improved my physical, mental, and emotional wellness in ways I could have never imagined. It's helped me redefine my self-image and given me so much confidence in all areas of my life. I've worked fully remote for the past few years, so the hour or so a day I spend at the gym is where I get to feel connected to people and a community, which is something I am incredibly grateful for. As much as I love getting stronger and crushing a workout, the mental health benefits of staying so active and having such a wonderful community are really what keeps me coming back day after day. I've also learned how to listen to my body, both when I can push it and when I need to take it easy. A couple major injuries & long recoveries have given me a lot of perspective and my goal is to be able to keep doing this as long as I can.

How has CrossFit changed your family? 

CrossFit has given my dad and I an amazing connection point. I'm at an age where I see a lot of my friends drifting away from their parents, but I spend at least a couple hours a week with him in the gym and at least a couple more talking about the workouts, the competitive Games athletes and anything else going on in the sport. We push each other, support each other and it's been really great. I do think my mom might be a little fed up with the CrossFit talk at this point.

Advice to new people: 

Don't forget to have fun - or to be proud of yourself for what you're showing up and doing. On days when I get absolutely destroyed by a workout, I remind myself that I showed up and I did it. You won't set a PR every day and every workout won't feel like your best. But you're there, you're doing it and you're getting better.