Where to begin, it’s been such a long time since I updated this site. I’ve been through so much. Last year I qualified for the finals of the Masters League Games in Melbourne, this year I’m taking a much needed break from competing.
I do quite a bit on Instagram and I try to keep a weekly journal type post on there for people to find out what I’m up to.
When I moved to SASSfit, my intention was to become stronger and to nail a few things that I needed to get to the next level. I really want to push and see if I can get to RX before I get too old and my body starts to fail me. I am inspired by all the masters athletes I see around me.
Last year I nailed toes to bar and chin over bar pull ups. This year 2023, I’ve been mostly working on getting bigger sets, and trying to do handstand push-ups and chest to bar pull ups.
I had a traumatic year last year, peri menopause started to hit my hormones hard, I became very dysregulated. At the same time my son went through a diagnosis process and we found out he had ADHD and autism. I identified with both of these. In April this year I received my diagnosis of ADHD and am now medicated with Ritalin (methylphenidate). This has been life changing.
During my time at SASSfit I’ve been working towards an apprenticeship to be a personal trainer. It was a hard slog through all the emotional turmoil I went through but I made it through and I am so proud of myself that I stuck through that terrible time and nailed it. Now to decide how to use this amazing thing.
Currently I’m coaching at SASSfit on Monday lunchtimes. There is a 30 minute circuit class designed for a lunchtime blast. I’m loving this. I also have a little set up in my garage for me (but I could train people out of there if I need to).
My aspiration is to get my Level 1 CrossFit trainers qualification and a comprehensive first aid certificate and register with REPS NZ.
I’m still holding my weight steady at 70kg but I know I am growing strong and building muscle as I go.
I am supported by my coach and mentor at SASSfit, the coaching is amazing at my box and I owe a lot of my recent progress to him. It’s not all about strength though some of this is about strategy and I’ve learned some good lessons around this part of competing.
Medication has allowed me to workout with a clear head and to gain some control over my emotions. I still have bad days, I suspect this is more to do with autism than it is to do with ADHD, I notice this part of me more now the ADHD symptoms are less. Competitions would freak me out before I was medicated, the noise and the overstimulation would really take its toll. I had some challenges in Melbourne with overstimulation and dysregulation. I feel I’d have had a better result had I been medicated then (but then that comes with another set of problems and medical exemptions).
I understand now why gymnastics has been so challenging to me. It’s hard to work out where your body sits in space when you are autistic. My proprioception is not good, my joints are also hyperflexible and I struggle with balance. This has led to me having a funny gait. (My mum used to comment on this when I was a kid). I suspect I also had poor muscle tone before I started to train. I’m really proud of getting my pull ups and toes to bar nailed. My olympic lifting technique is really getting to feel and look nicer.
So life is at a new place again, it’s almost like a new start. I’ve achieved a lot despite all the hard set backs I’ve had over the last year.
I feel like my journey so far has had four distinct phases, there was the getting moving phase, the weight loss phase, the strength building phase and now the strategic athlete phase. I learn a lot about myself from coaching other people, and I’ve learned so much about programming from my colleagues, coaches and all the amazing athletes at SASSfit.
If you want to reach out to me about anything please send me a message. You can follow me on Facebook or on Instagram and you can train with me at SASSfit, I’d love a 50+ training buddy…
If I can do this shit, anyone can. You just have to want it enough and practice… and remember age is just a number. You are a long time dead.
