Kelly Curtis
Athlete of the Month
October 2017
Kelly was selected as Athlete of the Month for October due to her low-key ability to come in and get it done. She is very consistent, works hard and never fusses whatsoever. She always pushes herself but in a smart way — not too hard but she never takes it easy either. She works smart, is patient, and makes steady progress.
When I told Kelly that the coaches had selected her as member of the month, she was truly surprised and said something like – don’t quote me here – ‘…but I’m not that good, I just come in and do my thing. I use it as mental relief.’ Ironically that is why we selected her – she is becoming a better version of herself by patiently coming in and getting in the work, pushing herself in just the right amount and concentrating on the task at hand which allows her to use training as a mental escape.
She really has a great attitude which is paying off. She is slowly getting stronger, putting on muscle, and becoming mentally tougher.
My name is Kelly Curtis. I just turned 40 (sigh) and I have 2 little girls, ages 8 and 6. I am a microbiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. I also teach Microbiology part-time.
I need to keep physically active for my own sanity and I’ve tried many different types of exercise over the years (yoga, pilates, barre, boot camp, etc.). Eventually, I would get bored and it never seemed enough. I just felt drawn to Crossfit, though I had no idea what to expect. I can say that I was pretty hooked from the first day.
My first WOD was HEAVILY scaled, so it actually wasn’t as painful as I thought it would be. I remember feeling extremely determined to come back and learn the skills so I could perform the WODs without having to scale as much.
Everyone is so nice! I really love the fact that everyone is so supportive, which helps when I’m struggling with my form or getting through a WOD.
Probably when I surpassed my body weight in deadlifts, though I am thrilled any time that I can go up in weight for any movement.
Deadlifts, of course. I also really love the bench press, though it is not exactly my strongest skill. My least favorite is probably the clean (any variation). I overthink the move and usually end up with bruises.
I really enjoy WODs that are a mix of cardio or test your endurance. I may be shunned for saying this, but I don’t mind WODs that include some running. I struggle with any WOD that is strength heavy or involves multiple reps of complex strength movements.
My goal is to not be at the bottom of the leaderboard every day. Seriously, though, I don’t have any specific goals, since every day is something new. I keep track of my max weight for each movement and try to push just a little bit further each time.
CrossFit has been a huge stress reliever for me. My schedule can be pretty hectic, especially with 2 school-aged girls, so I have to make the time to get my workouts in. I definitely feel a sense of accomplishment after leaving CFJC.
Eat! My husband and I really love food, so we like to try out different restaurants throughout Atlanta. Whenever we travel, I probably spend more time researching the local food than the actual sites. I also love to hike, though I don’t get to go as often as I’d like since my girls seem to be allergic to walking and fresh air.
You have to have some level of mental toughness to push through the workouts. Since starting CrossFit, I feel more confident to try different things and I don’t worry so much about failing.
It really is for everyone, as long as you’re willing to try and stick with it. Every movement can be adjusted to your ability. Before I even walked into CFJC, I called Dan and asked him if I would be laughed out of the gym since I didn’t have a muscle to be found. Fortunately, I trusted him enough to show up and I found a very welcoming environment with great coaches.
