Kim Mangum
Athlete of the Month
April 2017
We chose Kim as athlete of the month for April of 2017 for her sheer awesomeness! She came to us in March of 2016 knowing that she needed to make a change. I actually found her original email that she send to us as an inquiry as to how to get started, here’s part of it:
“I’m sooooo terrified of walking into your gym and being the only fat person there. I’ve NEVER done a pull-up or climbed a rope in my life! And realistically, I could lose 60-70 lbs. I’m so scared!!! I almost cried earlier…”
When I talked to her on the phone after replying to her email there were tears, but more importantly there was a lot of determination and hope. She had seen the changes in her niece and I assured her it was possible to lose the weight and get fit.
She has put in hours of hard work over the last year: there were many sessions of squat therapy before she could squat loaded and had to learn all of the barbell movements from scratch. She may have been scared but she had a great attitude through it all and kept literally smiling through it!
She can now pick up nearly 200 lbs, squat 75 lbs for reps, and do so many more things that she definitely could not do a year ago. She made significant changes to her diet over the last year and is truly a different person. We are proud of her for all the work she put in and look forward to having her again as member of the month in another year or two!!!
Here’s a before and after photo to show how far Kim has really come. Pretty awesome!!!
Kim Mangum, 50, dental hygienist.
A little over a year ago, my 49th birthday was approaching and I was already dreading 50. I knew that I needed to make some changes soon to prevent chronic health problems. My niece Kasey had been doing CrossFit and loved it. She talked about the cool things she could do, how great she felt and how she’d made awesome friends at her gym.
One day I realized I drive by CFJC almost every evening so I sent an email to Lara and got the nicest reply. I came in for an intro workout with Ronda who was also nice and very inspiring… hmmmm. Could it be that everyone here is this helpful? No one made me feel like I didn’t belong. Not even once.
The loud music, the smiling faces, and the sweaty people who genuinely care for each other. Also, the very powerful fear of returning to the body I was living in just one year ago.
I don’t remember my first real WOD. All I remember was thinking the warm up was probably going to kill me so the rest is a blur.
The people! The coaches and the members are all so positive, supportive, caring, and fun. I’ve felt welcome since day one 🙂
Competing in the CrossFit Johns Creek Intramural Games and finishing the first workout in 19:32 (on my second try). So many people were cheering me on, Coach Tay did the last burpees WITH me!! It was amazing!
I’ve learned I really like lifting weights… barbells, dumbbells, and kettlebells. Deadlifts are my favorite! Burpees and wall balls are tied for my least favorite.
I like doing Hero WODs. I always try to push myself since we’re doing the workout to honor a real person who isn’t around anymore. The first one I remember doing was Holleyman and since he gave his life, the least I could do was some stinking wall balls.
My least favorite WOD is one I haven’t actually done yet. When it was on the schedule I looked at it and said… Nope. I need to face the Filthy Fifty.
When I started CrossFit my main goal was weight loss. In my first email to Lara I said I could stand to lose 60-70 lbs. As of this week, I’ve lost 60 pounds but I don’t even care about those numbers anymore. Now my goals are about improving form and getting stronger. I want to be able to do real push ups and pull ups in 2017!
I’m definitely healthier and stronger than I’ve ever been. When I’m in the gym I do things that make me proud of myself and I know I can handle anything that gets thrown at me outside the gym. I can lift and carry and move things without getting hurt (see AK? I listen). Plus, I’ve been planning my meals and snacks better so I’d have an answer when Coach Kristin asked me what I’d eaten or what I was going to eat later.
I love spending time with my friends and family. I’m kinda artsy so I like painting and taking pottery classes at the Johns Creek Art Center.
If I have a crazy day I actually hope for a really tough WOD because when I hear 3… 2… 1… Go! I forget about everything else that might be happening.
And when the zombies come I can outrun them. And I also know how to swing a sledgehammer if I need to fight!
I’ve actually become one of those people that thinks everyone should be doing CrossFit. I tell people not be intimidated. The coaches are great at finding movements that match your abilities. Just show up and do what they tell you to do.
Some of my patients whom I’ve seen for 20 years don’t recognize me! I’ve gotten more “Congratulations” and “I’m so proud of you!” hugs than I can count. It’s pretty awesome.
I can’t say thank you enough to every single person at CFJC. Thanks Coach Matt for being so kind and encouraging. And thank you Dan and Lara for all of the hard work you do to make CFJC such a great place. I’m so happy I found you!
