CFGB Member Spotlight – Jaslyn

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Q: [Your Background] Will you tell me a little story about yourself — about the life-events, life choices, and/or people that brought you to this place and time?

A: The major life event that has place me here in Maryland is joining the military. I had been to this gym about two years prior when my mother was stationed up here and even then I really enjoyed the coaching, WOD and fellow athletes that I had met. During that time, my life was in total chaos, as I was trying to figure out what my next step in life would be, I wasn’t feeling fulfilled in my current job at Target and I didn’t feel like I was where I needed to be. After some soul searching, I decided to join the US Army and I haven’t looked back. I returned to Maryland after some long training for my job and I can say that I am ecstatic. The life choices I have made and people that I have met, I would never change. In life there are ups and downs but I’m taking every opportunity to learn and grow and I believe that being here will be nothing short of beneficial.

Q: If you were out with a group of your best friends — the people closest to you — how would they describe you?

A: They would say that I wouldn’t enjoy this question because I don’t like to talk about myself. However, I believe my best friends would say that I am loyal to a fault, I am a determined individual when counted on, a close confidant that will not judge or smirk at what is being told to her, an extroverted introvert (meaning that I am intensely outgoing to those that I know I can trust) and will give the shirt off her back when necessary.

Q: Why are you excited about CrossFit? What does CrossFit mean to you?

A: CrossFit isn’t just a workout to me. It got me through one of the toughest times of my life. As a school athlete and person who grew up in a fitness heavy home, I was always told that “you have to move”. My mother and father were both in the military and being physically fit is one of the major things you are asked to maintain. I grew up around gyms, running formations calling cadences early in the dew soaked mornings and push-ups/sit-ups done in the living room at any given time. I participated in almost every sport. I played soccer, basketball, softball, rugby and I was in gymnastics for a short time. However, once I went to college, I decided that I wanted to take a break, I gained the freshman fifteen and then some. I was depressed, overweight and stressed. I also missed the competitiveness of organized sports and the camaraderie of being on a team. I struggled for years trying to find something close to that. It wasn’t until one night that I saw on youtube a video about CrossFit. I was hooked. The way these strong individuals (mostly women) would plow these workouts really inspired me. And the rest you could say, is history. I have been doing CrossFit, off and on, for about three years and I can sincerely say, that it has changed my life and I can’t wait to keep working towards a better version of myself.

Q: Please feel free to add anything else that you would like people to know about you. One of my favorite questions is, what one thing do people generally *not* know about you, or would be surprised to know about you.

A: I am insanely quiet and shy when first meeting new people however, once I become more comfortable and come out of my shell, I can be incredibly obnoxious and annoyingly caring.

Bonus Question: Would you rather go into the past and meet your ancestors or go into the future and meet your great-great grandchildren?

Answer: I fixated immediately on this question because it made me think about an important philosophy that I’ve tried to embrace as of late; stay present. I have a hard time staying in the moment and am working intently to do just that. With that being said, I would not go back to meet my ancestors because they had already existed. Their decisions already set in stone with little room for change and plus, you know, slavery. Now on the other end of the spectrum, I would not want to meet my great-great grandchildren because either I would meet them, instantly fall in love and then come back to the present to live my life to the exact specifications to ensure that they actually come to life which sounds insane. The alternative to that would be that I meet them and be disappointed and just wondering how in the world it got to this point and start looking back at my own decisions. I would rather just be present and live my life how I want to live it and be content with the consequences or happy with the choices.

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