#in the end i was too weak to spend all my gems hahaha

[the-himawari]

OTSU!!!

Good job to everyone who was ranking!!!  💜  🕊️ 🌙

I also just want to say seeing so many people warming up to Masumi after this event and seeing him get all the love and respect he deserves just warms my heart and I’m so grateful for Liber for giving us this story, and finally giving our boy the emotional growth and closure he needed that in the end, was just so perfect for Masumi and his character--

And I’m just full of so many overwhelming feelings for him and all of spring troupe and--

/cuts off to spare everyone from my Masumi lovemail again LMAO but I think you get the point~  💜 💜 💜

[hogwartsfirebolt]

Hi again! This is part two (out of three!) of my 2019 drarry fic recs. In the first part I recommended ten of my absolute favorite stories I read this year, and here I am today with ten more that I also love dearly and hope you’ll enjoy too. The banner art is by one of my FAVORITE ARTISTS, @aceveria-art who was kind enough to let me use their art for this and just LOOK AT THAT STUNNING PIECE (here’s the link for you to reblog if you want cause omg). Now, in no particular order, here’s some of my

FAVORITE FICS I READ IN 2019 PART TWO

1. Of Wands and Trees - Omi_Ohmy - 45k - All Draco wants to do is be a wandmaker, but to do so he needs to understand the soul of trees. Of course, the only man who might be able to help him is the one man who is more of a mystery to him than any tree.

We’re starting out this list with this absolute gemstone of a fic. It’s got everything: adventure, redemption, cabins in the middle of nowhere, a spin on the kind of magic we’re used to in this fandom, ancient trees, passion, wandlore, Draco being forced to work for his own food, Harry bathing naked in streams (my mouth’s watering as we speak), and it’s so, so good, the writing, the characterizations, the setting so vibrant I felt like I was standing right there. Just, a gem all around.

2. Take Into the Air (My Quiet Breath) - guardianmira - 11k - Draco is dying of Hanahaki Disease. Serves him right, Harry thinks.

This fic felt, to me, like something completely different from the eighth year fics I usually read, and, having found it by accident, it absolutely blew my mind! I did not expect to love it as much as I did, and I definitely did not expect to feel it as deeply as I did. Just the right amount of angst to give us that sweet, sweet relief at the end. Very lovely.

3. We have a Problem - @xx-thedarklord-xx - 3k - Weddings tend to have a variety of things happening at one time. With a groom as meticulous as Draco, Ron expected nothing to go wrong. When shenanigans, walkouts, disasters, no-shows, and a lack of food strike, it’s up to Ron to save the day.

SO SWEET. Just so, so freaking sweet and funny and different. Ron’s POV was fresh and lovely and so clever, and the plot is hilarious and engaging. It reads so quickly that you will barely feel time passing, and I am 10000% sure that everyone’s bound to adore this. It’s just one of those fics. I cannot recommend it enough. It will be the absolute best 15-20 minutes of your day.

4. Foreplay - @lqtraintracks - 6k - Getting a raging hard-on on the duelling room floor, pinned under Harry Potter’s sweaty body, is not how Draco saw his day going, but… Well, here he is.

Mmfffff. Can barely think about this without having to fan myself, because it’s probably the hottest fic I read all year. Aurors sparring, a Harry who is unbelievably hot, a Draco who tries but simply can’t resist him, showers, a bit of semi-public sex, and the very literal definition of “not safe for work” can be found in here. Just, goodness, it should’ve taken me half an hour to read it and it took about one because I KEPT STOPPING TO BREATHE. Lqt never fails to deliver powerful, incredibly sexy stories and you should all go see for yourselves what I’m talking about.

5. Safe Words - felix_atticus - 26k - Draco discovers his husband has been keeping a secret from him. At first he’s amused. Then he’s curious. The problem? Harry’s always had a hard time saying no.

Speaking of powerful, this one here stabbed me right in the chest and twisted the knife, but in the absolute best way possible. It’s FANTASTIC. The writing is beautiful, the characterizations astounding, and I felt every single emotion so deep inside me. It paints how difficult it is to navigate trust, how impossible it feels to put our own wants and needs over what’s expected of us, explores consent in so many different aspects of life and just presents a beautiful relationship at its core. It really is gorgeous.

6. Upstaged - @lettersbyelise - 3k - West End actor Drake O'Malley starts receiving fanmail from a (not so mysterious) stranger.

The epistolary format already makes this stand apart from our usual fic, but the plot itself is also something I hadn’t ever read before. It’s written so smoothly that it reads like a dream, and I loved every second of it and how it allowed me to build up an entire picture of what was happening with each letter. I’ve gone back to it two or three times just to experience it all over again, and I always have a great time when I do. This is so lovely, witty and just different.

7. Pure Imagination - @aibidil - 14k - An eighth-year tale of depressed happiness, reluctant imagination, and conflicted hope. And skateboarding.

My god is this fic lovely. I spent about three quarters of it clutching my chest because I loved it so much, I love these kids so much and it hit me right in the feels to see everything they go through after the dust of the war settles and they have to figure out their place in life. This is hope in a jar, it’s that light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel story that becomes a metaphor for life itself. A beautiful, beautiful ride.

8. Poor Unfortunate Souls - @doubleappled - 19k - Draco is a potioneer. Harry is trying to save his sex-challenged marriage. Everything is a mess, but at least there’s an octopus in the lobby.

Chaotic, unique, HOT!!! The whole set up is brilliant, Draco’s work is very interesting, the scenes where we get to see with Harry and Ginny are so incredibly well done that my jaw fell to the floor a little, and what can I even say about the entire buildup we get for Draco and Harry’s relationship, it was MASTERFUL. This fic is absolutely amazing and the ending is so good I can still savor it when I remember it. Go check it out, right now!!!

9. Weather With You - @quicksilvermaid - 29k - Flood. Heatwave. Cyclone. Epic storm ready to rip London apart? Something strange is happening to the weather inside the Ministry of Magic…–Featuring magical creatures, Harry wearing minimal clothes, a snarky snake, and Draco Malfoy who is definitely Up To Something.

This story is such a fun ride that can, at times, be absolutely freaking hilarious (the whole “He Is Up To Something” narrative never fails to crack me up), and at times become sweet and tender. There is nothing more relatable to me than a Draco who wants Harry so much he doesn’t even know what to do with himself, and it was a joy to read him here, and actually, both of their characterizations are so fantastic that they definitely feel like an extension of what we know about them to begin with, and I just had the best of times watching them work their way out of this mess. Sprinkle in a bit of parseltongue, witty snakes and shirtless Harry, and you’ve found yourself the best way to spend the evening.

10. A Sword Laid Aside - @korlaena - 128k - When Draco’s cover is blown during a deep undercover operation and the Ministry is compromised, Ron takes Draco to the only safe place he can think of—Potter. Hiding out with a taciturn Harry Potter, who has been missing from the Wizarding World for almost two decades after a shocking fall from grace, is nothing like Draco thought it would be. Draco has to navigate dealing with this Potter while being hunted by Dark wizards and wanted by extremists in the Ministry. When things take a turn for the worse, Draco has to decide whether he’s going to keep running or find a way to protect the world and the people he cares about most.

There are so many things I want to say about this one, so many little details that drove me wild and I want to mention but I just… I- this story is absolutely MIND BLOWING, it’s deep, it’s amazing and frankly extraordinary and I don’t even know how to tell you how much I adore every single word of it. This must be one of my absolute favorite versions of Harry that I’ve ever read, his immense power, his internal conflict, pain and sheer physicality made me weak in the knees; Draco’s characterization is also so heartbreakingly spot on that I could barely believe what I was reading. This story gripped me, squeezed me, spun me around a little and then put me upright again, and there is honestly nothing like it. I haven’t even told you anything about the plot, which… omg. There are no words to tell you how much you NEED to read this. Just typing this is making me want to embark on this adventure again. — I have no excuse for the amount of Harry thirst to be found on this list, I just- well. I really hope you like these little gems! Hahaha. If you do end up reading any of them and want to chat about them, or have questions about any tags or warnings that might worry you, my DMs are always open!!! Enjoy ❤️

[evenstevensranked]

#20: Season 2, Episode 14 - “Sadie Hawkins Day”

The Sadie Hawkins dance rolls around and Louis is expecting Tawny to ask him. He ends up blowing his chances with her by trying to seem desperately desirable to all the girls. He's left to go to the dance with Monique last minute.. and Tawny goes with some popular, shirtless dude Tad. Meanwhile, Ren’s stuck taking care of a pig. Seriously. So, let’s listen to some Relient K and get into the Top 20! 

This one opens with Ren getting everything settled for the upcoming Sadie Hawkins Dance. Of course she’s in charge of it. Who other than Vice Principal Ren Stevens? We see that a pig has been delivered to the school a day early, so Ren is now stuck taking care of it for the rest of the episode. Ren honestly deserves better plots. Like.. what the heck. Louis gets an entertaining, romance-y main plot -- and Ren gets... a pig. Christy Romano even said in an interview recently that working with this pig was a low point in her career, lol. Wow. 

A scene later, Tawny and Ren have a little conversation about the dance and Tawny mentions that she’s gonna ask Louis!! Yeeeee! She asks Ren if she’s gonna ask Bobby, but the melodrama strikes and Ren is all “That’s actually been over for a while...” EXCEPT!!! This episode initially aired the literal day before Sibling Rivalry, which is Ren and Bobby’s official break up episode. Seriously, Disney?! I will never understand why they jack up their airing schedules so bad. At least the order of my countdown inadvertently tackles these episodes sequentially! I’d also like to mention that Tawny says the idea of the girls asking the guys is cool, but states “I don’t do Hillbilly” with an air of disgust. I RELATE TO HER CHARACTER SO MUCH???

At lunch, 6 girls who have asked Twitty to the dance swarm him, anxiously awaiting his decision. This is one of those instances where you realize... Oh, right. Twitty is supposed to be cute and kinda popular even though he hangs out with the outcasts? Okay. Louis walks over with Tom and shouts to the girls “Hey, what’s up! I’m Louis!” The girls scatter and you hear one snicker “Yeah. No kidding! So what?!” HAHA. Louis is a little salty over the fact that not one girl has come “within 50 feet” of him, yet Twitty has 8 potential dates lined up. I think y’all know by now that if I were a student at LJH back in the day, I totally would’ve been that weird girl who asked Louis Stevens lol. Tom exclaims that the only other guy with as many offers as Twitty is Tad Taylor. Some popular dude we’ve never seen or heard of, who Disney clearly didn’t want to cut a check for because he never says a word. 

Twitty himself is shocked that the Sadie Hawkins thing has suddenly turned him into a “babe magnet.” Tom interjects “I’m like a lint magnet! I mean, how am I getting this stuff all over my trousers?!” *whips out a lint roller and gets to work.* Gee, I wonder why Tom hasn’t received any invites!! Tom doesn’t understand it either! “Why do all the really good looking guys with sparkling personalities get all the girls?!” he asks. Which is possibly one of the greatest lines in the entire series. Louis is left wondering the same thing! So, Twitty reassures him that no girls have asked him because they all assume that Tawny will. :)

Later that day, the guys are hanging around Louis’ locker when Tawny starts approaching. Twitty tells Louis “This is it! She was just makin’ you sweat a little!” and Tom says yet another gem: “Yeah, ya know. Girls are always doing that! ...................*cough* or, so I’ve read.” Tom seriously has SO MANY incredible lines in this episode. I don’t know how I’m gonna make it through this review without quoting every single one. This is probably my personal favorite Tom performance ever. 

Louis royally messes everything up. Tawny was totally going to ask him, until he tried to be over-confident. “Yeah, I figured. You wouldn’t believe how many girls have been asking me out to that thing. Can’t keep their paws off me!” Since Tawny is the greatest ever, she’s immediately turned off and doesn’t ask him. Yaaaasss, gurl. 

Twitty: I said play it cool.

Tom: “Yeah, and you played the foooooool! ...Sorry. Ya know, I just like to bust the occasional rhyme.” -- I CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH HOW FANTASTIC TOM IS.

After school that day, the guys go to Louis’ house and spin a literal wheel of dates to help Twitty make a decision. We get yet another A+ Tom moment. “Big money, big money!” he shouts as it spins... and lands on DORIS!!! HIS FREAKIN’ MOTHER. The camera zooms in on her photo and it kills me. “Oh. *nervous laughter* Sorry. That... Must’ve fallen out of my wallet” is Tom’s excuse. I don’t even fully understand this comment or why the HELL Tom (or Twitty accidentally) would put her on the wheel to begin with, but it’s hilarious. Just because it’s one of my favorite moments, I have to gif it:

That zoom in is something straight out of The Office and Louis’ reaction is the best.

Just then, Donnie receives a phone call from a random girl who called to say he’s hot. Donnie tells Louis his appeal and ability to nab dates comes from giving off a “bad boy” vibe. Louis takes that information a little too far (as usual) and transforms into the most repulsive version of Louis Stevens ever: 

First of all: He’s burping here. Secondly: Yeah, Louis. Dressing like a total bum from Middle of Nowhere USA with a taped-on anchor tattoo and bag of cheese puffs is really gonna reel in the ladies.

Obviously, this attempt at being a “bad boy” did not work for Louis. It did, however, work for Tom. Who looks absolutely amazing!! haha.

“Hu hu hu, au contriare pierre!” he says as Gwendolyn, his date, appears. Are we sure this chick isn’t at least 30 years old? Is that part of the joke? No way in heck she’s in 7th grade. I always thought that was a little disturbing, lol. 

It’s weird because Louis is actually already a “bad boy” ...is he not? I mean, he’s not the stereotypical “bad boy” but it’s not like he’s a nerd. He’s always getting into trouble, always in detention, etc. I guess people like the idea and aesthetic of a bad boy instead of the real thing, ayyyy!

We get a montage of Ren trying to ask numerous guys to the dance but the pig keeps ruining everything for her. It eats one guy’s lunch, farts in front of another guy, and attacks some other dude. Which means that guy is really weak, or that pig is really strong: 

If this were a lame sitcom someone would shout “Aw, shucks! That darn pig!!” and the audience would erupt in laughter and applause.

Louis runs into Tawny in the hall and tries to apologize for acting stupid earlier by yelling "WHY DON’T YOU JUST ASK ME!!!!” assuming she hasn’t asked anyone else yet. Wow, Louis. Wow. But Tawny, being the badass that she is, tells Louis “There’s one little problem with your logic... I do have a date. Bye.” Yes. Just, yes.  Louis is left sulking on the floor when Monique approaches him. She’s trying to give him a bag of some pig food that Ren left in her locker, but Louis jumps to conclusions and is all “YESSS, I’LL GO TO THE DANCE WITH YOU!!” before she even says anything lol. Even though that wasn’t Monique’s plan, she agrees to go with him. So, in the end Louis basically asked a girl to the Sadie Hawkins Dance... that’s not how it works, Lou. 

That banner tho... “GALS GIT YOUR’N FELLERS for the SADIE HAWKINS DANCE!” 

CUT TO THE DANCE! Monique isn’t there yet. So, once Twitty and Tom arrive with their dates, Tom gives us his last great line of the episode: “I gotta say, we’re all a little worried about ya. Truth be told I had Doris on standby.” Louis is so insulted: “DORIS? YOUR MOM DORIS?! No, Tom. I’m NOT gonna go out with your mom!” -- The way Shia says this gets me every time. He informs them that he was “asked to the dance” by the head of the cheerleading squad -- Yeah, that’s a bit of a fib, Louis.. but I’ma let it slide. Louis thought he was going to the dance with a hot cheerleader.. but Monique shows up in full hillbilly mode.. complete with blacked-out teeth and everything. Meanwhile, Ren is stuck in the pig pen. She’s purposely dressed to kinda look like a young farm girl so this is one of the only times I’ve watched this show and thought “wow, Christy actually looks 14.″

Lawrence Jr. High is really dedicated to ~immersion~ I guess, because Principal Wexler gets up on stage and speaks in the most ridiculous southern accent. Like... I always wonder... How do people from the south feel about stuff like this? Wexler announces that the square dance caller for the night is STEVE STEVENS. Oh my freaking god. Steve is the best, hahaha. He pops up outta nowhere like “HOWDYYYYY” and a crowd of 30-something-year-old adult extras stare back at him, confused and unimpressed. 

Yeah, Gwendolyn probably is 30+ years old.. because apparently the majority of LJH students are grown adults. Either that or... Did these adults not get the memo that it’s a dance for middle schoolers? Why is no one concerned that adults are partying it up with 13 year olds? WHO LET THEM IN?! *shrugs* But, seriously. Disney couldn’t find some KIDS to attend the dance? Come on, now.

Monique invites Louis to square dance with her and Louis says "I'm not a square dancer, I'm more of a circular kinda guy." Idk I just kinda like that line. Tawny shows up with her date, the popular silent boy Tad Taylor. She and Louis spend their night trying to act like they’re having a great time without each other. Tawny is specifically trying to make Louis jealous and it’s pretty great. They give us these dramatic slow-mo shots of them dancing and glancing longingly at each other from across the room. I love it. There’s also a bit where Monique takes the call “Swing your partner round’n round!” a little too seriously and I can’t help but laugh: 

I will always be a sucker for a good obviously fake dummy gag. 

That crazy swing ends with yet ANOTHER Louis stunt double flying into (and destroying) the pig pen. I seriously never realized how many stunts happen on this show!! There has literally been a stunt every week of this countdown as of late! Anyway, the pig gets loose, runs to the principal’s office, and starts oinking into the intercom. That’s basically the end of the pig subplot. 

Louis is scarred from the twirling incident so he hides from Monique in a tiny, little pig house. For whatever reason, Monique looks for Louis in handfuls of hay! WHAT?! She literally holds some hay, looks at it and asks “Louuuuis???” I kid you not: 

WHY IS THIS SO FUNNY 

She eventually finds him, of course. Right around then Wexler announces that it’s hitchin’ time! While Monique excitedly asks Louis to go get hitched, Tawny looks on and decides to get hitched to Tad before them as a way to get back at Louis... and it works. He’s all depressed watching the two of them up on stage. Monique can clearly see he’d rather be with Tawny so she encourages him “Go get her, cowboy!” So Louis ruuuuuuns up there and interrupts the “wedding.” Which is something else that must be gif’d:

“If ya’ll wanna get hitched, say waaAHHH-HOOO!” I love how Margo is laughing as she shouts “waaaahhh” lol. That zoom in on her confused face as Louis runs up there is too good. 

Louis objects and claims “This whole wedding is a mockery!” To which Wexler says “Oooo! You’re a sharp tack, Stevens” as he points to a sign that says “Mock Weddin’s: 5 Cents.” That’s one of my favorite moments ever honestly.

Tawny pulls Louis off stage and out into the hallway where they end up having a really sweet talk where Louis admits to messing everything up. It’s so nice, complete with tinkering romantic piano in the background and everything, haha. I love their dynamic so much. So, yeah. They makeup and square dance the night away to royalty-free, generic bluegrass music. 

And that’s it!

I like this one a lot. Tom pretty much MAKES it, he’s so good here. I obviously adore the Louis/Tawny content as well. It’s just a fun and solid episode overall, imo. 

Question: Did your school ever have a Sadie Hawkins dance? I remember both Even Stevens and Lizzie McGuire (among other childhood shows, I’m sure...) had Sadie Hawkins episodes. So in Junior High, I remember waiting for my school to hold one but it never happened. For the longest time I was under the impression that Sadie Hawkins dances only existed on television. To this day, I still kinda believe that lol. 

Thanks for reading! Chime in via Disqus below please. :) 

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[lady-serendipity]

Hiiiii Jen 👑🐙 🎬🍆💕📛👰🐄

Niki

👑 what is the reason your bias is your bias?D’aw this question makes me happy because I get to gush about him (even though I usually do so). Yixing is just… he works so hard. And he’s gotten so far and changed himself so much for his dreams and never takes a goddamn break. There are plenty of times where I think I want to just lie down and do nothing. But then I think of Yixing and how hard he’s working at butt o’clock of the day and I get so energized!! Plus he can charm the pants off of anyone and I want to study his ways.

🐙 describe chen in three emojis. (╯3╰);  ( ^▽^)σ)~O~); (´ω｀)

🎬 if your bias were to be the star of a movie, what kind of movie would it be?just let him be a darn dinosaur in a Jurassic Park remake already! hahaha

🍆fmk: hyung line.ohhhhhhhh damnnnn. God. Shoot. That’s Xiumin, Suho, Yixing isn’t it.I’ve got to… shoot. I’m going to have to marry Suho. Might be a bit surprising but I think he’d actually put me first (and spend a ton of money on me) and he’d just be the most attentive boyfriend. So, f*cking Yixing and unfortunately that means Xiumin must die. I know Yixing would really try but he’d end up getting sucked into his music and we’d probably fight about him not taking care of himself :(Now if it were Xiumin, Lu Han, Kris…. Marry Lu Han, f*ck Kris, doubly sorry to Xiumin but have you seen duizhang’s hands??? I am weak for a tol.

💕 fmk: maknae line.I’d marry Taozi in a heartbeat. He’s kinda narcissistic but I think he’d treat me really well and I would have enough money (from him) to indulge him in random gifts that would make his eyes shine brighter than the sharpest diamonds. I’d f*ck Sehun and kill Jongin. The answer wouldn’t change if it’s ot9 - marry Kyungsoo, 100%.

📛 fmk: beagle-lineNiki ;_____; this is definitely the hardest…. Chanyeol, Baek, Chen.I’d marry Chanyeol. Legs for miles and I’d be able to walk into his studio and prop myself into his lap and cuddle. He’d just work around me on his music. Ugh!! I don’t want to kill either Baek or Chen but I think… f*ck Baek. He’s got them on and off abs and his dancing game has been hella hot with Monster solo.

👰 who do you think your parents would like more as your boyfriend?This question is actually hilarious because my mom knows all the members of EXO, I’m pretty sure. I think they’d like Kyungsoo for his sincerity. My mom especially likes a man who would help out and I think Soo would even try to help out by cooking (extra bonus points). Plus he’s so family-oriented. Chen, too, in the family-oriented regard and being a gem in general.

🐄 who do you think would be the best dad?Ok I gotta be honest - Chen. I think Chen would be the sweetest dad. He’d wake up early to coo at his child and sing sweet nothings, rocking them in his arms and always, always helping out.

[crossfit416]

New Post has been published on CrossFit 416

March 2017 Athlete of the Month: Jax Mattioli

First of all, tell us a little bit about yourself—where are you from, what do you do outside of the time you spend here, hobbies, fun facts, etc. anything goes! The more the better! What would you like people to know about you?

I grew up in Dundas, Ontario and still consider myself to be a small-town girl living in the city. I am fortunate to be able to spend most weekends at the cottage on Georgian Bay to keep me balanced with the chaos of city life. I love a new challenge, and spending time outdoors – I generally look for new sports to try, but prefer team/social sports to individual. I also love checking out the local dining scene in whichever city I am in, and love finding the hidden gems. I literally have a notepad in my iPhone with a list full of my favourite restaurants and those I still want to try across North America. Otherwise, you can find me playing ball on the beach with our dog Oban, Sailing or Cycling.

Life is extra busy right now as I am counting down the days (and $$$ L) until my wedding, this June, just outside of Charleston, South Carolina. I’m grateful for the support of all the coaches, especially Rachel, as I try to keep focused on regaining my pre-travel body and lifestyle habits, and to look good in my wedding dress of course J.

Tell us a little bit about your fitness history. What were you doing before you joined CrossFit 416? How did you find out about us? How was your first class here? How long have you been coming here? What has been the biggest factor in keeping you hooked at CF 416?

I played competitive softball for over 20 years at a provincial, national, and varsity level. I used to train and play 3-5 days a week, plus up to 8 tournament weekends. It was my life for a long time!!! Until I tore my shoulder playing for McMaster University. I trained and played one more season before deciding it was time to retire. After a year of physiotherapy, it was clear weightlifting was no longer an option, it was going to be a critical part of keeping my shoulder strong and pain free. So I replaced my 3-5 days of softball training with 3-5 days in the gym, obsessively reading about training. I added Cycling, Golf and Yoga and actually came to a place where I was the fittest I’d been since I was a kid.

Things all got complicated when I was promoted to a national role that had me travelling 3-4 weeks out of a month. That’s when I discovered CrossFit. I met a man in a hotel gym training a client; turns out he owned a box in Alberta. After I told him CrossFit wasn’t for me, he invited me to come to his box for a WOD, I declined, but accepted his dare to find a Box in Toronto and give it a shot.

My first class was BRUTAL—thanks, Luke!. Lol. I will never forget the 20 minute AMRAP: Push Ups, Sit Ups, and Air Squats. I remember leaving the class and texting a note back saying: “Thanks, but no thanks.” The next day, when I woke up, and EVERYTHING hurt – I wrote back and said “I think I’m in love…” That was it for me. That was before I fell head over heels in love with the amazing coaches and people I’ve met – of course now I could never leave.

If you could go back to that first class and give yourself some advice based on what you know and understand now, what would it be?

The only person you are ever competing against is yourself. I think any athlete would agree it can be difficult not to feel the nerves and pressure as barbells are smashing down around you and people are moving so fast. Also – mobility. I think I always went through the motions with softball warm ups, but really learned the importance of it in CrossFit – this sport will take your ego down a few levels and highlights every weakness you have!!! Lastly, leverage the coaches. Whether you are new to CrossFit or a veteran, CrossFit 416 is stacked with some amazing people who can quickly assess your form and help you work with your body to get the most out of your workouts and improve faster than you will on your own. Even when you think you’ve mastered it, bad habits are easy to build. Ask for a form check from time to time, you won’t regret it!

What is your favourite movement in CrossFit? Why?

I actually have a love/hate for Wallballs. LOL I hate them while I am doing them, but honestly, I can’t get enough of the pain in my butt and legs the next day. I know they work! Also, I love lunges and have come to enjoy rowing. Did I actually just say that?

Aaaand your least favourite movement and why?

I would trade Thrusters for just about anything else. They are my sore spot for sure. Barbells, dumbbells, doesn’t matter, I have a big time hate-on for Thrusters. Showing up on a Thruster day is hard.

If we could create a Hero WOD named “Jax”, what would it be? Movements, rep schemes, rounds, length of time, etc. all variables are yours to unleash your programming creativity here!

Let’s Tabata all my favourites!!!

8 Rounds of each :20 on :10 off

Overhead Plate Lunges

Ball Slams

Rowing

Toes to Bar/Post

Wall Balls

Ring Rows

Ring Dips

  Is that too much? J What is the favourite place you’ve travelled to? Why? Where are you planning on going next?

Gosh, I have travelled a lot but will say there are still so many places I want to see! One of my favourite places, however, is a little barrier Island outside of Charleston, South Carolina called Kiawah Island. It is part of what they call “Lowcountry” and rich with history, architecture, and some of the most amazing food in North America. There is something about Southern Hospitality and charm that makes you feel worlds away, or as if you have stepped back in time.

Kiawah Island itself sits on the Atlantic Ocean, it is a private residential island about with a beach strip 10 miles long. Once you arrive, you can literally park your car and move about the island on bicycle. One of my favourite things to do is ride through the streets admiring the multi-million dollar plantation style homes on the way up to the Ocean Course Golf Club, enjoy a bottle of our favourite wine and some lunch on the patio before letting the wind push us all the way back down the beach on our bicycles.

We love it so much we will be heading back in just a few short months for our own low-country intimate seaside wedding in June. After that I will go back to my bucket list and pick another spot.

How do you like your toast?

I like my toast thick and crusty, golden brown like it’s been meticulously torched by a fine dining pastry chef, topped with crunchy peanut butter and a thick layer of creamed local honey. YUM!

Tell us something about yourself no one might ever guess about you.

I am bizarrely shy and hate being the center of attention unless it’s part of a team, and I’m not big on surprises, hahaha. Yep, my nooners can attest I would kill myself in a WOD just not to end up having a crowd around me cheering me on. I once followed the office crowd into the office they planned to surprise me in for my birthday, and yelled surprise before they even knew I was in the room. The only surprise I liked was when my fiancé proposed, because he kept it simple and private on the beach at our cottage. Trust me, I was still awkward!!!

What are three things we would always find in your fridge?

Multiple Nut Butters, Eggs, Maple Syrup

Who inspires you?

My fiancé Cameron. I met him as he was training for an Ironman Race. A gruelling 140.6 miles of Swimming, Cycling and Running. He encouraged me to run a 13.1 mile half marathon, I don’t think I ever did a single training run I didn’t complain about. I don’t know how he ran a 26.2 mile marathon after 7 hours of swimming and cycling. He never complained when training, just just got up and got it done. It definitely hurt, and it wasn’t easy, so he either has the pain tolerance of a god or the focus and determination of a first class athlete. That is inspiring.

Otherwise, it’s the members at CF 416 who push themselves every day. I would probably take the slacker way out if Coach Derya wasn’t watching and pushing me on my weight selection each day.

What is your proudest accomplishment thus far in life?

Realizing I can survive just about anything and that I can find gratitude even in the worst times. I would have to say I’m also pretty proud of my people collecting skills – I am surrounded by some of the most diverse and amazing people who have been a greater part of my journey than they will ever personally know. I have learned a lot about life, the ups and downs, the ins and outs, but mostly – the importance of people. You never know how you will touch someone’s life, what they struggle with, or how you might affect their journey, be kind, be true, be open. We are all in this together.

What is your most embarrassing childhood/teenage infatuation/trend/fad, etc. that you wholeheartedly prescribed to?

Geez, that’s a tough one. I generally hate fads. I am plain Jane and could probably pull something out of the closet from 15 years ago that wouldn’t truly show its age. LOL But I will admit, I was a boy band kind of girl and sucker for a love song. Still am, hahaha