Let me begin this Athlete of the Month intro by saying it was the first time a photo shoot was requested. And by the look of the finished product, you crushed it Annie! There is so much to say yet so little needed if you want to skip through right to the Q&A. Annie took the wheel on this one and will take you on quite the ride. She literally had me in tears laughing.
But if you want to read a little more from me, I am extremely grateful that Annie joined the gym in the winter of 2021. Very few people have the ability to make others smile at 5:30am let alone laugh. If you have yet to meet her, you will need to get your ass to the 5:30am on a weekday or 7am on a weekend. You will not regret it. You will forget about how tough a workout is if you’re in an earshot of her comments. As far as working out, Annie works hard. She knows her strengths and is mindful of her weaknesses. The bike is her jam for sure. Not many women can crank the cadence like she can. I can add more but Annie has been generous to tell a few stories below. I am proud to be her coach. I personally look forward to having her in class. She is honest, real and gives her best. Her attitude and energy is contagious. That is a huge factor in my decision to make her Athlete of the Month. Her 3 year old is also a big fan of my wife.
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Q&A
Why did you start functional fitness cross-training?
First of all, mind ya business.
Ok now that I’ve gotten that out of the way… I used to workout alone at NYSC at the same time Stephanie Popper and Michelle Ruggiero would be across the street at another functional fitness gym working out. Sometimes I could even see them in the window, but I was too scared to join. Then during the pandemic, we would hop the fence at Magnolia Park to work out together (programming by Michelle) and that was my first experience being held accountable by others to show up, so when Steph said you’re joining IP Fitness with us… I did. Best decision ever.
What’s your background? (Athletic)
I started competitively swimming very young, played soccer, basketball, volleyball, softball, and lacrosse. There was a lot of jersey switching in my mom’s minivan.
I won the Long Beach Biathlon when I was 10…. People don’t forget.
In High School I played one year of volleyball, got the ‘bull in a china shop award’, lacrosse, and was captain of the swim team.
I went to States as an alternate …for morale… I was the backup for a girl who got a scholarship to swim at Notre Dame… I don’t think I even packed a bathing suit.
In college I walked on to the lacrosse team… that lasted one year because I wanted to ‘study’ abroad.
I spent 9 glorious summers as an Ocean Lifeguard and was on the female competition team, which was led by Nicole Ambrosini, another stand out IPF member.
In my mid 20s my most consistent workout was running home from the bars in the west end. Other than that whatever time I spent in the gym was roughly 20 minutes of exercise and 30 minutes of dicking around in the locker room.
How long have you been a member and how long have you been doing functional fitness?
I’ve been a member here since Feb 2021, so nice Feb 2021.
When you’re pregnant the doctors usually recommend not trying any new workout routines, so I joined a Functional Fitness gym.
What is your favorite thing about the gym?
There are so many…
While the high after these hard workouts is addicting, and everyone loves a vice…
I have to say the people are my favorite! Coaches and members alike. When you’re hurting the most, someone can always tell and give you a little positive reinforcement and that’s like smelling salts to me.
Camilla yelling at me to push the sled.
Stu cheering for me when he sprints by in a blur like we’re the turtle and the hare.
Keri threatening to race me.
If I could, I’d invite you all to my house for Thanksgiving.
Added bonus, I don’t wake up feeling like Gandalf anymore.
What is the biggest challenge you have overcome since joining the gym?
The learning curve. Not having any prior knowledge about what we’re doing made it hard to take seriously at first.
Having to look at your coach and say “what’s a snatch” with a straight face.
Then when I actually figured out some of what I was doing, I wanted to get better at it, and learning how to do the movements correctly is hard. There’s a lot to remember, which for me, means a lot to forget.
Something else I’ve struggled with is getting pumped up to songs like “Born in the USA” or “Sweet Home Alabama” at 5:30AM, it just doesn’t do it for me. This week”Welcome to the Jungle” came on during a 20 minute bike workout, ain’t nobody got time for that.
What is your favorite moment at the gym so far?
It’s a bittersweet one. Once Coach Casey realized I could get up to 90 on a bike sprint, whether he was there to work out or coach he would stand behind my bike and yell “come on girl hit 90” I don’t get on a bike without thinking of him.
What’s your favorite “cheat” food?
I think now’s a good time for a confession…
Let me set the scene: it’s late Feb 2021, I am brand spanking new to this gym. Every time I walk in, I have no idea what is going on, these people are ripped, they all know each other, and all I know is I am about to get my ass completely handed to me over the next hour, AND there’s a man with a buzz cut asking questions at 5:30 AM.
He says, ‘if you are what you eat, what are you?’ Immediate panic.
I know the answer, and anyone who knows me outside the gym knows the answer, but it’s not something you’re proud to share with a bunch of gym strangers when you’ve got people like Julie saying “grilled chicken” and Dan saying “well, I make my own sausage” … what are you doing just grinding out meat in your kitchen Dan?!?… Someone might have even said a vegetable, I don’t remember I blacked out. I had to come up with something that was believable but not the actual answer, so I said ‘uhh cereal’ and Kyle followed up with WHAT KIND, omg are we still on me?! ‘uhh sugary cereal’ I got a sympathy laugh and we moved on.
The real answer though?? Chicken McNuggets, Sweet and Sour Sauce and French Fries!!! Until the casket drops.
and Rum
What would you say to someone who is thinking about starting?
‘Where do you live, I’ll pick you up.’
What drives you?
Aren’t we all here so we don’t have to be embarrassed to have sex with the lights on?JK
My children are a huge driving force for me going to the gym…I have 2 little boys, and I am often carrying them plus other things like the car seat and 100lb diaper bag all at once. When we’re working out and my arms or legs get tired, I think ‘these are the arms that have to carry the boys, keep it pushing.’
A bonus, If I can take out some of my aggression at the gym, I am a happy mom who isn’t yelling.
And most importantly, when I am in the gym, I am not with them. (Just kidding??)
For real, actually seeing other members like Mike and Stu G bring their kids to the gym gives me hope that one day my boys will be willing to work out with me when they are older.
Annie… WHY is Gary Busey your profile picture??
Aw so glad you asked. When I was 16 I went for my permit picture at the DMV. I went right from school, an all girls school, so impressing my classmates with clean hair and make up was NOT on the agenda. Blissfully unaware of what I looked like, when the permit finally came in the mail my sister said I looked like Gary Busey and unfortunately that stuck, so when Steph said someone in high school compared her to Andy Dick and we should make our profile pictures celebrity doppelgängers it was a no brainer.
Michael Keaton’s Beetle Juice came in at a close second.
What is your biggest fitness goal right now?Summer 2023, we’re taking on that biathlon again baby.
Also possible gym thanksgiving event? TBD