Our May Coach Highlight is another new coach at CFP – Sarah McSpadden!!
Sarah has a passion for CrossFit and coaching and recently just made the switch to coaching full time! Sarah grew up just outside of Charlotte and was a competitive swimmer, even swimming during college. Afterwards she made the switch to powerlifting and while she enjoyed being strong, she still felt like something was missing in her fitness routine. After just one class, she was hooked on CrossFit!
Sarah recently moved back from Australia, where she has been living for the past 6 years, in order to be closer to family. When she’s not in the gym coaching or working on her own fitness, she can be found reading or in the kitchen 🙂 We’re so glad to have as part of the CFP Team, Sarah, and part of this amazing community! Read more about Sarah below…
Sarah’s Coach Profile
1. Tell us a little about yourself. I grew up in Gastonia, N.C., but have been living in Perth, Western Australia for the last six years doing research on liver cancer. I moved back to N.C. in December to be closer to family; my sister just had her second little one, and I wanted to be around to spoil them both rotten! I don’t sit still very well (one reason I love CrossFit) unless I’m reading, and love everything about food…flavors, nutrition, cooking, baking…
2. How did you get into CrossFit & why do you like coaching? An ex-boyfriend in Perth is a CrossFit coach. I went the first time because I was bored with my then powerlifting routine, which made me stronger, but had the disadvantage of a loss of fitness. I went the second time because I was already addicted. CrossFit filled the fitness void left when I graduated from college and quit swimming, but it did so in a way the ensured I was never bored, and eventually was able to do some incredible things with my body, both in movements and strength. The confidence CrossFit has given me is irreplaceable.
I love coaching for two main reasons. First, it pushes and motivates me to do better and to learn more about functional fitness and how the body works. The older I get, the more I realize how important proper movement is in everyday life, and how the basic movements we do in the box translate to movements outside of it. Being able to help people realize this and thus hopefully live healthier is very rewarding.
The second reason ties into the first- helping people achieve goals or do things they never thought possible is extremely fulfilling. Pushing someone that little bit more, or adjusting their technique so that they get that five pound PR, and seeing the joy on their faces, is the main reason I love my job.
3. What is your favorite CF exercise? Least favorite? I love snatches, whether in a workout or heavy lifting. The precision, complexity, and beauty of the lift make it challenging, which only increases the reward when you hit it perfectly.
Least favorite, hands down, bar-facing burpees. So much pain.
4. What would you tell someone considering trying CrossFit/CFP? I would tell them don’t wait. I meet so many people who are out of shape, wanting to get healthier and fit, but they think that CrossFit is just way too far beyond what they could even imagine doing, so they say they are going to get into better shape first, then give it a try. I say don’t wait. Any workout is scalable, and the community and encouragement found at most boxes will keep you coming back, and make the beginning of that journey so much easier and more bearable than walking on a treadmill by yourself for two hours a day. So wherever you are in the process of becoming a healthier you, don’t wait, just give it a try.
