Member Spotlight: Amanda Aledia

December 17, 2021 marks my 1 Year Anniversary at CrossFit Bexley! In 2020 my physical health was at an all-time low. As a child I was active in athletics including competitive gymnastics, acrosport, softball, basketball, diving and cheer. I continued with cheer through college and was blessed to have been a member of Ohio State University Cheerleading. As an adult I was a competitive gymnastics coach and judge. Through all of this time I never had great eating habits or commitment to exercise other than what was required through practices and competition.

My youngest child was born in 2004 and I ended up having Peripartum Congestive Heart Failure/Cardiomyopathy and my cardiologist discovered a hole between the chambers of my heart. Scary! Without going into all of the details, I am happy to say I recovered and was only left with high blood pressure. In the 17 years since then I haven't taken very good care of myself. My blood pressure has never recovered, my eating habits were worse and my weight was out of control. I have been on the lose/gain roller coaster using any fad diet and short term workout program I could come up with for fast weight loss...only to gain back more than I lost.

When Covid became a problem I finally discovered why I was unsuccessful. I was not focused on getting healthy at all. My concern was all on how I looked and focused solely around short-term weight loss to look better by an event or for a trip. Being obese with high blood pressure, I was considered to have "underlying conditions" and in danger of a severe reaction to Covid-19. I hopped back on the roller coaster and 9 months later had accomplished nothing. I could not do it on my own.

In early December 2020, my 28 year-old daughter (also a former gymnast) suggested I try CrossFit. She was living in Boulder, CO and had just started CrossFit and loved it. I had noticed the CrossFit Bexley sign on Cassady Ave. several times and called right away to set up an introductory session with Brian Peterson. I entered the gym on December 17, 2020 51 years-old with a medicated blood pressure of 158/105 and 80 pounds overweight. I was so out of shape that I could not do the short workout that was to follow the barbell lift introduction and I struggled to make it 90 seconds on the C2 bike.

Today, thanks to the amazing coaches and members at CrossFit Bexley, my blood pressure is 126/72, I have lost 50 pounds (36+ inches), my endurance has improved tremendously and I have muscles haha. I am addicted to feeling healthy and I look forward to my mornings with my 6am CrossFit Bexley Fam. My husband is now also a member and healthier than ever! Thank you Brian and Cassidy for showing me scaled versions of CrossFit craziness are ok and encouraging me to try new things! CrossFit Bexley has truly changed my life and I am just getting started - Thank you!!!