Client of the Month - April 2023 Winner:
Jen Smith
Congratulations Jen! Please read below for why she and the rest of the clients were nominated in April
Client of the Month - April 2023 Nominees
Jen Smith
Jen Smith achieved two massive PR's (including a gym record) at the Powerlifting meet at the beginning of the month. She back squatted 135 kg, which is 297 pounds. She made this lift look so easy that we wish we had another attempt to push her over the 300 lb club. Later in the meet she then deadlifted 145 kg (319 lbs), that is the most of any female lifter at our gym ever!
Not only did she achieve these amazing lifts, she has done it all while training for the 5k with her son Jovian and 1 mile with her other son Deklan, then a relay on Sunday for another 5 miles. During all of this she was also learning the Olympic Weightlifting movements, as well as juggling traveling with work, taking care of two kids, and battling through knee issues. Through all of this she has still been one of our most consistent clients. Every day wasn’t perfect. Many workouts were done fatigued which caused a lot of frustration and even the occasional tear. Training and working out in general can be a huge mental battle too, especially when you get to the level Jenn Smith has reached. However, her will to BECOME BETTER drove her through these hurdles and stress to achieve some truly remarkable results this month. She is the perfect example to keep in mind when you’re not feeling up to training, especially when it’s a mental issue, to keep pushing through because at the end of the workout you’re going to feel a lot better, and at the end of the training cycle you’re going to be proud of the results you obtained.
Jen will be running the half marathon tomorrow and we wish her the best in that. She will then start up her heavier lifting training again in hopes to later this year, or early next year qualify for Nationals in the Master’s division.
Debra Rocca
Debra at 61 years old has been a Become Better client for almost 2 years now. Deb came in with a goal of weight loss, specifically looking to lose about 15 pounds. Deb started out coming twice a week but switched over to 3 times a week during the new year. She attributed that switching to 3 times a week has further increased her ability to hit her goals and beyond. Deb is being nominated because she not only hit her goal but as of April 2023 she has lost 26 pounds during her Become Better journey.
Deb Rocca Highlights @ Become Better
Hit original weight loss goal of 15 pounds and now has new ones set
200lb Trap Bar Deadlift
90lb 1 Rep Bench Press
Abby Yates
Since she started at the gym last year Abby Yates (14 years old) has been steadily improving as an athlete. In the month of April Abby set a PR on her deadlift at 60kg (and for 4 reps too), which is double the weight from her first attempt at deadlifting one year ago (for 2 reps) and well over her actual body weight. She is also now able to do 3 chin-ups on her own opposed to doing 3 with the help of the Green band (medium strength). To showcase some of her athletic improvements she has also gone from touching 8’1” to 8’6.5.” Although unquantifiable, we know she has continued to improve her performance on the field during her lacrosse season, where she is a consistently dangerous scoring threat. Abby is a joy for us to work with every week. I’ve personally never seen her come in with anything besides a smile on her face. She is also a very self motivated individual and rarely needs to be reminded to keep pushing through because she’s already doing just that. We look forward to continuing to see Abby improve in the weight room, and more importantly, on the field.