Decembers Female Athlete of the Month…Kari Filardi
Name: Kari
Age: 41
Height: 4’8″
Weight: 85
Crossfitting Since: Oct 2013
Attends Class: 5x a week
Favorite Quote: “When you kill a man, you steal a life. You steal his wife’s right to a husband, rob his children of a father.
When you tell a lie, you steal someone’s right to the truth. When you cheat, you steal the right to fairness.
There is no act more wretched than stealing.” -Khaled Hosseini
HOW DID YOU HEAR ABOUT CROSSFIT?
Honestly, I saw the sign… I didn’t know what it was and was tired of my current gym having
inconsistencies. I saw online CFH had a free trial class and decided to see what the “gym” aka box was
about. It was very different than the traditional gym.
WHAT WERE YOUR GOALS WHEN YOU STARTED CROSSFIT?
Besides not looking like an idiot? Which you find out is far from the case. No matter what level you
are, everyone is supportive. Seriously, a handstand push-up for sure.. I hadn’t been upside down since
grammar school. I also really focused on just performing and moving well. It was definitely hard doing
the lifts. I was very frustrated and wasn’t used to being slow. I wasn’t a weightlifter prior to Crossfit but
knew the basics and was surprised how different Olympic lifting is. I also wanted to meet new people
and make friends..
HOW HAS CROSSFIT DIFFERED FROM YOUR FORMER TRAINING?
I didn’t workout at all.. No sports in high school or anything. I just decided one day to eat right and join
a gym at 26. I started on the treadmill walking cause that’s all I could do.. Terrible, I know. I lost 20lbs.
I did spinning and in recent years, running which gets boring. I work hard everyday to keep it off and as
I get older it gets harder. Crossfit has given me that competitive drive I need to keep going. I have
always loved a variety in my workouts and friends who encourage me to show up. I’m addicted to
Crossfit.. I’m doing things everyday I’ve never even tried before. Crossfit is group workout and one on
one coaching when you need it. It’s awesome when coach Joanne is impressed I advanced off a band
and can do pullups and yells it out.. It great when coach Mike adds weight to my bar while I’m out for a
run and doesn’t have to tell me because he knows I can do it. The fact that someone takes notice of my
abilities is energizing. I have not experienced that in any other gyms I’ve been to.
WHAT TYPE OF RESULTS HAVE YOU SEEN WITH CROSSFIT?
Wow.. Well, I definitely have more definition than I ever have.. I weigh a little more because of that which is fine by me.. I used to go to the gym and do a certain routine and go home. BORING. I was
basically maintaining my physique. Crossfit has me reaching for goals and meeting those goals and then
setting more goals. It never ends. I was impressed that I could do a strict PU, now I’m impressed I can
do 8. Half marathons, I’ve ran faster.. It’s just gets better and better..
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR EXPERIENCE AT CROSSFIT HOBOKEN?
Without feeling repetitive.. Ha ha. Awesome, Friendly atmosphere, enthusiastic coaches, a sense of
welcoming.
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO ACCOMPLISH IN THE NEXT YEAR IN YOUR OWN FITNESS?
Placing in the pump n run… Being able to squat snatch and increase weights. I am hopeful for a
muscle-up, with more practice.
NUTRITION QUESTON:
WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY OF FOOD LOOK LIKE YOUR YOU?
When behaving…
Breakfast: 1 or 2 cups kefir unsweetened nonfat plain milk, regular coffee
Lunch: lower fat choice 200-300 calorie lean cuisine (easy grab and go)
Dinner: meat protein, green veggies and maybe a healthy carb
I drink sugar free or seltzer.. If I have another coffee it’s with a Splenda.
Paleo diet works well, but I have allergies to some fruits, nuts and veggies and do not like coconut. So, I
wind up eating extremely healthy on that diet.. Not a lifestyle choice for me.
I love ice cream, cupcakes and eating out.. I definitely reward myself!!!
Name: Ryan O’Neil
Age: 25
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 205
Crossfitting Since: January, 2015
Attends Class: (times per week?) About 4 days per week
Favorite Quote: “It’s not whether you get knocked down; it’s whether you get up.” –Vince Lombardi
HOW DID YOU HEAR ABOUT CROSSFIT? My friend started doing Crossfit in Baltimore, MD, and he
was raving about it. I visited him one weekend, tried a class, got absolutely crushed, and signed up at
Crossfit Hoboken the following week.
WHAT WERE YOUR GOALS WHEN YOU STARTED CROSSFIT? My goals were to get back into the
similar shape I was in when playing college football, but making sure I was having fun while doing it.
HOW HAS CROSSFIT DIFFERED FROM YOUR FORMER TRAINING? With a background of
football, I was very familiar with some of the Olympic lifts/movements that are done in Crossfit. However,
between graduating in 2012 and prior to joining Crossfit, I was unable to get into a rhythm with my
workouts. I felt unmotivated and was definitely not pushing myself like I used to when working out. What
I love about Crossfit is the camaraderie, the structured workouts each day, and most of all, the energy
within the gym.
WHAT TYPE OF RESULTS HAVE YOU SEEN WITH CROSSFIT? I have seen tremendous results in
the 10 months I have been doing this. I feel better and better each day from a physical and psychological
standpoint. As I am usually a regular at the 5:15AM class, I find myself to have a lot more energy
throughout the day when I workout in the early morning…as crazy as that seems.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR EXPERIENCE AT CROSSFIT HOBOKEN? Simply put, I
don’t think I can see myself ever going back to a regular gym. The experience has been everything I hoped
for and more.
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO ACCOMPLISH IN THE NEXT YEAR IN YOUR OWN FITNESS? I
would like to master most of the gymnastic movements like Muscle-Ups, Handstand Pushups, and Double
Unders etc. My ultimate goal would be to use RX weights for most, if not all, wod’s…hopefully I can
accomplish this by the end of 2016.
NUTRITION QUESTON:
WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY OF FOOD LOOK LIKE YOUR YOU? For the most part, I try my best
to eat as clean as possible during the week. Most mornings, I use the greatest invention of all time, a
Nutribullet. I throw fruit, yogurt, spinach, and sometimes peanut butter in there. Lunch consists of a
boring sandwich with a few somewhat healthy snacks, but dinner is usually some kind of protein and
vegetable. I let myself enjoy the weekends and don’t watch too carefully what I eat.