Meet an Athlete of Merit: Angie's Story
Angie Cranford
Merit Member Since January, 2017
Chesapeake Beach, MD • Age 33
Angie, her husband Jason, and their "3 crazy kids."
How do you spend your time outside of Merit?
I’m either running my 3 crazy kids around to practices or games, or I’m at Calvert High School cheering on whatever team is playing that day!
What were your goals when you originally joined Merit?
My original goals were to be stronger all around, and to do a pull-up!
Have you accomplished any of those goals so far?
I am definitely stronger, but I'm still working on that pull-up.
What is your favorite CrossFit movement/WOD?
I love Olympic lifting movements! I’m not nearly where I want to be with the clean and jerk and the snatch, but I’m slowly making some progress!
“It’s motivating to watch people conquer something... it only makes me want to work that much harder! ”
What is your least favorite CrossFit movement/WOD?
Is “all of the above” an appropriate answer to this? Running will probably always be my arch nemesis...
What is your most memorable CrossFit moment so far?
It was around my third or fourth week at Merit. The WOD was something like 4 rounds of pull-ups and a 200 meter run. Up until that point, anytime we had running of more than 100 meters in a WOD, I had to walk at least some of the time. But this was the first WOD I ran the entire time – all 4 rounds of 200 meters! I was on cloud nine after I finished. I was also completely exhausted and could barely breathe, but definitely proud of myself nonetheless.
What/Who is your biggest motivator?
You all are! You keep me coming back. Whether it’s by giving me the guilt trip (thinking to myself "if I don’t show up for this running workout, the girls are gonna kill me") to seeing someone get a PR. It’s motivating to watch people conquer something. Even if it’s something like I did, where I ran 200 meters without walking. As insignificant as that may seem, it was a huge accomplishment to me at the time. So, when I see someone getting their first box jump for instance, it only makes me want to work that much harder! I also have to say that if it wasn’t for Stacy Bowen constantly getting on me for the better part of a year to get my butt in to Merit, I definitely wouldn’t be here.
What would you like to say to people on the fence about trying CrossFit?
When people think of CrossFit, they immediately think of the elite athletes they see on TV that compete in the games, but it’s far from that. Sure that’s an awesome aspect of the community, but the majority of us are the “average Joe’s” just trying to be a little bit healthier and not lose our breath going up a flight of stairs!