Congratulations to Angie Shymansky – the Capital City CrossFit Athlete of the Month for May 2019!
Angie is a rock star, both in CrossFit and life in general. Physically, we see some amazing things from her on a daily basis.. from strict handstand push-ups, to 36″ box jumps, to back squats 1.5x her bodyweight, Angie can do it all. She completed all five 2018 Open workouts as Rx’d which shows how well rounded she is as an athlete. Even though she recently bumped up a Masters age group, she continues to improve regularly.
As a person, Angie is a dynamic character, with an infectious personality. Anyone from the 6:00am class can tell you that she brings a wonderful energy to the gym every morning. Although she does complain more than most, it is (almost) always in fun, and she gives 100% effort to everything she does while also encouraging others, which makes her a valuable member of our C3 Community. Congratulations Angie on your well deserved AOTM status!
Check out Angie’s profile..
In general, what is your background?
I was born & bred in Springfield, IL. Proud Northender….WOOT! I graduated from Lanphier High School, a really long time ago and after a year out of high school took off to New York where I lived for five years. It wasn’t until my return that I met the love of my life, Shad, at a local bar on New Year’s Eve. Needless to say, the man stalked me until I agreed to go out with him and I guess the rest is complete history in the making! This month we are celebrating our 21st wedding anniversary. Don’t judge, we did it all backwards…what did you expect? We live in Cantrall, IL. in a semi empty nest with our two of four children Seager-16 & Skylar-19. Our daughter Sydney-24 has recently blessed us with our first grandson Logan Thomas 4 months. And Shyanne-21 is now living in Scottsdale, Arizona. Many of you have met three of the four since they have all done crossfit with us at one time or another.
Age, Occupation?
I recently turned 50 but I’m still kicking it and killing it! I sell insurance at Goodenow Insurance Agency and any other jobs that Shad can con me into.
How did you get to know about CrossFit and why did you start?
Many of you know from me or from former AOTM May 2018 Shad, that he tricked me into coming to crossfit. He said he went and spoke to Brian and signed us up for an on-ramp class November of 2014. Of course I said ok, thinking that the alarm would go off and he would stay in bed and then so would I. But I got up that morning, put on my 1980’s sweat pants and sweat shirt and proceeded into the doors of the unknown. Let’s just say I thought you were all part of a cult! Everyone was running around and lifting weights as quickly as they could. I knew right then that Shad was in a whole heap of trouble. I hadn’t actually run FOR YEARS!!! But after the first week and not being able to walk up and down the stairs or sitting down, I continued on my new path in life to get back into shape. After the last week and entering the “real world” of crossfit, I thought I was going to die. But I am still here almost 5 years later!
How has CrossFit changed your life, lifestyle, level of fitness?
Oh boy! It has completely changed my outlook on fitness. I thought I was in shape, boy was I wrong! It only took my first day at on-ramp to figure that out. I was always very active growing up. I did gymnastics from a young age, as well as cheerleading and even proudly ran track in high school. I KNOW! I continually complain that running is completely excessive and yet I chose to run sprints in high school! I look back now and keep thinking, why didn’t we do this 20 years ago? When you have kids and a husband that worked midnights there wasn’t a lot of time for working out. We now make the time. I feel more energetic (even in the morning) happier and more confident. I eat way better than I ever have and try to stay away from sugar – although I do love me some Swedish Fish. I feel like I am in the best shape of my life and hope to continually strive to be even more healthy and work harder to maintain my work out regimen.
Name one goal and/or personal record you would like to accomplish through CrossFit.
I would love to get a muscle up! But I really need to work on my endurance. I think as I get older I tend to wear out a lot easier than I did before. I would love to do barbell workouts with unbroken sets as well as run and not feel like I am dying.
Favorite CrossFit moment so far?
I think I would have to say, that during the 2018 Open, I completed all workouts RX. I wasn’t feeling confident that I would even be able to complete some of the workouts, but everyone was so supportive, I am glad that I stayed with it. I love how Brian will tell me to just try something. I may not be proficient, but it is incredible what you can do when your body overrides the mind. He has always told me that I think too much. Just do it! It is paying off.
What is your least favorite WOD to date?
There aren’t any specific WOD’s that stand out. But, everyone knows that I have very colorful words for Helen and I can also think of a few choice words for Curtis P. And all those burpees…..what’s up with that?
What do you like most about Capital City CrossFit?
That’s easy, the community. I remember starting and thinking that I wasn’t going to be able to keep up. But when it came time to do the WOD, everyone was so supportive and didn’t just turn around to put their things away, they stayed to cheer everyone on to complete the workout. The comradery is what makes C3 stand above all of the rest. I love to have fun and can sometimes be borderline offensive with some of the jokes, but thankfully everyone at C3 has a sense of humor and loves to have a good time! But I also have to give a huge shout out to all of the coaches that encourage everyone to do their best and well mostly to Brian for putting up with my humor and constant complaining. I mean, without him, there would be no community to enjoy!
Favorite exercise?
Power Cleans & Pistols
Least favorite exercise?
Wall Balls & Snatches
