 | Leah Smith & Cassie KrebsIt's been a quick minute since our last blog post... Something about moving locations last month had us a little bit busy, but we're back at it and we have a two for one Member of the Month this time around! Your coaches couldn't decide between just one, so we chose two! Leah Smith & Cassie Krebs are PCC's first coaches to be nominated by fellow coaches, and they also happen to be sisters that have embraced their hashtag #smithsters! Leah and Cassie have been part of the Coop since the beginning, and they wouldn't have it any other way. Tell us about yourself (family, schooling, job, sports, military, interests, etc.) |
Leah: The biggest thing in my life right now is BEING ENGAGED!! My fiancé David is a herdsman at Alta Genetics in Watertown, and he does not do CrossFit (yet). I still live at the farm I grew up on, and I wouldn’t have had my childhood any other way. Just ask Cassie how much of a blessing and privilege it was growing up with me for a sister. My day job is at the front desk at The Little Potato Company in DeForest. I was first introduced to weightlifting in high school, and Cassie and I started from the very beginning making sure that our squats were bigger than the boys’.
Cassie: I grew up on a beef farm, so working hard has been one of my constants. I am married to Zack, who does not and probably will not CrossFit, but that's okay, CrossFit is my "me" time. Zack and my story shadows the country song by Rodney Atkins, "Farmer's Daughter." We have two dogs, Max and Grace and have given the lake life a chance this summer with the purchase of our first pontoon. I can't seem to get away from my agriculture roots and work at Gumz Farms under a few hats, but I mainly take care of marketing and food safety and have already been there for almost five years; I guess time flies when you're having fun.
When did you start doing CrossFit?
Leah: I had pretty good squat form as a toddler… I was first introduced to the idea of CrossFit in my early 20’s, and I started with PCC at the very beginning with affiliation in late 2014!
Cassie: Leah made me do it. I have always been into weightlifting since high school and through college because of sports. When I graduated, I no longer had a coach making me do workouts, so I did my own thing for a little over a year until I finally caved in to Leah begging me to give CrossFit a try. I've never looked back from that first 4:45AM workout in Tom's garage.
What is your favorite movement and/or benchmark workout?
Leah: Not running is my favorite.
Cassie: My favorite movement is probably the clean and jerk because I have started learning how to break it down and improve my technique. Hence, Grace is definitely my favorite benchmark workout. The faster I can pick up that bar and get it overhead 30 times, the sooner I am done.
What has been your biggest struggle?
Leah: Most of you don’t know this about me, but my biggest struggle has ALWAYS been on the inside. CrossFit has helped me through depression as well as disordered eating. Just like WODs, each day can be a challenge, but embracing it never fails to reward!
Cassie: Not comparing myself to others, but rather competing with myself. I'm getting there.
What has been your biggest improvement?
Leah: My biggest improvements has been in my Olympic lifts. When you realize, “Hey, I could totally clean myself!” it’s a good day.
Cassie: Pull-ups! Last summer, I decided to clean up my diet and lose some weight and I finally got my pull-ups! Not all improvements at the gym come from the gym, sometimes you have to do some work in the kitchen.
What goals are you currently chasing?
Leah: Right now I just want more intention and consistency with my workouts. I’ve been getting better with the ‘one step back, two steps forward’ mantra.
Cassie: I don't know if I want this written down, but here it goes. I think it would be awesome to clean 200#. I'm not too far away, but it will be a good challenge. By the time I am 30 would be cool too. So, I have a little bit over a year. It's official, you heard it here first, folks.
If you could design a workout, what would it be?
Leah: A partner WOD where Cassie cleans and I do burpees!!!
Cassie: Leah's answer is great as she didn't know my answers, but included cleaning for me. I'd have to go along with that; she can have all of the burpees.
How often do you talk about CrossFit?
Leah: I only talk about CrossFit when it comes up… which is usually multiple times per day… per myself… The food vending gent at The Little Potato Company is Matt Fraser’s doppelganger. He didn’t know who that was.
Cassie: All the time. Not quite as often as an EMOM, though.
Burpees: Love ‘em or hate ‘em?
Leah: Love ‘em. SO. HARD.
Cassie: Meh. They aren't my favorite, but I know they are good for me. Kind of like taking vitamins when I was little, and Leah would hide hers all over the house.
Do you have a favorite story about the Coop?
Leah: The story of where we have come from where we started is my absolute favorite!!!
Cassie: Leah loves to take credit for introducing me to my current employer. So, that's a pretty good story. But, an actual Coop story would have to be just loving how awesome of a community we have here; we are so blessed to have each other.
What advice would you give a new PCC member?
Leah: The hardest thing that will be asked of you is to show up.
Cassie: If you feel like the AirDyne is broken because it is taking you a long time to acquire calories, it's not. But seriously, just take it one day at a time. Have fun meeting new people and give yourself time to learn and grow. Rome wasn't built in a day.
Cassie: I grew up on a beef farm, so working hard has been one of my constants. I am married to Zack, who does not and probably will not CrossFit, but that's okay, CrossFit is my "me" time. Zack and my story shadows the country song by Rodney Atkins, "Farmer's Daughter." We have two dogs, Max and Grace and have given the lake life a chance this summer with the purchase of our first pontoon. I can't seem to get away from my agriculture roots and work at Gumz Farms under a few hats, but I mainly take care of marketing and food safety and have already been there for almost five years; I guess time flies when you're having fun.
When did you start doing CrossFit?
Leah: I had pretty good squat form as a toddler… I was first introduced to the idea of CrossFit in my early 20’s, and I started with PCC at the very beginning with affiliation in late 2014!
Cassie: Leah made me do it. I have always been into weightlifting since high school and through college because of sports. When I graduated, I no longer had a coach making me do workouts, so I did my own thing for a little over a year until I finally caved in to Leah begging me to give CrossFit a try. I've never looked back from that first 4:45AM workout in Tom's garage.
What is your favorite movement and/or benchmark workout?
Leah: Not running is my favorite.
Cassie: My favorite movement is probably the clean and jerk because I have started learning how to break it down and improve my technique. Hence, Grace is definitely my favorite benchmark workout. The faster I can pick up that bar and get it overhead 30 times, the sooner I am done.
What has been your biggest struggle?
Leah: Most of you don’t know this about me, but my biggest struggle has ALWAYS been on the inside. CrossFit has helped me through depression as well as disordered eating. Just like WODs, each day can be a challenge, but embracing it never fails to reward!
Cassie: Not comparing myself to others, but rather competing with myself. I'm getting there.
What has been your biggest improvement?
Leah: My biggest improvements has been in my Olympic lifts. When you realize, “Hey, I could totally clean myself!” it’s a good day.
Cassie: Pull-ups! Last summer, I decided to clean up my diet and lose some weight and I finally got my pull-ups! Not all improvements at the gym come from the gym, sometimes you have to do some work in the kitchen.
What goals are you currently chasing?
Leah: Right now I just want more intention and consistency with my workouts. I’ve been getting better with the ‘one step back, two steps forward’ mantra.
Cassie: I don't know if I want this written down, but here it goes. I think it would be awesome to clean 200#. I'm not too far away, but it will be a good challenge. By the time I am 30 would be cool too. So, I have a little bit over a year. It's official, you heard it here first, folks.
If you could design a workout, what would it be?
Leah: A partner WOD where Cassie cleans and I do burpees!!!
Cassie: Leah's answer is great as she didn't know my answers, but included cleaning for me. I'd have to go along with that; she can have all of the burpees.
How often do you talk about CrossFit?
Leah: I only talk about CrossFit when it comes up… which is usually multiple times per day… per myself… The food vending gent at The Little Potato Company is Matt Fraser’s doppelganger. He didn’t know who that was.
Cassie: All the time. Not quite as often as an EMOM, though.
Burpees: Love ‘em or hate ‘em?
Leah: Love ‘em. SO. HARD.
Cassie: Meh. They aren't my favorite, but I know they are good for me. Kind of like taking vitamins when I was little, and Leah would hide hers all over the house.
Do you have a favorite story about the Coop?
Leah: The story of where we have come from where we started is my absolute favorite!!!
Cassie: Leah loves to take credit for introducing me to my current employer. So, that's a pretty good story. But, an actual Coop story would have to be just loving how awesome of a community we have here; we are so blessed to have each other.
What advice would you give a new PCC member?
Leah: The hardest thing that will be asked of you is to show up.
Cassie: If you feel like the AirDyne is broken because it is taking you a long time to acquire calories, it's not. But seriously, just take it one day at a time. Have fun meeting new people and give yourself time to learn and grow. Rome wasn't built in a day.
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