At the risk of sounding like an internet stalker (really, is there such a thing?) I am not embarrassed to admit that I am THIS close to being a walking Wikipedia on the topic of Annie Sakamoto.
Annie is to me what Justin Beiber is to tweens. It’s along the lines of, “OMG!! I can’t believe I’m going to see her compete! In person!” (Insert giddy giggles here.)
And, ohhhh, you should’ve SEEN her compete at The Games. She’s like a firecracker – so much explosivity and power in a small package. She’s so… cheery and compact (is that politically correct?) I want to turn her into an iPhone app and carry her around in my boho purse, not gonna lie. I can’t recognize a celebrity to save my life, but I sure as heck can recognize a 5’1″ 116 lb woman clean and jerk 155 lbs and push a sled like it’s nobody’s business.
Annie is without-a-doubt, hands-down, no-question-about-it, my most-inspired-by CrossFitter. I remember the first time I watched the CrossFit Nasty Girls video. I, probably like most people that watch that vid for the first time, was like, “WHO ARE THESE CHICKS? What are they doing on those rings?!” I never would’ve imagined that one day, I too, would be doing strict muscle ups… thanks to the inspiration of strong women like Annie.
And then there’s Carey Kepler, dubbed “The People’s Champ.”
I remember a YouTube video I saw of her before I had any real idea what CrossFit was. I was, like, “Who is this spring chickie doing the same workout as a guy in her bathing suit top (?) And what is that on her shoulder?” (It’s KT Tape, or something similar.)
So I posted that vid of Carey on my Facebook wall with a caption along of the lines of, “Whoa. Check this chic out,” and someone replied, “That’s Carey Kepler. She’s 30-something years old and a mother of two.” I was astounded! Because in my pre-CrossFit world, I didn’t encounter 30 year olds that looked like collegiate athletes and 6-pack abs after having 2 kids – unheard of! I’ll always credit that particular Carey Kepler video with inspiring me to actually take the CrossFit plunge.
There are so many talented, fit women out there but these particular CrossFit women have been most influential in helping me get started with CrossFit. I look at them and they are thriving in their 30′s+, they are nurturing mothers (which I hear is a full time job), they have successful careers or businesses, they are in good health, they are strong – in body and in mind. I don’t even know them but they’ve somehow managed to influence my life for the better. I read about them and can’t help but think:
Well, maybe we CAN have it ALL!
Annie Sakamoto
Jolie Gentry
Eva Twardokens
Shari “Baby” Kenner
Elisabeth Akinwale
Cheryl Brost
Carey Kepler
