One of our favourite look-backs on our history of FirePower is to see the transformation of members who have the courage to step into their greatness. Then they don’t stop there – they make it their mission to turn around and bring others along with them by lighting the path. We’ve seen this with almost every coach on our staff.
Today we are honoured to bring you the final instalment in our 2019 campaign we called Fitness Is Who I Am. We’ve spent the last 8 months bringing you stories of amazing members who have made fitness part of their lives; beyond classes, beyond squats, thrusters and burpees; beyond the cosmetic or weightloss outer self; and beyond themselves.
Seanna (pronounced Shawn-a) began with FirePower 8 years ago. Since that time she’s completed vet school, launched a mobile vet surgery business, had a baby and fought like hell to reinvent herself physically and mentally from her pregnancy body. As the newest member of our coaching team, we are proud to present Seanna’s Story.
Seanna's Story
“I have been active all my life and exposed to fitness from a very young age. My parents had my sisters and I in every sport, every sports camp. My passion for rugby grew during my university years. I played for U of Guelph all through my time at Guelph, including my 4 years in vet school. We had the greatest record of any Canadian varsity Women’s rugby program. I went on to coach women’s rugby at The Ohio State University while completing an internship at the Vet School.
That’s when I lost myself and my fitness. I worked long hard hours, fully committed to my career. Following my residency I finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel. My sister Steph had started doing this thing called ‘CrossFit’ and she would not stop talking about it. I took my first foundations class with Kim in July 2011. Little did I know my life would never be the same!
I instantly loved it. I felt part of a team again. I felt the competitor that I had once been who was now hidden deep inside me, start to rumble. I started to make friends at the gym. I started to WANT to go to the gym. I wanted to be with these people, I wanted to be pushed to become fitter. I started to feel like myself again. I started to fall in love with CrossFit, eventually earning my Level 1 in 2014.
In 2015 I had my son. I scaled back my workouts while I was pregnant but they were what kept me going. I struggled when my body did not recover like I had hoped and I could barely walk around the block let alone consider going to the gym. My progress was slow and frustrating, especially because as a self-employed entrepreneur, I had to go back to work much earlier than most women and I was exhausted.
Once I made it back, I took it slow but was consistent and I made it a priority. CrossFit gave me the energy I needed to manage my career, start a business and look after a 4 month old baby. It also gave me a mental break from the chaos of life.
In the fall of 2017, I came to realize that from a nutrition standpoint I was not getting to where I wanted to be. I knew that body weight movements could be improved but I struggled with the stress of my new business, a lot of travel and a small child at home. I finally figured out a nutrition plan and started to lean out. Then in the 2018 Open, I got my first muscle up! Even CrossFit HQ picked up the amazing moment on their worldwide media. My competitive edge had come back. I started setting goals, working on my weaknesses, doing more accessory work.
I am so committed to becoming the best coach that I can be. I want to gather all the knowledge I can from George, Annie and the incredible coaching staff at FirePower.
I feel like there is always a big team backing me, cheering for me and it’s made up of ever single member at FirePower. At this point it almost seems odd to me if I don’t have another competition I have registered for in the upcoming months. My son has become my biggest fan and we talk about fitness, nutrition and Crossfit every single day. It is a huge part of our lives.
Fitness is definitely who I am.”