June Spotlight Athlete of the Month- Melissa Nassar!

This month's Spotlight Athlete of the Month goes to Melissa Nassar, a woman who demonstrates a drive to better her fitness and life! Since restarting her CrossFit journey, she has shown great determination, growth, and overall will to do her very best. A consistent morning class attendee, Melissa comes in smiling, does work, supports her fellow CrossFitters, and leaves ready to take on the day. Most importantly, Melissa is a mom, wife, and serves in the United States Navy!


First, screammmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!! Thank you for thinking I am awesome enough for this honor, you guys are amazing.

I have always been an athlete, growing up I was a competitive swimmer, I ran track, and I danced for a little while. However, my dance with CrossFit has been a brief but very fulfilling one, before joining Drop Box I did CrossFit for six months about a year and a half prior. It was good, and I had tons of fun, but it was mainly because we ran a lot and ‘I LOVE RUNNING.' Due to deployment, being pregnant and other reasons, CrossFit and I had parted company. As soon as my little man made his way into this world and I started feeling like myself again I started seeking out CrossFit gyms, I was new to VA, so I googled it, three popped up, and I decided I was going to do a walk thru and see what they are like. I went to the first one, it was super quiet (no music, no talking, no nothing) so I left, and it was onto the next one. That’s when I happened up on “Drop Box CrossFit’, I walked in, immediately greeted with warm welcome and smiles, music going, people working, socializing, cheering each other on and it was at that moment I knew I was home 😊.

I started two weeks later, eager and wide-eyed ready to do the all these amazing things I see everyone else doing, completely forgetting that I am 40lbs heavier and have been out of commission for a year and a half. That was a wake-up call I’ll never forget. However, I kept at it, and it has gotten a thousand times better, slowly growing and improving, and that is all I can ask for. I try to get in the box four days per week but sometimes I fall short, on the days I don’t make it I try to go for a run just to keep active. I am most proud of how strong I have gotten and that I am able to keep up with some of the superhumans at the box. You guys are all my motivation, love and appreciate you all. My favorite lift is the deadlift, and my one rep max is 225lbs, never dream I would be able to do that 😊. My top goals are to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight of 145 but with more muscle definition, learn and improve my skills and gymnastic moves like, double under, pull-up, a maybe a muscle up (one day).

Something unique about me is that I am always looking for ways to improve, be it at work, in the gym, as a mother, wife or just at life in general. Currently working on my MBA, so that is a milestone I’m looking forward to meeting.

My advice for the new member would be to walk in with an open mind, have fun, work hard and be consistent. I promise it will pay off.

Video: Melissa at the Gangs of the Mid-Atlantic competition, Nov 2016

 

 

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