Jill Finley, mother of two and teacher at Olentangy Berlin High School, is proof that not only is CrossFit a great way to lose weight, build strength, and make friends in the process, but it’s an amazing way to get mentally strong as well!
Jill had been doing barre classes for her fitness routine for years before trying CrossFit.
“I had plateaued with barre classes and wanted to find a better community and a more varied fitness challenge.”
To say the least, Jill’s very first CrossFit workout was a new fitness challenge. On her first day at CrossFit CLC Jill was mentally and physically tested with the classic benchmark workout named Isabelle. Was it tough? Yes. Did she quit? No. We’ll let her fill you in on the rest of that story…
Jill moved from Columbus to Delaware in 2019 and was looking for a CrossFit gym.
“I joined within 3 days of moving to Delaware and have been a member ever since.”
For nearly 5 years Jill has been attending CrossFit classes at Delaware Fit Factory through a variety of seasons in her life.
“I wanted to find something that would allow me to see measurable progress and keep me fit through pregnancy and postpartum.”
Moving to Delaware. A pandemic. Two pregnancies. Jill has done CrossFit with us through it all.
“DFF has provided me with safe work outs tailored to every stage of pregnancy and postpartum recovery. It has pushed my perseverance, taught me grit, and has provided me with challenging strength cycles that have resulted in PRs in a matter of a few short months. I knew no one in Delaware when I joined DFF, and I’ve made countless friends that I now spend time with outside the gym. I can keep up with my 1 and 3 year old kids without feeling fatigued and for the first time in my life, I’m proud to be muscular.”
And yet, her individual achievements are only part of the equation that keeps her coming back. The community is what drives her continued growth and success.
“Everyone is here for personal betterment and we all want to see one another succeed. We hold each other accountable and encourage each other when we need it. There is a special bond made between people when you’ve conquered a tough workout alongside one another.”
That bond isn’t only for long time members and CrossFitters either. Jill encourages everyone, even her students, to pursue CrossFit and make their health and fitness a priority in their life.
“We all started as beginners and love to cheer on new members. Be coachable and commit to a month with us and you’ll see why we love it here. We’ll treat you like a friend as soon as we meet you.”
