Athlete of the Month - Alex Recio

Alex recently celebrated her 2 year anniversary with us, and we could not be more proud and grateful! Alex joined us 2 years ago with previous CrossFit experience, but she remained humble and always willing to learn from the coaches. Since day 1 she has remained consistent, goal-oriented and a positive role model in our community. We could not imagine a more deserving athlete of the month!

Alex has such a calming, supportive presence in our classes - you can't help but love her! She rarely misses a class, she always shows up with a positive attitude, she never complains and she will always support those around her! Not only does she give every class her best effort, but she's attentive and always respects and welcomes feedback. 

Alex is a significant contributor in our community - she remains engaged with others and participates in several of our community (fitness and non-fitness related) events! You can always count on Alex to crush the CrossFit Open/6S Basement Battle League - she'll smash the workouts and rally for her team. She also crushed our Nutrition Challenge in February 2020 - seeing and making significant positive changes in her lifestyle - and winning the grand prize for her effort, enthusiasm and participation! Alex is always keen to challenge herself, as evident by her participation in other events like the 6S Squat Challenge. She is also always wanting to learn new skills, so you can catch her after class working on her skills or during our various skill workshops and programs. 

If you haven't met or seen Alex yet, look for her contagious smile, her curly hair and her PERFECT gymnastics form - she'll be the one with the straight legs & perfect hollow body position for her kipping pull-ups, or the one with her legs squeeze together for her handstands.

Alex - you are an example of what hard work & dedication look like. But, more than that you are an example of what compassion, encouragement and teamwork looks like. Thank you for inspiring and helping those around you & for being YOU! We can't wait to see what another year of 6S has in store for you!

What is one thing people may be surprised to learn about you?
I was born and raised in Mexico. My family and I didn't move to Canada until I was 12 years old.

How long have you been doing CrossFit? At CF6S?
I have been doing CrossFit since 2016, and I started at CF6S in the Summer of 2018.

Why did you start CrossFit?
I started getting really into long distance running while I was in university. When I was preparing to run a half marathon, someone advised me to add cross-training into my routine to further build on strength and cardio. I tried out a CrossFit class at one of my local gyms, and really liked the structure of the classes, the variety of the movements, and the community feel, so it stuck!

What is your proudest CF moment?
Getting a strict pull-up! That is something that I never thought I would be able to do when I started because I had very little upper body strength.

For someone just starting at CF6S, what advice would you give them?
I would tell them to be patient and open-minded. A lot of the movements we do in CrossFit are very complex, and seem impossible to nail at the beginning (@ muscle-ups, handstand push-ups, handstand walks, toes to bar, snatches). One of the things that I really like about CrossFit is that you can slowly build towards getting those highly technical movements by performing modified versions, and working on the foundational strength required to complete them through accessory work. If you are willing to trust the process, and put in work consistently, you do begin to notice small improvements that eventually let you get to the full movement.

I would also emphasize that they shouldn't feel pressured to fully jump into CrossFit right off the bat. For the first year, or so, after starting CrossFit, I was going to classes 3 times a week. Once I felt like my body didn't need as long to recover and I got more used to the pace / intensity of the workouts, I started incorporating additional days at the gym into my routine.

Other than CrossFit, what do you do for fun?
I recently started taking piano lessons, and have been really enjoying the challenge of learning something totally new. I also like trying new restaurants around the city (always searching for good doughnuts), building LEGO sets, and going on walks with my Mom and her 5 (!!!) dogs.

What book are you reading right now?
I am currently reading "Lost Children Archive" by Valeria Luiselli. It is a fictional book that addresses the refugee crisis in the US and talks about the importance of preserving the narratives of marginalized groups in our collective histories.

How do you explain CrossFit to people who have never done it?
I say that it's a little bit of everything - some cardio, weightlifting, and gymnastics - and that the programming is constantly varied, so it never gets boring.

At which store would you like to max-out your credit card?
Indigo or Flight Centre.

Choose a movie title for the story of your life.
Not sure about my pre-lockdown life, but the movie title for the story of my life since quarantine started would definitely be: "My PJs and Me"

What’s the strangest talent you have?
I used to do figure skating when I was younger, and I can still do some of the jumps and spins.

If you could have any one superpower, which would you choose?
Super Speed-y Reading - so much to read, so little time!

A penguin walks through that door right now wearing a sombrero. What does he say and why is he here?
He is there to let me know that he found my lost sombrero, is in love with the way it frames his figure, and wants to keep it.