@nicoleszoko

WHY CROSSFIT?

It wasn’t until trying CrossFit last year at Wanderlust that I was able to actually enjoy fitness. I discovered that fitness as an adult gives me space to play, practice restraint, and push myself to my limit when appropriate. The best part is that I get to do it all with incredible humans that inspire and motivate me.

ANY TIPS FOR BEGINNERS?

• Go slow and build your foundational skills and strength first.

• Your biggest competition and fan is YOU.

HOW DID YOU GET INTO FITNESS?

I grew up an athlete. From the age of 4I was constantly moving from playing football to dancing on stage. As a teen, I loved playing volleyball and spent a lot of time and money investing in my talent. The court was also a safe space for me to work through my anxiety and depression. I was going through an extremely difficult time in my life when I was unexpectedly cut from the volleyball team. It changed the trajectory of my university plans and left me struggling to cope with losing part of my identity because so much of my life until then was based around it. I was devastated and didn’t work out or play sports between 17-29. I never really felt inspired or motivated to take care of my body until now.

WHAT FITNESS GOALS HAVE YOU ACHIEVED?

• Mental: learning to focus on technique before strength.

• Skills: rope climbs, double unders, handstand pushups.

• Strength: back squat of 85kg, 45kg clean, 70kg deadlift.

WHAT ARE YOUR 2021 GOALS?

My goals this year are centered around being fearless. My main focus is expanding my course coaching business to help more entrepreneurs create high-quality online educational content.