March 2023 Member of the Month: Jess Smith!

Member since August 22, 2022

“Jess is a delightful person to be around!  When she’s in class you will always know because there’s always laughter. I remember the first time I had her in a noon class, she tore her hands it didn’t stop her still smiling and enjoying her workout. She called me over we taped those puppies up and kept on moving! Throw on the classic country and she comes alive. Let’s get to Fluttering!”

-Coach Dustin

I LOVE nature and everything it entails. If you want a happy Jess, stick me outside and maybe sprinkle in a few animals but I’ll always get lost in the fine details of nature that often get overlooked. I’m blessed to hike with dogs for a living, I enjoy foraging, gardening, painting, reading and working on our mini homestead. I recently started volunteering with Big Brother Big Sister and enjoy spending time with my soon to be 10 year old “little”. My husband and I have 2 dogs, 2 cats, 2 leopard geckos, 4 chickens with 4-5 more baby chicks arriving in April – and hopefully honey bees! I’m currently taking the beekeeping school with Norfolk County Beekeepers Association. 

 What made me want to join CrossFit Torque was the staff’s immediate response to my inquiry was a great first sign, especially with the ball being dropped by other local gyms. It felt very inviting and supportive while oozing positivity. That was all very obviously confirmed from the moment I stepped in the front door, I didn’t feel like an outsider at all! 

   What keeps me coming back to CrossFit Torque is an equal tie between the members and the coaching team! Not every gym has such a welcoming, supportive and judgement-free environment from both. I believe that’s the special sauce to CFT and the community Amanda and Sara have built. Seeing the years-long and decade-long members further confirms that! 

   My proudest accomplishment thus far is getting more comfortable with a weighted barbell over my head! Those are movements I never did before CFT and it’s a great feeling of accomplishment. 

   My Biggest Challenge is the rig and all the fun things it involves. Mostly because I have sensitive baby hands, the rest of my body wants to keep going but my hands say “no!” 

   Thanks to the second session of the Open, Thrusters! 

   My piece of advice for anyone is CrossFit Torque is the gym you want to try, hands down. As someone who had always been very skeptical and hesitant to try CrossFit due to the amount of injury typically involved – CFT has alleviated those fears while providing the best workouts and environment that can be difficult to find anywhere else.

I face new challenges every session and always leave feeling more satisfied and accomplished than any of my previous gym endeavors! Sometimes I try to weasel out of trying harder but the coaches are super supportive and always making sure I’m staying safe while continuing to challenge myself, even if I don’t necessarily feel mentally ready – we’re always our own worst critic/enemy. 

   If I could have a superpower… Can I never be tired again? That would be great, so many things I want to do! But sleep calls and sometimes it feels like a chore. I daydream so often I don’t think I’d be missing much by sacrificing sleep. 

   Thank you to the Chace family, their incredible staff and members for making this such a great space for all of us. I was struggling before finding this community and am very appreciative!