Featured Athlete - Sharyn Simonsen

Sharyn Simonsen

Sharyn is a certified badass. She’s a mom of two young kids, and still finds time for herself 3-4x a week to get a workout in (and kill it). She always shows up with a smile on her face, is willing to try new things, and push herself to be better. She has improved tremendously in the last year, working on skills with the barbell, successfully doing her first rope climb, and consistently working on double unders. An all around delightful person who you can’t help but smile when you’re around. Her joy is infectious.

Tell us about yourself

Tell us about yourself. (where you’re from, family, job, athletic background etc.) I moved to Lakewood Ranch about two and a half years ago for a new work opportunity. I previously lived in Wellington, Florida. I have a six year old daughter, Madison and an almost two year old son, Caden. My fitness journey began when I trained for my first half marathon shortly after college. I would avoid the weight room at the gym for years and head straight to the cardio machines to train for my next race. I eventually became interested to see how lifting weights and getting stronger would affect my running performance and that opened up a whole new world to me that I fell in love with.

 

How did you get started at Fit Crew?  

I had just recently had a baby and couldn’t wait to get back in the gym. I did some research online and came across Fit Crew. I knew that I had a long way to go as far as gaining my strength and endurance back so I went into it completely intimidated but the coaches really worked with me and helped me get through it day by day and I have never looked back.

What has been your proudest athletic moment?  

Without a doubt, doing a rope climb. That was something I never even had on my “one day” goal list. I just assumed it was something I would never be able to do and would automatically just do the modified version of it during class. Coach Josh told me he thought I should give it a try and that he would be right there to help me so I thought if I were ever going to really attempt it now would be the time and it was!

 

What’s your favorite exercises? Least favorite? 

My favorite lift is deadlifts and I love doing sled pushes too. My least favorites are burpees and walking dumbbell lunges.

What do you think makes Fit Crew different from other gyms that you have tried in the past

The wealth of knowledge you gain and the encouragement you get from the coaches and the people are exceptional. You aren’t just following a workout on the board and that’s it for the class...you have a coach helping you with correct form, teaching you new movements and having you push yourself to that next level. They are constantly helping you and I learn something new from them at just about every workout. I never get embarrassed to try something new either because everyone there is encouraging you along the way.

What do you like to do when you’re not training at Fit Crew?

I love spending time with my husband and children on the boat, it’s my favorite thing to do.

Tell us a fun fact that we might not already know about you

I am one of five children. I have an older sister and three younger brothers.