January Athlete of the Month

Tamara Venditti

Meet our athlete of the month for January, Tamara Venditti

Anyone who is familiar with Tamara knows that she is a force to be reckoned with. She’s headstrong, consistent, hard-working, driven, and persistent. These qualities have helped her not only set impressive PR’s, but also take home multiple awards in Figure competitions. Don’t let her incredible physique and badass qualities fool you though, as she is also kind and supportive of our community- showing up to the gym’s events, and always offering a smile and kind words to both new and longstanding clients.

Thanks for your dedication to Fit Crew, Tamara. We’re so thankful you still make the journey to the gym, even after moving so far away from the area. Congratulations!

Tell us about yourself.

I’m a fourth generation native Floridian, and was born and raised in Bradenton. Until recently, I was the only athlete in my family. A year ago, I introduced my great niece to gymnastics and she loves it. Occasionally, she comes with me to Fit Crew. I started as an athlete in grade school, 3rd grade to be exact, doing Track and Field. In middle school, I played Volleyball, and in high school, I continued both volleyball and track. I started weight training when I was 22. I loved how it made me look and feel, very empowering, and I’ve never stopped.

What has been your proudest athletic moment?

Well, at my age there has been several. I’m proud to say that at 52, training keeps me young, as I recently wrote on the door at Fit Crew; I want to make your 50’s fabulous! I would say doing 114 unbroken double unders (a PR) was another proud moment. Most recently, I competed in a figure show with girls half my age. I took home both the first place and overall winner trophies. I train very hard at Fit Crew for these kinds of shows, and attribute a lot of my success to the type of training that we do.

What is your favorite and least favorite movement/lift/drill?

My favorite would be anything that works the legs- I love doing squats, sled drills, and sprints. All are very tough, but the results are gratifying! My least favorite exercise would be handstand push-ups, because they just hurt! Also, rope climbs, I don’t like the rope burns!

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

Fit Crew is like my second family! The friendships made here are ones for life. The support that you receive from other athletes while doing a tough WOD is so unique- you don’t experience that at other gyms. I recently moved across the bridge into St. Pete and I still drive to Fit Crew every week. I couldn’t imagine going elsewhere.

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

I work full time as a licensed Skin Care Specialist, so I love making women feel and look beautiful! I also like boating, biking, and going to Arizona every year to ride in the mountains and dessert at a Dude Ranch.  My boyfriend, Mark, and I recently bought a home on the water, so we really enjoy working on the house.  We’ve made it our own little paradise.

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

I think some people see me as this bad ass (or beast) work out girl. I do take my training very seriously, but outside of the gym, I’m such a girly-girl. The gym is the only place I don’t mind getting dirty.  Outside the gym, I like to feel pretty and feminine. I also really enjoy decorating and making things beautiful!