Member Spotlight
Alison Ryan
- Where are you from? What do you do for work? Family?
Grew up in Carrollton, GA, went to FSU for college (GO NOLES!), returned to Atlanta for a job working in orthopedics and sports medicine on the patient care side. I now work in medical device for Smith & Nephew in their orthopedic robotics division. My husband and I moved to Alpharetta in July 2015 and our son, Carter was born in August 2015.
- When did you start CFP?
I started United Performance in November 2015, 3 months after having my son, after I was cleared to return to CrossFit. I was a member of a CrossFit box in Buckhead where we lived prior to Alpharetta.
- What’s your biggest fitness/health accomplishment since starting CFP?
Getting bar muscle ups in the Open THIS YEAR!
Also, reaching a level of fitness that surpasses my pre-pregnancy level of fitness: specifically, improved times on Open workouts/benchmark WOD’s and PR’ing every single Olympic lift! I am beginning to think #momstrength is real, ha!, combined with excellent coaching, cues, encouragement and tips from the coaches at United Performance!
- What are your future fitness goals?
GET A MUSCLE UP!!! and participate in recreational team CrossFit competitions if the opportunity arises.
- What do you do for fun?
Hang out with Carter and my husband, Steve, anything outdoors, attend/watch sporting events, cheer on the Noles, go to the beach as much as we can!
- Favorite lift/workout?
OHS! and any type of chipper!
- Least favorite lift/workout?
Thruster. Any workout with lots of running. I CrossFit so I don’t have to run . . .
- What advice would you give to anyone wanting to start at United Performance?
More than half of the battle is showing up, so just do it!!
I came from another CrossFit gym but I had been there for 3 years and had a great group of friends. Moving to Alpharetta and starting all over at a new gym, where I knew no one (plus being very out of shape from pregnancy) was way out of my comfort zone, but had to be done. Once I walked through the doors, and spoke to Marjorie and then came to a few classes, I felt more than welcome and have met so many great people (and still many more to meet because I never come in the afternoon haha). I am so happy to be a member, but the first, and hardest, step was walking in the door