Shea Petty

Bio: CrossFit Level 1 Certified NSCA – CPT AS/BS Sports & Fitness Management (Exercise Specialist) CPR/AED Certified

My fitness journey traces back to when I was a kid. I grew up playing sports, mostly basketball and baseball. I was involved in working out and conditioning to help aid my performance. I even took part in swimming and cross country to build endurance. In college, when my athletic career was coming to an end, I started lifting weights full time with mostly bodybuilding style workouts. Because of my competitive nature, I entered a few body building shows, winning my first and finishing average in the others. The grind of body building took its toll on me. It was a yo-yo of eating everything in sight to gain mass, dieting for months to get lean just for one appearance, then, bulking back up again. I realized this was not a healthy lifestyle!

In 2010 I got my CrossFit Level 1 Cert. At the time I was still doing bodybuilding style workouts and was relatively unfamiliar with CrossFit. I did my first “WOD” at the Cert (Fran) and was instantly hooked. I wanted to learn as much about this style of training and adopt as many skills as I could. One thing I have learned is how surprised people are when they realize the results they can achieve by putting forth a little effort.

I quickly adopted the “Paleo” way of eating when I realized how much what I eat can affect my performance. My philosophy on diet has changed by basing my eating on how the food makes me feel rather than how it tastes.

My life has changed, not only in the gym but outside as well. The best part of my job is that I have the chance to further my fitness journey, and I also have the opportunity to help others do the same.