Let me tell you a little bit about Brandi, She has been part of the Bomber Crew since January of 2015 and she quickly plunged right into class and community.  Brandi has a engaging personality and an infectious laugh, she is warm and friendly and her cheerful, good-natured grumbling about WODs is met with tremendous enthusiasm.  Brandi is the mother of two energetic boys, who typically spend as much time in the gym as she does!  If you have not had the pleasure of meeting Brandi, take a minute and introduce yourself – you’ll be glad you did.

A little Q & A with Brandi

1. What do you like the most about Bombers CrossFit?

What do I like most about Bombers Crossfit? Everything! The first day I entered the doors I was met with smiles from owner Andy Kerschbaum and his brother Greg. I had a million questions and they happily answered all of them. I have a long history in weight lifting so I felt very confident joining a Crossfit Box. My first WOD went okay, I didn’t come back for a week because I was so sore! My second WOD was a struggle and I wasn’t able to complete the class. But all the coaches and my fellow classmates were supportive and didn’t make me feel bad. Instead I got tips from everyone and a lot of encouragement. I came back the next day and became addicted to Bombers.

But not just addicted to Crossfit, addicted to the environment that comes with Crossfit. There is never a person around you that doesn’t want to be there. We all want to be there and we want to do the work. (I might pretend like I don’t sometimes, but I do!) At a regular gym you are surrounded by people wandering around and many of them look miserable. And you typically don’t know anyone at those big gyms. At Bombers I know every member because of our whiteboard, and most of them personally. My kids love going and I love bringing them because of the positive and welcoming environment. So for parents, it makes a non-excuse for not going. The environment is what I love about Bombers.

2. What is your favorite WOD or movement and/or what is you least favorite WOD or movement?

I don’t have any specific WODs that I favor, but my favorite movements are anything that involves putting a bar over your head. If I see Thrusters, Clean and Jerks, Push Presses on the board I get excited. But not because I love them and I am good at them, but because they really challenge me. When I started, the idea of putting weight over my head while trying to do quick work in a Metcon just scared me. My whole life I have moved pretty slow while lifting weights so the combination of strength and endurance all at the same time, was something that gave me, and still gives me, butterflies before WODs. It takes time to master a lot of these movements, but it’s a pretty exciting thing when you see how fast your body will start to adapt to Crossfit. Once you get comfortable with the movements you can really start challenging yourself in every WOD with the amount of weight you’re going to use and how hard you’re going to push yourself to finish faster. I like feeling demolished and accomplished at the end of a WOD.

My least favorite movement are Burpees, after ten of those, the struggle is real! I will say as the months tic away, I can do more of them easily then before. Burpees are a real test of endurance. When I see them on WOD, they don’t deter me, because you really should do more of the things that make you struggle, then the stuff that is easy.

When I originally started I would sometimes look at the WODs and not go to class that day because I thought, ‘there is no way I can do that.’ But then one day you go in to class without checking the WOD first, and it’s a 500 rep chipper. You’re immediately looking at the exit door, but your classmates are going to tell you it’s going to be ok and your coach is going to give you scales for each movement… and then all of a sudden it’s 3-2-1 GO!  Then almost 30 minutes later you finish and you think, ‘I did it, then you realize, you CAN do every single WOD they post every day.

3. What is one thing the Bomber Crew should know about you?

I would like my fellow Bombers to know that I work from home and have little contact with other adults most days. So when I walk into the BOX I tend to be overly excited to talk to other adults! I am an extremely happy person and I can always find the good in the bad. But mostly I am grateful for all the friendships I have at Bombers. I haven’t lived in Dayton that long, but I feel like Bombers has improved the quality of my life because of the community that has been cultivated by all the coaches.