I don't know about the rest of you, but growing up in an active
family, participating in school athletics and watching professional
sports on TV, I dreamed of being a pro athlete. In
6th grade we had a project of making our own
autobiography (which I still have) and one of the required chapters
was entitled "My Future." As an 11-year-old girl I quote,
"When I grow up, I want to be a professional soccer player."
The closest I ever came to that dream was Division 3 soccer.
I loved it and I wouldn't trade it for the world, but honestly once
it was over I was pretty sure my high level competitive career had
come to an end. However, now at the age of 30, I am living my
childhood dream of being a professional athlete.
(6th Grade Autobiography)
Just before The 2012 Reebok CrossFit Games, I received a call
from James Hobart and Don Hasselbeck of Reebok and they asked if I
would like to join the team. Ummmm…let me think…DUH! It
took me about .5 seconds to make that decision. Since the day
I signed the papers, I have received generous product packages, had
great conversations with the Reebok team about ideas for the future
and been treated so kindly and respectively as an athlete. It
is a bit surreal.
The past couple of days I was invited for my first trip to
Reebok HQ in Boston to see where it all goes down. The
excitement was almost uncontrollable for me. I felt like a
little kid in a candy store as we approached the grounds and saw
the huge "3-2-1…Go!" on the glass of the main building
entrance. We walked in and were greeted with welcoming smiles
from everyone passing by. The Reebok Store, filled with the
oh-so-recognizable Reebok bright colored shoes, was right in front
of our faces when we first walked in - dangerous!! J The
architecture of the building was modern, clean-cut and very easy on
the eye. But the coolest part for me upon first impression
was the time-line of the evolution of the company….starting with
the all leather spikes to the 80's all white or all black high tops
to the Pumps to the NFL dominance and ending with an Annie and Rich
framed picture with a "Fittest on Earth" gold metal hanging over
it. That hit home a bit. I know Annie and Rich…I've
competedwiththem and they are in line with the infamous "Pumps" and
NFL players. This is real! This is really real!
We are professional athletes. I felt like I needed to pinch
myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming.
(Reebok Pumps...part of the Reebok evolution)
Back to the trip…myself and 5 other athletes, including Tanya
Wagner and Neal Maddox, joined together with several members of the
Reebok team to discuss the company, the products, the consumers and
how they all work together to make the best product available for
CrossFit athletes of all walks of life. I learned so much
about how an apparel/footwear company is run, why things are done
how/when they're done and just how many people it takes to make a
product what it is. It is mind boggling the amount of work
that goes into just making a single tank top. I have mad
respect for these folks and don't know how they do it…but am glad
they do!
The 48-hour trip didn't feel like "work". Like I said
before, it was an honor to be there, to be able to give feedback,
learn more about the company and be a part of this huge
movement. Aside from the "work" we had to do, we were able to
join in a workout with a bunch of the Reebok staff at Reebok
CrossFit One. This place is amazing. Seriously, left me
almost speechless. So nice, so clean, so equipped…and so
involved. To see 40 people come on their lunch break to hit
up a WOD, play a little dodgeball and then head back to their desks
to continue about there day was inspiring. We hear about so
many companies where people are stuck in their cubicles 9-5 and
don't have the energy (or availability) to get any training
in. Society is broken and overweight because we provide
vending machines and donuts. Reebok provides on-site CrossFit
and healthy food. If only more of America would follow
suit.
Long story short, it was a successful trip out east.
Productive for us, for Reebok and I had the opportunity to
meet/hang out with the people that are helping to improve our
sport. Thank you Reebok, Don, James and crew!