My name is Krysha Pereverzoff and I'm 26 years old. I'm currently in my second year of Chiropractic College. While attending school full time I also train and compete in Crossfit. My passion for the sport and for inspiring others to be a better version of themselves is what has inspired me to become a coach. I'm currently completing an apprentice coaching program at my gym, Crossfit Solid Ground.

Growing up I was a very active child, often being involved in almost all sports, with both males and females. When people ask me what my sport was growing up, I would respond with a soccer player and a gymnast. I also played competitive field hockey and basketball. Now as an adult, my sport is Crossfit.

Being fit means that I maintain a healthy lifestyle both with exercise and nutrition but it also means that I could do/play any sport asked of me. I enjoy being an all around athlete, not a specialist. Through sports, I have had the opportunity to be a team player and an individual athlete. There are very different aspects to both styles of sport. Pressure, commitment and purpose are displayed differently depending on the style of sport you are involved in.

During undergraduate studies I made the choice to pursue my education and career over my own health. For 4 years I watched myself lose motivation to exercise, disregard my eating habits and spiral into a depression. As a hockey team trainer during school, I put the players and team before my own health. I look back on that time and realized that the best way to motivate and inspire others is to "practice what you preach." By being happy and confident, others will gravitate towards you and look up to you.

After completing my degree I had a coworker drag me into a Crossfit gym. I immediately fell in love with the movements and the community. It was my coaches that believed in me and pushed me everyday. They saw something in me and it made me push myself to not only be better but to prove to them what I was capable of.

Three years later I have made leaps and bounds in the sport of Crossfit. I was a member of a Canada West 2014 Regional team and placed top 100 in Canada East for the 2015 Open.

This year has changed a lot for me with regards to my training and my goals. I've decided to take the route of becoming a coach and health advocate. My training went from 6 days a week, with occasional double days to training 3-4 days a week, coaching and playing soccer with girls from my school. I did a lot of soul searching and I made the choice to focus on my future as a Chiropractor and a coach.

When I have tough days at school I look forward to exercising as a stress reliever. I've been noticing that being at my gym and being in that atmosphere is what keeps me motivated and keeps me wanting more. All the workouts are designed and delivered by the head coach at my gym. This is one thing at keeps me exercising each day. That fact that I don't have to come up with the workout and all I have to do is show up prepared to work hard is what makes exercising much easier.

As a female in the Crossfit community I find that I get treated as an equal in the fitness world. In fact I often have males competing with me and trying to lift more then me. I feel honoured to be able to push both the males and females in the class. As the only female coach at my gym, I have found myself to be someone that members look up to. I absolutely love helping people learn new skills and I love watching them gain confidence.

Outside of the Crossfit community I often feel as though I stand out. My family likes to make jokes regarding my body. Society has this image of how a women should look like, and I am far from that image. I have muscles and they are obvious. I struggled my whole life with body image issues and I can honestly say that my new body is everything I have ever wanted and I walk around with my head held high. I still battle with the comments about looking too muscular but I'm working on my mental toughness and learning to respond in a way that displays confidence and not always becoming defensive.

One thing that I hope as young girls grow up in this fitness craze time is that they learn to walk with confidence and carry out every day life feeling confident and strong. With social media relationships and bullying on the rise, I hope for the future generations of young girls will not get trapped in the negativity that can come with such electronic advances. I've have seen the respect young girls are achieving with becoming strong and fit and I hope they continue to stick together and inspire other girls.

"Strong is the New Sexy"

Blog