MEMBER PROFILE
About:
Name – Kim Goran (otherwise known as Kimmy G)
Occupation – Grade 1 Teacher
Hobbies – CrossFit and spending countless hours trying to definitively identify where the world’s best cup of coffee can be found.
Hometown – Saskatoon
Synergy Strength member since – April, 2011
Referred by – Google! I was looking for a way to change my life for the better and Google directed me to go to Synergy Strength. Clearly, it was meant to be.
Achievements:
What’s one interesting thing about you that other members may not know?
Three years after the fact, I vividly remember my first WOD at Synergy Strength. I remember walking in, completely unfit, and watching the class before running prowlers. I even remember the music that was playing while I ran a prowler for the first time (it was Katy Perry, for the record). More than anything, I remember how the people there, members and coaches, made me feel empowered rather than terrified. I don’t think I’ll ever forget how it felt to walk into the gym for the first time. It’s an intense mix of scary and exciting; the community support made the difference for me. The community keeps me coming back. Because of this first experience, I think other members (especially new members) should know that I’m approachable. I love to meet new people and hear their stories. We’re all here for a reason… it’s a lot more fun if we accomplish our goals together.
Also… I secretly love burpee AMRAPs. Don’t judge me for that 😉
What is your most memorable moment at Synergy Strength?
There have been countless memorable moments for me at Synergy, such as the first time I put 100lbs overhead, the first time I got a pull-up, or my first ever CrossFit competition (the Bridge City Beat Down of 2011). However, by far, my most memorable moment happened for me this past December; I managed to back squat 265lbs. This personal record was exciting to me because it was a big number, but even more so because it was 3lbs heavier than the weight I was when I started at Synergy. I walked in the doors of Synergy Strength weighing 262lbs, and that day in December, I threw my old weight on the bar plus three pounds and squatted it. As I fought my way back up from the bottom, I realized my strength had truly come to overpower my weaknesses.
When you talk about Synergy Strength with friends, what do you brag about?
Many people I have come across who aren’t a part of CrossFit find it hard to understand what we do or how we come to do it. So, for those who ask questions, I brag most about our coaching and our community. Our coaches give us the tools for success and our community cheers as we work at attaining new skills together. For those who are overwhelmed at the concept of a CrossFit workout, I talk a lot about the different ways workouts can be scaled to include any fitness level. When I started at the gym, I could barely hold onto the bar just to hang there; the coaches started me doing ring rows, then banded pull-ups and now today I can do full pull-ups. I credit this to hard work, fabulous coaching and some of the most encouraging members and friends around.
What does #synergystrong mean to you?
For me, #synergystrong means all around strength. It does not just center on the physical, it pushes well beyond into the mental as well. My body has developed a great deal of physical strength, but this is only possible because of the mental strength I’ve gained through perseverance. Some of the workouts are entirely mental… will I choose to fight, or will I go through the motions so I can go home and be satisfied? The more I strengthen myself mentally, the more I am able to improve myself physically.
Also, #synergystrong makes me think of the pride I feel to be a strong CrossFit woman. When I was overweight, my only goal was to become skinny. I fought for that for a while. It’s not a healthy focus. Now that I know what it means to be strong, I’ll never look back. Some people consider muscle mass on a girl to be socially unacceptable; I look at all of the amazing things my body can do now, and I am able to disregard this opinion entirely. I’ll take muscle over skinny any day. I am a #synergystrong female and I will hold that title with pride.
What is you favorite aspect of Synergy Strength?
I love the different class offerings. There’s a class for absolutely any fitness level from recreational to competitive. Members can choose a focus, regular CrossFit classes, CrossFit fitness classes, Sport classes…. Olympic lifting, power lifting… the list goes on. It’s great to know no matter where I’m at, there’s a place for me to fit in at Synergy. That’s pretty rad.
Best Lifts:
Favorite lift:
Press – 120lbs
Other lifts:
C&J- 155lbs
Clean – 160lbs
Snatch – 125lbs
Thruster – 155lbs
DL – 325lbs
Bench – 145lbs
Back Squat – 270lbs
