Claire Thompson

Claire can be found on any given day silently working her butt off. Recently, she’s spent time focusing on perfecting her olympic lifts and has been pushing really hard during this strength cycle. We admire her consistency doing the things she doesn’t enjoy – like running for example! We appreciate her commitment to show up and work hard every time she comes to class.

Tell us a little about yourself:

I am from St. Peter, MN but have lived the majority of the past 4 years here in Sioux Falls. I am a full-time nursing student at Augustana University and have one semester of school left. I nanny for a family in town with three kids, 2, 6, and 7 years old. My family consists of my parents, Mike and Chris, my sister, Rachael, and my dog, Harley!

How did you get introduced to Crossfit?

My sister got into Crossfit when she was in college and I had gone to a couple competitions of hers. I played tennis and softball in high school, and when I got to college, I no longer had an athletic or competitive outlet. I came to a point where I wanted to be active again and achieve a healthier lifestyle. I talked to my sister about Crossfit, and she encouraged me to check out the gyms in town. Conveniently, the west side was having their open house, so I stopped by and after the free trial week, I was hooked! I kept coming back because I liked lifting weights and working out in a class setting. Now, I continue to come to class because I like seeing the progress I’ve made and strive to keep progressing through strength and movement progressions.

What are some of the biggest improvements you’ve made since starting and what are some of your goals?

Physically, I’ve lost over 50 pounds and gained strength. My form has definitely improved in the lifts since I first started, but it’s always a work in progress! Recently, I kicked up to a handstand for the first time as well as got my first jumping bar muscle up. Mentally, I have realized how much your mindset matters whether it’s going for a PR, pushing through a cardio intensive chipper workout, or even walking into school to take an exam! My nutrition has improved dramatically and I’ve learned it’s not always all or nothing, you can have a flexible diet while still achieving goals and enjoying treats here and there. Currently, my goal is to build muscle throughout this strength progression. I also want to continue to work on pull ups and other gymnastics movements since they’re not my strong suit.

What’s one big obstacle you’ve had to overcome in your life? How did that mold you?

Taking initiative and responsibility for my health was an obstacle I’ve overcome. I’ve been overweight since I was a kid. I accepted being overweight and kind of just worked around it. In college I started to become more aware of how I really felt physically, like energy levels, how I felt after going on a walk, or how I felt after eating normal during the week versus the feeling after eating really shitty over the weekend. That combined with missing sports and being competitive led me to join Crossfit Phos! Overcoming this obstacle has made me reprioritize what’s important to me. It’s shown me it might be easier to address issues early before things get out of control, but regaining control is still possible with hard work and determination.

Where have you seen personal growth outside of the gym recently?

Despite going through nursing school during a global pandemic, I have been able to manage stress effectively and in a healthy manner. I think I’ve become more aware of what gets me worked up, how to recognize it early, and how to manage the stress before I get too anxious.

What character trait do you like most about yourself and why?

I like my dedication. Whether it’s doing well in school or improving myself in the gym, once I put my mind to something, I do it. This characteristic is beneficial in many aspects of life. It pushes me to work harder and set more challenging goals because I know I’ll do what it takes to eventually achieve the goal.

If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?

I wish I could teleport! I love to travel, and it would save me so much time and money if I didn’t have to buy plane tickets and sit around in airports. Also, I consistently tend to run about 10 minutes schedule so being able to just appear somewhere rather than driving there would be super helpful.

And finally, What do you love most about Phos?

This is so cliché, but honestly, I love the people and the Phos community! Whether I go to East or West, a morning, noon, or an evening class, everyone is amazing. Everyone at Phos is there to put in the time and effort to make themselves better which is so inspiring and motivating.