07 Jun Athlete of the Month- June!

The CFPH Athlete that we are profiling this month is Janna Cordeiro!

Here is Janna working with CrossFit Founder, Greg Glassman

Coaches and other members alike have really seen Janna’s commitment to her improvment in health since she started in December. She has now been coming a consistent 4x per week, eating clean, and has been taking the time to focus on technique with the movements. This past month we can really see her hard work paying off and she deserves some recognition! Read more of Janna’s CrossFit journey below.

1) When did you start CrossFitting and how did you get into it?

I started on-boarding classes last December, and regular classes in January this year. I decided to try it out after spending a week with CrossFit CEO/Founder Greg Glassman and a crew from CF HQ on their California Invasion Tour to crush Big Soda. CrossFit has been battling the soda industry’s corruption of the fitness industry and attack on CrossFit trainers, and as part of that effort decided to educate the CrossFit community in California about a proposed statewide warning label on sugary drinks. After finding out that Greg was battling Big Soda, my colleague Christina and I decided to reach out to him to see if CrossFit would like to collaborate or support our work in public health to expose the soda industry’s targeting of youth and communities of color. He got right back to us, we had a meeting a week later, and invited us to come along on the tour. I visited 3 boxes in Southern California and one in Morgan Hill on the tour, and it was a great experience. I loved the energy of the CrossFit community, and was curious to try it out.

2) What do you like to do outside of CrossFit?

I’m an independent consultant working with non-profits, foundations, and public health departments to write grants, develop and evaluate programs, and advocate for effective policies. I have a 13 year old daughter, and we spend a lot of time as a family outdoors going surfing, boogie boarding, hiking, camping, and enjoying all the good stuff the Bay Area has to offer.

3) How did CrossFit change your life?

CrossFit has really helped improve not only my physical health but also my mental health. This past winter was hard on me, but the second I stepped into the box and started sweating, I felt instantly better. It was such a lifeline. I’m finding the mental challenges as tough as some of the physical challenges, but it’s all giving me an opportunity to show up and try my best. I really appreciate all that the coaches and other members have done to support me these past 6 months.

4) What is your favorite benchmark WOD?

I don’t yet have a favorite but one of my first WODs was Cindy, and I felt really good afterwards. It was challenging, and I liked how it could be scaled for a beginner like me with banded pull-ups and knee pushups.
Oh, I like Mother’s Day WOD!