April 2018 Athlete of the Month – Katie Davison

Congratulations to Katie Davison, our April 2018 Athlete of the Month!  Katie, mother of three boys (four if you include Ryan) and Executive Director of Innovate Springfield, finds the time make it into the gym consistently despite her busy schedule.  Katie has been with C3 for two years. Particularity, over the past six months, we have seen Katie take her fitness to a new level.  She is a staple at the 5:30am RowingWOD, she has competed in two competitions, as well as this year’s CrossFit Open.  Not only is she getting stronger (PRs on PRs), she is also becoming a gymnastics ninja.  In the five week CrossFit Open, we saw Katie get her first Toes-2-Bar, Unassisted Pull-up, and Handstand Push-up.  This is a product of Katie’s hard work, persistence, and determination.  Katie was also awarded “Spirit of the Open” Award by Coach Brian Chandler for her team spirit and enthusiasm.  Congratulations Katie!

• I’m a Springfield native but did a brief stint in Rockford, after college, with my husband, Ryan. We are both graduates of Southern Illinois University – Carbondale. We’ve been married for 13 very lucky years and have three boys Arthur (11), Isaac (8), and Jacob (3).

• I’m 39 years old and the Executive Director of a nonprofit social innovation and business incubator. We support other local non-profits to use evidenced-based programming and help get start-up businesses off the ground. In short: we’re trying to make Springfield a better community by helping nonprofits have a greater impact and by getting more people to start their companies here.

• I actually did on-ramp at C3 when we first moved here four years ago. It ended up not being the right time for me for a number of reasons (Brian also had a weird mustache and while that wasn’t the reason I didn’t continue on, it certainly didn’t help). Fast forward to 2016 and Ryan had been going to C3 for about a year and I saw the positive changes it was making in his life. He informed me that Brian no longer had a weird mustache and encouraged me to try it so I did.

• Physically, I’ve never felt stronger. But the part I had no idea that would change was the mental game. The mental toughness and strength I’ve gained have literally changed my life. Setting goals, failing horribly, humiliating myself (falling off a box, breaking and falling into a box  <~ all things that I’ve done in front of others), coming back day in and out, building friendships, focusing on exercising for reps and time and not thinking about anything else, crushing goals, setting new goals… these things give you something that you carry with you into all other areas of your life. The confidence and clarity of mind is something I had no idea I’d gain but is the reason why I can’t wait to see what we will be doing each day.

• Short term – toes to bar and continuing to improve pull-ups and double unders. Long-term, I want to be the best athlete I can be at every stage of my life. Also, bar muscle-ups then one day ring muscle-ups.

• There have been a lot! Most recently – doing handstand pushups in the Open was an incredible moment. Competing with Erin and Jess at the Winter Woderland was so much fun. But the hands-down best moment was one time after doing a particularly hard workout, my oldest son came up to me while I was on the floor feeling like I was going to die and told me I had done a good job. Having my kids see me work hard, struggle, win, fail – it’s the absolute best.

• I really have only had one WOD where I seriously thought about just stopping and leaving. I can’t even remember what it was – and that’s where that mental toughness comes in. I can’t say I have a least favorite workout because even the really terrible ones push you in the way you need to be pushed the most. I take that back. The WOD where I fell through the 12″ box while doing jumping pull-ups or the one when I fell doing box jumps are tied as my least favorite workouts.

• The people – duh. We have the strongest, nicest, smartest, funniest, best-looking people IMO.

• I love lifting heavy things. Cleans, deadlifts, shoulder to over-head – I like that stuff.

• Running. Always running.