Push Jerk 3-3-3-3-3-3-3
Row 2000m
Big thanks to Ari for organizing our Run to Feed the Hungry team and helping with the party. Ari had been helping with this event for the past 3 years. On top of that she’s a hard working and positive personality around the gym on a daily basis. For these reasons we have selected Ari as December’s Member of the Month. Thank you for contributing to the community aspects of our gym!
Here are some questions we asked so you all can get to know Ari a little better:
1. What is your full name?
Ariana Natalie Santillanes. My mom is an Aries, and my first and middle name together mean “born of Aries.”
2. Where were you born and raised?
I was born and raised in Sacramento and Fair Oaks. I grew up playing softball and basketball, making both teams in high school. I attended college at UCSD, and played both sports on intramural teams. Around this time, I also started distance running. I have completed several fun runs (5 and 10ks) and a dozen half marathons. I think my PR for a half marathon is 2 hours and 6 minutes, putting me at just over a 10-minute mile pace. I burned out on running in 2010, discovered crossfit, and haven’t been bored since! On Sunday, December 8th, I will return to running to do the first leg of the California International Marathon as part of a 4-person relay team. I’ll start the race for my team, running from Folsom to Citrus Heights (5.9 miles).
3. What is your day job, and what is it like?
I am a teacher at El Camino Fundamental High School. I teach 9th and 11th-grade English and advise the class that produces the school newspaper, The Eagle Eye. Teaching is a challenge, but one I enjoy. We have a 6-period schedule and I have 25-30 students in most of my classes. They all have different personalities, maturity and motivation levels. And many of them profess their hatred of English on the first day of school. I do my best to trick them into enjoying English. Overall, I love working with kids, hate staff meetings, but enjoy my co-workers, including Kyle Keller.
4. You are newly married. Tell us, which side of the bed do you sleep on?
The left side.
5. How did you find CrossFit East Sac?
I bounced around this side of town for a couple of years. In my first year of teaching I moved 4 times! When I moved for the third time, I went from renting my own place on D Street and La Purissima (close to Lean On Me) to subletting a furnished house from a coworker in Tahoe Park. I had to rent a storage unit for my furniture and chose the Public Storage facility on 57th Street. When I got my stuff out of storage for the fourth move, I spent a day making multiple trips down Elvas to 57th, and I kept passing this sign that read, “CrossFit East Sac: Forging Elite Fitness.” I was curious about it, so I Googled it. I was really intimidated by the information on the blog, but I decided to call anyway.
6. What is your favorite WOD/Lift?
I think I prefer Annie right now because I PR’d recently with unbroken double-unders. Deadlifting is my favorite!
7. What is your most memorable moment at CFES?
My first Newbie Throwdown when the Chupacabras – Sabrina Teller, Sean Villagracia and I – performed “WOD You!” for our team skit. Shortly after that, we were eclipsed by Scott Charles…
8. Give it up. Who is your favorite CF athlete?
Annie Sakamoto. I got to judge for her during the 2012 SacTown Throwdown, and I counted as she got 1000 double-unders unbroken! It was amazing, and she was so nice.
9. The New Year is coming up. What are your CF goals for the upcoming year?
I want to continue to gain confidence in my handstand abilities. Last year at this time, I couldn’t even kick up into a handstand against the wall (or wall walk all the way to the wall). Now I can forward-roll out of a handstand without the help of my Flexnasty partners in crime, Alice Keller and Sherona Ramos. At this time next year, I want to be able to take 10 controlled steps walking on my hands. I think if I take Denise Roby’s advice and start doing V-ups and GHD sit-ups a few times a week, I’ll build the core strength to make it happen.
10. If CFES had a color, what would it be, and why?
Blue. My husband is an art teacher and he teaches lessons on color theory and symbolism. He tells me that blue is associated with “health, strength, and stability” which are all things that CFES has given me.
