Member of the Month – Kassie Minners

Congratulations to our July, 2018 Member of the Month, Kassie Minners!
Kassie is coming up on her 1 year anniversary at our gym, and she’s been a wonderful addition to the Aquila family!  Kassie shows up early to class and comes with a positive attitude to share. She’s always encouraging to other athletes, and is very welcoming of our new members. She’s also very involved in our social-events outside the gym. We love having her as a part of our community!  Congratulations to our July, 2018 Member of the Month, Kassie Minners!

1. We know you are not from Sacramento, so where are you from and what brought you here?
First off, thank you for this honor! Being member of the month is so exciting!
I was born and raised in the small foothill town of the Sierra Nevada’s called Sonora. I’ve pretty much lived there my whole life minus a short stint in college. Justin and I moved to Sacramento together when I got accepted to an accelerated Bachelors of Science nursing program. Sacramento has been so much fun. There are actually things to do (night life) and we have more than two options when it comes to deciding on a place to eat.

2. Any animals at home?
I grew up with dogs (black Labs) and an outdoor cat (where they belong)… But Justin came with TWO cats (one cat away from a deal breaker). So now, I have two indoor/outdoor cats: Fat-Ass Franny (Real name Francine, she could benefit from your establishment) and a Siamese named Cross-Eyed Crosby (just Crosby). We also have 4 chickens:2 hens and 2 pullets (teenagers) We lost one hen while living here (R.I.P Lupita).

3. Is Kassie short for Kassandra?
Nope, Its just Kassie and I think I am okay with that.

4. Where do your running skills come from?
I am flattered you say I have running skills. Running hasn’t always been easy for me. I seem to have a love/hate relationship with it.  Although, it’s more love than hate these days…but now that I think about it, it’s probably because I barely do it. My mom is an avid runner. I was her third child and after I was born she said she just needed a way to get rid of all her pregnancy weight, as it accumulated with each child. So, she and numerous women from around the area formed a running group. They ran every morning (4-10 miles), minus holidays and Sundays, alternating different routs daily. So naturally, growing up with a runner I would run with her sporadically on summer vacations/before work, as a way to see my mom every day, talk and bond. However 4:45 am gets hard to consistently wake up for; especially on the 10 degree mornings when you swear ices skates would have been a more fitting shoe attire. She’s still running today. Her consistency, something I struggle with, has been so inspirational. It is not a big part of my life right now, even though we live at low elevation, it’s flat, and, I live right along a running path. But, I know I will get back into it more seriously one day. I really want to train for a half, then full marathon one day. Bucket list!

5. What did you do prior to nursing school?
Sometimes, I feel like I have been a professional student. I’ve consistently been enrolled in college earning numerous associates degrees, a bachelors degree in biology and becoming an EMT since high school. I love learning, never could decide on a career, and loved the flexibility that being a student allowed (A.K.A not working a real adult job from 9-5/5 days a week.) So, before nursing school I worked at a restaurant/wine bar and for the City and County of San Francisco Public utility Commission Water Quality Division, testing water from Hetch Hetchy/Yosemite National Park. In short, I was a lab technician/biologist. Eventually, I knew I wanted to go back to school for something in the medical field as I had a deep desire to have the ability to help and care for people. So, here I am.

6. What are some of your fitness goals for the upcoming year?
In this next year, I want to get rid of “the band” and do a pull up all on my own! I’d also love to do real pushups all on my own, not those cheater ones I’ve been doing all my life and thinking I was actually doing them right. Mostly, I just want to keep getting stronger. I’ve also been focusing on pushing myself harder so at the end of the workout I actually feel like hitting the ground.

7. What’s your favorite lift/movement at CrossFit?  Least favorite?
Let just say I get excited when I see pull ups because I know I need to work on them. I don’t have a favorite lift. I still feel very intimidated about the lifts because I still have so much to learn. I don’t get excited when I see things I can’t do yet like muscle ups and handstand walks, but I don’t have any one thing I hate doing. CrossFit is still so new to me that I am having fun coming and learning no matter what the work out is that day.

8. What do you love so much about our gym?
Honestly, I love all the people. The gyms community is so warm and welcoming. I have been wanting to join CrossFit for over five years now but was so intimidated. Additionally, I didn’t like the attitude of the people or the culture of the gym in our small town. So, when we moved here it was a perfect time to join a gym. Plus, Justin already did CrossFit and by joining it would offer us a fun way to work out together. We felt so comfortable on our first visit to the gym, as everyone was so nice, helpful and encouraging, we joined that day! Being part of this gym has been vital in keeping me sane during my nursing school journey. So, thank you to everyone!!

9. What do you spend your free-time doing outside the gym and work?
Free what?? Time? Kidding. Before nursing school I did a lot of hiking, backpacking, camping, spending time with family and traveling. Now, in Sacramento, we drink and eat and then repeat.

10. Tell us something about you none of us knows.
Hmmmm…this is a tricky question. I am kind of realizing how boring I am as I sit here thinking. Yep, I’ve got nothing. I guess it’s just as much a mystery to you as it is to me. However, here is something you probably already do know about me. I don’t take myself too seriously and you shouldn’t either. I just like to be silly, have fun and make people laugh and smile.

Thanks for reading guys. The gym is special because of all of you. Thank you Travis for tying my shoe during Turkish get ups and responding promptly to my shouting during rowing when my screen display is wrong. Thank you Steve for your caring big heart and for jumping to my demands when my straps need tightening while I row. Thank you Justin for all the new conspiracy theories floating around in my head and the recommendations on washing my clothes with magnets. Thank you Amber for keeping me in check just when I start to feel good about myself and for getting me drunk instead when I was on my way to class. And, finally, thank you Harlan, for flattering me and for the interesting conversations that follow. In all seriousness, thank you coaches for being so knowledgeable and encouraging us and helping us even when we look special doing it.