Ines Subashka: Introduce yourself.
Kelly Guillory: My name is Kelly Guillory. I have been in the fitness industry over 25 years. At age 45, I am probably the oldest Elite Open Competitor.
IS: How long have you been doing Crossfit?
KG: I have been Crossfitting for about 3 years.
IS: Have you been involved in some other sports before that?
KG: I was athletic as a child, playing all sports in school. As an adult I still had that competitive spirit and was searching for an outlet for it. I did road races (5K-Marathon), a half Ironman and multiple duathlons. I also competed as a body builder and figure competitor.
IS: How did people around you accept the fact that you are doing crossfit?Did they take a jaundiced view of it?
KG: The usual response to “I only compete in Crossfit Competitions” is “What’s that?” They don’t fully comprehend the difficulty of Crossfit because none of the individual movements are really that hard.
IS: Do you have a nutrition plan that you follow? If yes, do you meet disapproval from you friends?Or do they understand why you eat the way you do?
KG: I consider myself to be “Paleo-ish.” I agree with most of the ideas behind the Paleo Diet, but I occassionally deviate. I like Greek Yogurt & a sweet potato occassionally.
IS: What does crossfit mean to you and did it change your life in some way?
KG: Crossfit gave me a different definition of fitness. Fitness is not defined by how you look, how much you can lift or how far you can run. It gave me a way to exercise my competitive spirit with a wonderful group of people! Crossfit changed my life by lighting that competitive fire again!
IS: What is your favorite WOD and which one do you hate the most?
KG: I LOVE Fran – 4.23 and HATE DT – 11:53!
IS: Is it hard for you to combine your daily tasks with workouts? And have you ever used the excuse that you are too busy to workout?
KG: Fortunately I work at the gym, so fitting in a workout is usually not too hard. Some times I AM too tired… but I do it anyway! Since exercise is my “drug,” it makes me feel better!
IS: What is your biggest accomplishment in crossfit so far?
KG: My biggest accomplishment is finishing in 3rd place at the Crossfit Games in 2011.
IS: Do you remember some funny story with you and crossfit?
KG: Funny story… In the cafe at the gym, my fellow trainer, Fred said “Hey Kelly, I saw your video on the internet….you’ve really got a nice snatch!” Not sure if the slang translates well, but in English “snatch” is a slang word for a female body part! We got some pretty strange looks that day!
IS: What advice would you give to the beginner crossfiters in Bulgaria?
KG: The most important advice I would give beginning Crossfitters is don’t compare yourself to the Elite athletes. Do YOUR best, work on beating YOUR times.
