Today I want you to meet Megan Bernard. She is the creator of the facebook page “Women of Crossfit=Strong”. There are people you’ve never met, people you will probably never meet, but sometimes exactly they are people that change your life! See how Megan managed to change thousands of women’s lives, by suggesting them a place, where they can share their passion, their accomplishments and goals, a place where everybodyy understands them and nobody will dare to criticize them for their choice! Read the really touching and inspiring interview with Megan!
Ines Subashka: Introduce yourself.
Megan Bernard: My Name is Megan Bernard, I am from Lake Charles, Louisiana.
IS: How was born the idea of the facebook group “Women of Crossfit=Strong”?
MB:The idea came from me sitting online one day google’ing and youtubing video’s of crossfit like most other CF’ers do with their time (lol). I then searched on Facebook, for “crossfit” pages, and didn’t find but two, and none that really stood out to me. I wanted a place where women could go and talk freely, be able to post their goals, accomplishments, and dreams about being woman, and not having anyone say anything negative about it. A place where all women could be so proud of what they do, and not afraid to show any type of pictures without getting the ohhhlala baby from usual dingleberries, and have the other women say “GREAT JOB”, “You look amazing, keep up the great work”… those types of comments. I never dreamed that 7 months later I would have 7000+ followers. I love being able to reach out and help others….it’s what makes me truly happy!
IS: Do you have a sport’s background? If yes, tell us more about it?
MB: Sports Sports and more Sports! I started Gymnastics when I was 5, I was flipping on the bars, doing back flips and more at the age of 5. They said I was a natural! Left that when I was 9, and started Softball…never looked back. I played softball until I was 18, was a utility player most of my life, but found a passion for Pitching. So I hired a pitching coach and started my sophomore year on Varsity at their pitcher, did that until I graduated from High school. Receiving every honor, from All South west Louisiana MVP, 1st All-State, MVP of District and 1 string, and Voted to the best 18 best players in the State of Louisiana, and played with them at LSU Stadium! Being in sports my whole life has given me the feeling of “belonging” to something much bigger than I am. I love the “team”, which is why I fell in love with the CF atmosphere, I didn’t feel that I was just in there for “myself”, I found I was part of a “team” again and helping others accomplish all their goals as well as mine!
IS: How were you introduced to Crossfit?
MB: I was introduced to it by a good old high school buddy of mine. Chris Sherman, he used to tell about these workouts, and had me to go his parents peir and do them with him. Both of us were former star athletes in school and wanted too much to have something like this back in our lives. So after begging him for more days (because he was busy) he said, “Meg its time I bring you to the real CF gym, and so he did!”
IS: Were you afraid of getting bulky?
MB: I am NEVER afraid of getting bulky, and I wasn’t. I find that muscles and tone on a woman is the most beautiful thing, so NO I found that I couldn’t wait to do this, so I could maybe see some “bulkiness”! 🙂
IS: Do you follow a nutrition plan? If yes, how do you eat?
MB: I wish I could honestly say 100% that I do, but I really don’t. I eat eggs in the morning, snack on some almonds or fruit for snack. Eat some tuna fish and crackers or chicken breast for lunch, repeat the snack, add some creatine to my protein shake before workouts, and bring a banana or apple with me before or after workouts. Head home and eat eggs, chicken, for supper. If it weren’t for my amazing boyfriend being my role model, I swear with my sweet tooth I would be 400pds, but he has REALLY helped me see that all the “junk” we put in our bodies makes us feel miserable, then need to work two times as hard to get it off, and you’ll never see the results that you want if you do! (writers note: notice that she is not following a strict nutrition plan, but she is still eating healthy and clean!!)
IS: Do people around you accept your lifestyle?
MB: Oh 100%. I wouldn’t be half the person I am today if it were not for the full support of my friends, family, and James!
IS: What would you tell all the women that are afraid of lifting weights?
MB: I would tell them that there is a beauty in it. Most woman “fear” that, but if they learn to do it right, they will just simply “tone” up if they wanted to, not get big, it takes a much greater nutrition and much bigger weights to get all big and bulky. I would say them the picture of the woman I posted on my page the other day, and ask them is that ugly to you?!?!?!!? Didnt’ think so!!!!!
IS: How did weights change your life?
MB: Lifting weights changed my life, because it’s not the amount of weight that I lift up, down, above my head…it is about the amount of weight that I am lifting off my shoulders from a bad day, from hard moments. It has given me strength within that I never knew I had!
IS: How would you finish the sentence “I workout because…” ?
MB: It is a way of life for me! It is my place of “zen” that I can go into and feel at “home” with myself and my life! It has opened a whole new world, and I feel that I am seeing the world for the first time really, because it brought me to James, to Jennifer, to the ladies I train, and much more! It has brought a smile back to my face that was longing to be found again after a rough childhood, rough teenage years, and rough marriage that didn’t end well. Working out, brought me back to life!!!
