Lady Lifter Spotlight: Sandy of Be a Bond Girl!

by ~jenniferlynn on November 21, 2013

in Lady Lifter Spotlight

In all my years of blogging (so it’s been less than two years, but still!), I do not think I have ever come across anyone that has called me out publicly as her girl crush, but this week one of my potential spotlights did just that. I wanted to feature her even before she flattered me in such a way, but it is always nice to get a little ego boost and know that you are making a difference or inspiring someone!

This week’s spotlight is a woman who I am pretty sure has done it all, yet still is always striving for more. I admire this woman for what she has done and love that her active lifestyle has kept her feeling and looking young! A former Marine, Ironman, self-starter and lover of life, Sandy has recently discovered Crossfit and is ready to tackle the next chapter of her life!

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lady lifter spotlight new

lady lifter spotlight sandy wine

Name:Ā Sandy Shepard

Blog:Ā BeABondGirl.com and DreamChoosers.com

Twitter:Ā @fempowerment
Pinterest:Ā BeABondGirl
Instagram: BeABondGirl
Facebook: fempowerment

LinkedIn:Ā sandyshepard

Location:Ā Marin County (across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco), CA

Age:Ā 50+

What types physical activity do you enjoy?

I donā€™t really like physical activity šŸ˜‰ I LOVE lying on the couch and eating bon-bons. šŸ˜‰ HOWEVER, I have completed an Ironman, I did a handful of marathons in the past year (oh and the Lavaman triathlon), and Iā€™m applying to The Amazing Race.

How did you get started in weight lifting?

I have been lifting now for 2 months. I started because I realized that, while I could run a marathon without issues (WELL, I could run 17 miles without issues, then I would be grumpy, but thatā€™s pretty far for a couch potato), and swim like a mile, etc., I was super duper weak ā€œstrength-wise.ā€ Also, I have had continual issues with one shoulder from when I was doing pole dancing, and nothing seemed to be able to get me out of constant, nagging, low-grade (or high grade depending on the activity) pain. I got a Groupon for Crossfit, and havenā€™t looked back!

lady lifter sandy pole dancing

I had one bad experience with a different box (actually with a coach) that was so frustrating it made me cry, but I went back because I felt fairly strongly this would REALLY make a difference. Iā€™m still a ā€œweak sisterā€ but Iā€™m constantly amazing myself and my hubby. Example ā€“ last night he and I deadlifted the same amount in a 10 RFT that includes 10 deadlifts in it ā€“ now look, weā€™re talking less than 100 lbs, but still ā€“ and the coach even whispered ā€œgood jobā€ to me (Heā€™s not a big one for praise, but in a nice way, not a mean way).

How many places in your life can you, at age 50, get ā€œPRsā€ and ā€œatta girlsā€ ā€“ I mean, seriously? Thatā€™s what keeps me going back. Oh, and of course the fact that Iā€™m kinda digging having calluses. Yes, thatā€™s weird, I know.

Favorite workout or lift?

Right now, I really like deadlifting (um, obviously!) I still canā€™t do much of the workout otherwise, I scale everything in a big way. HOWEVER, 2 months ago, I was deadlifting the 10 lb ā€œswirly barā€ (itā€™s a bar that you canā€™t put plates on ā€“ the ends are ā€œswirledā€) and that was plenty, now I have a regular orange bar (I think itā€™s 10 kg ā€“ maybe 15?) plus ok itā€™s not a lot, but 10 kg either side. (Yesterday I started with 5 either side ā€“ which is what Iā€™d done before ā€“ and then I just added 2 more 5s either side to see what would happen LOL) I have a bad shoulder, plus I blew both my knees out in the Marines, so I am ā€œbroken.ā€

But for the first time in memory, I donā€™t wake up with pain in my shoulder. Oops, I am wandering šŸ˜‰ Letā€™s see, what else do I like to do? I love to push the sled. Maybe thatā€™s because I was born in the Year of the Ox. And I really like pulling the battle rope with weights on it. Arrrrrrr, Me Strong. LOL.

Current lifting-related goal:

To do a pullup. To do a pushup once the doctor says I can. To do a burpee for real instead of basically a ā€œstair climber, pike, updog combo). To do an OHS with something more than the weakest power band. To climb the rope. To do a handstand. To have one of the competing athletes (we have a bunch of competitors, theyā€™re unbelievable) in the box see me do something good or cheer me on. I think that basically ā€œto do an X for realā€ on ANY Crossfit-related thing is how I would fill in this blank. Or, how about ā€œdoing a workout at Rxā€? That would be awesome. Iā€™m way far from that now, thatā€™s for sure.

lady lifter sandy triathalon cycling

Piece of advice for new lifters or those reluctant to try:

Find the right box. I started at one where the coach made me feel like a big loser in the first sessions (the ā€œon rampā€ where you have to do personal training before you can actually join classes?) Iā€™m not sure if itā€™s because he heard Iā€™d done like 4 marathons and was on my way to Austria to do another one, plus Iā€™d been in the Marines, etc. but he CONSTANTLY kept saying basically how unfit I was. I would go home and just cry. I went to Austria for the marathon and came back and never went back to the box and pretty much crossed Crossfit off my list to try to get stronger. Then another box had a Groupon and I thought Iā€™d give it a go.

lady lifter spotlight sandy running

The most important part of this box (for me) was that NONE of my friends belonged. We have (literally) 10 boxes within about a 15 minute drive from my house. 2 (including the one that I went to first) are within 5 minutes. I went to a box thatā€™s a 15-20 minute drive depending on traffic, and though itā€™s actually the FIRST Crossfit in our area a lot of ā€œhard coreā€ Crossfitters put it down because it is a HUGE area but 1/3 is Crossfit, 1/3 is gymnastics, and 1/3 is Parkour. They call it ā€œoh, that Parkour boxā€ which is most assuredly is NOT. Anyway ā€“ so I actually LIKE the fact it has all sorts of things I can aspire to like an ENORMOUS amount of Parkour stuff, a rock climbing wall, etc. ā€“ I love that there are kids there from fat to thin, boys and girls, doing stuff that I would have been way too scared to do as a kid (I was a bookworm, DEFINITELY not athletic, until I was well into my adulthood).

So I would say to new folks, and this is coming from just MY experience, but if youā€™re curious about it, look for a Groupon, first, and then go to a box where you know NO ONE. Then you donā€™t have to be nice ā€“ if you reject it youā€™re not rejecting your crazy friend who lives for this stuff ā€“ you donā€™t have to tell anyone youā€™re even doing it ā€“ etc. And if you can find a box with a ā€œConditioningā€ class, DEFINITELY go for that over jumping right into the WODs. I LOVE that about our box too. And sometimes, Conditioning is HARDER than the usual WOD ā€“ but the good part is that generally everyone in there is at or around your fitness level, versus jumping into a WOD where the folks look like they are Action Figures.

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How would you like to be the next in the spotlight? I love to spotlight ladies in all fitness levels; it does not matter if you are a brand new lifter or a seasoned veteran! Check out theĀ past spotlightsĀ andĀ contact meĀ for details!

Corrie Anne November 22, 2013 at 1:01 pm

Omg. That’s so crazy that a coach was telling you how unfit you were!! That’s ridiculous. I totally agree with finding the right box. We have a lot of people transfer to our box from other ones in the area that are more “competitive.” Our box has a lot of beginners and is just very positive — we like it that way. Good luck with your pull-ups!! You can do it!!!
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Mary
Twitter: inmyheadspace
November 22, 2013 at 1:29 pm

There are so many things right about this post! Sandy you rock! I love your attitude and sense of humor. And this is the 2nd time in 2 days that someone has mentioned pole dancing. I think I need to look for a class and just try it already!

Sandy Shepard November 22, 2013 at 4:10 pm

@Mary and @CorrieAnne – THANKS! And @Mary – pole dancing is a blast. Just be SUPER careful how they teach you. Shoulder injuries are rampant. Then again if you’re a Crossfitter, you probably know how to “lock your shoulder” already etc. – which will put you miles ahead in that area.

Beki November 22, 2013 at 5:28 pm

I love this! I live in the next county north of Sandy! The first crossfit box I went to wasn’t for me either. It is really important to find a good fit.

I took pole dance classes for a few months about 5-6 years ago. Super fun, but I didn’t have the upper body strength to keep going.

Sandy Shepard November 22, 2013 at 7:48 pm

@Beki – I found in pole dancing that often it really isn’t the upper body strength as much as it is “understanding how your body functions.” Because I can still do a ton of pole stuff where I can’t even do an overhead squat, etc. A lot of it has to do with how you’re taught, I think. FUN that you’re in either Napa or Sonoma! How GORGEOUS is it today after the rain? Have a great thanksgiving!
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Kim November 22, 2013 at 8:40 pm

Loved this spotlight!!!
Sandy is a true inspiration!!!
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