Member Spotlight: Libby McNiven
Libby McNiven is one of our awesome members and deserves a special highlight! Originally from Duluth, Minnesota, Libby trained at St. Louis CrossFit for two and a half years before it became The Power House. She found the gym because she was looking for a great gym and it was close to her work. Her favorite class is the 6:30am WOD (yay breakfast club!!).
Libby recently welcomed a second son into her family! She was fortunate enough to work out through both of her pregnancies. Libby said that the biggest challenge that she faced while pregnant, besides having a hard time adjusting to burpees and pull-ups, was being okay with the workout being difficult. It’s never easy to go slower than normal, and Libby says that it was difficult to adjust to the change in pace. However, Libby said that she felt good going to the gym and giving herself grace between workouts to understand that her body is changing a lot. Because of The Power House, Libby felt strong throughout her pregnancy. In fact, while she was in labor, the doctors noticed that she had a very healthy heart rate and asked if she was an athlete. Libby said that it’s “functional fitness at its best!” Even during delivery, Libby compared her labor with the end of a difficult workout. As difficult as the workout might be, the end is near and will feel so great! Libby is working her way back into the fitness realm post-delivery. Her biggest pieces of advice are to listen to your body and trust your body. As old saying goes: if things feel good, keep doing it! She says, “Every pregnancy is different. Give yourself time to feel comfortable in your body again! Be grateful for your body. It has gone through so much!”
To new members at The Power House, Libby advises to not shy away. The Power House welcomes all walks of life and levels of ability. “Everyone appreciates and has just as much respect for the new members just learning the movements as they do for those who compete in the CrossFit Games,” she says. There is success throughout every WOD, and showing up is the most important part of any workout. Libby’s favorite thing about The Power House is the community of people she has gotten to know in the 6:30am classes and all of the coaches. She says “Relationships are everything!”
Thank you, Libby, for always crushing it and being such a dedicated member of our Power House community! She really shows what it means to Win Your Life!