Pursuing Health

Jen grew up outside of Chicago and competed in gymnastics growing up. She then transitioned to track and field and competed in throws for the University of Kansas. From there, she started fitness modeling and eventually fell in love with training others. She appeared on American Gladiators in 2008 and she has been a trainer on NBC’s The Biggest Loser since 2015. She’s also been doing CrossFit since 2012 and made appearances on the CrossFit Horsepower Regional team in 2013 and 2014.

Each year, Reebok brings together CrossFit Games athletes at an annual summit. During this time, athletes are introduced to Reebok's brand campaign, apparel and footwear for the upcoming year. They are able to provide feedback, get to know the Reebok team, and train and spend time with one another in a relaxed environment. This year on the final morning in the Bahamas, I sat down to chat with 3 other female CrossFit Games athletes over the sunrise and morning coffee to discuss our experience at the Summit and more in this BONUS episode of Pursuing Health.

When Brendan was 11 years old, he was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. From trying to live like a regular teenager, to balancing Type 1 while playing college rugby, and his current pursuit of qualifying for the CrossFit Games regionals, Brendan provides a snapshot into the challenges of daily life and training with Type 1 Diabetes. Brendan received his BSN from Keene State College where he was also the captain of the rugby team. Brendan began his CrossFit journey at Feral Fitness in Saratoga Spring, NY. He currently lives in Memphis, TN where he works as an RN on the medical specialty unit at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital and trains at CrossFit Hit and Run.

Dan Bailey is a 5-time CrossFit Games competitor, never finishing outside the top 10 at the Games, finishing 4th at the 2015 CrossFit Games and 7th at the 2016 California Regionals. Dan has a background as a collegiate sprinter at Ohio University where he obtained degrees in Education and Strength and Conditioning. In this episode I catch up with Dan who most recently moved back to Columbus, Ohio from San Diego, and is currently training for the 2017 CrossFit Games Season.

In this episode I catch up with Brigid Titgemeier, functional dietitian nutritionist at the Center for Functional Medicine and nutrition blogger at BeingBrigid.com. Brigid received her undergraduate degree from Miami University of Ohio in Dietetics and her master’s of science in Public Health Nutrition from Case Western Reserve University. She has also contributed to numerous articles in the mainstream media on health and nutrition topics in publications such as the US News and World Report and Huffington Post. Previously, we sat down in episode 22 of Pursuing Health to discuss her personal story and what ignited her passion for helping others achieve optimal health through nutrition. In this episode, we team up to talk about our top 5 tips for nutrition success that will last well into the New Year. We also talk about our HealthySelf Reset, a free 4-week nutrition program that starts January 16th and includes whole foods recipes that are gluten, dairy, and added sugar free as well as shopping lists, meal plans, and workouts to help you start 2017 on the right foot.

Jason Wachob is the Founder and CEO of mindbodygreen and the author of WELLTH: How I Learned to Build a Life, Not a Resume. mindbodygreen is the leading independent media brand dedicated to wellness with 10 million unique monthly visitors. By highlighting the mental, physical, spiritual, emotional and environmental pillars of wellness, mindbodygreen seeks to achieve the best life for all of us, one person at a time. Jason received his BA in history from Columbia University where he played varsity basketball. He has also been featured in The New York Times, Entrepreneur, Inc., Fast Company, Goop, and Vogue.

In this episode we meet Danielle Walker, blogger and New York Times Best Selling author of the cookbook Against All Grain. After being diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis, an autoimmune disease, when she was 22 years old, Danielle suffered for years to balance her symptoms with the side effects of her medications, often landing herself in the hospital. She realized that she needed to take matters into her own hands and started to make some dietary changes including removing grains, lactose, and legumes from her diet. As her symptoms started to improve and she started to wean from some medications, she began a blog to help others who were suffering from similar ailments continue to enjoy food. With her acquired culinary skills, love for food, and an equal love for journalism, she has become a source of hope for others suffering from all types of diseases or allergies. Danielle has become an inspiration and much-appreciated resource not only for her journey in autoimmune disease and perseverance in shifting the medical system's method of approaching patients, but for her delicious and creative recipes as well. I had been following Danielle for some time before we finally met at the MindBodyGreen Revitalize 2016 summit where she shared some of her story. She was incredibly genuine and willing to share details of her life that most people would like to keep private, because she's seen how sharing her own struggles can help others who are suffering. In this episode we discuss some of those struggles and how she has overcome them as well as her new holiday cookbook, Celebrations.

Graham Holmberg, 2010 Fittest Man on Earth and six-time CrossFit Games athlete, along with his wife Savanna have built a positive, healthy and faithful community at their affiliate CrossFit Hilliard - Eleventh Element in Ohio. While owning and coaching at their affiliate, they've also navigated the delicate balance of competitive training for him, nutrition coaching and training while pregnant for her, and raising two children with one more on the way. The mission of their affiliate is "To positively impact the lives of as many people as possible and use CrossFit as a platform." By coupling CrossFit's 10 general physical skills with spirituality – what Graham and Savanna have termed the ‘eleventh element - the Holmberg's continue to build a community strong in body and mind. I sat down with Graham and Savanna after visiting their affiliate for an International Justice Mission - Reps for Rescue fundraiser to talk about how their lives have evolved over the past 6 years, the evolution of their affiliate, and how they balance their many roles.

This week we learn about David Mendenhall, a 47 year old husband, father, middle-school teacher and relatively recent, but rabid, CrossFit convert. A lifelong downhill skier and outdoor enthusiast, his adult training and fitness exploits prior to finding CrossFit in 2013 involved years dedicated to the martial arts, a personal yoga practice, distance running, triathlon competition, and semi-“extreme” cycling stints. After hanging up his cycling helmet in the fall of 2012 for an indefinite hiatus, his wife introduced him to Beau Teal at CrossFit Burlington.

Diane Sanfilippo is the owner and founder of Balanced Bites, a certified Nutrition Consultant, and two-time New York Times bestselling author of Practical Paleo, The 21-Day Sugar Detox and co-author of Mediterranean Paleo Cooking. Diane holds a B.S. from Syracuse University and is certified in holistic nutrition from Bauman College, holistic lifestyle coaching from the CHEK Institute, and Poliquin BioSignature Modulation. She writes for her popular health blog and is co-host of the top-rated weekly health podcast, “The Balanced Bites Podcast.” Diane lives in San Francisco with her husband, Scott, and two fur kids. I first met Diane a couple years ago when we spoke about health and fitness for NBA media professionals at NBA All-Star Weekend. I've enjoyed using her Practical Paleo book and was excited to catch up with her more about her background, nutrition challenges, and Paleo for the average CrossFit athlete.

Oliver Amdrup and Julius Heslet met in the gym, and it wasn't long before they realized they both shared a passion for nutrition and specifically, fish oil. The pair decided to turn their collective passion and vision into reality by co-founding Pure Pharma in 2009. Over the past 7 years, Pure Pharma has grown into a global company and has served as one of my personal sponsors since early 2013. I am consistently impressed by their dedication to helping individuals maximize their health in the most natural way possible and producing the highest-quality, scientifically-proven supplements to help with this when needed. Oliver, Julius, and I sat down to talk about the importance of micronutrients and how to get more from your diet, how to assess your supplement requirements and chose high-quality products, and their journey with Pure Pharma over the past 7 years.

Steph Hammerman was born 3 months premature and has been defying the odds of what it looks like to live with cerebral palsy ever since. With a background in hand cycling, she started CrossFit in 2012 and it wasn't long before she became the first female adaptive athlete to earn her CrossFit Level 1 Trainer certificate and began coaching. I watched Steph compete for the first time in 2013, and since then she has worked to advocate for opportunities for adaptive athletes to compete at large events including the first ever adaptive athlete division at Wodapalooza in 2015. A few months ago, Steph was diagnosed with lymphoma and is currently living in New York while she undergoes chemotherapy treatments. I caught up with Steph to discuss her journey and how her positive outlook and refusal to take "no" for an answer have led her to become such a great example for others, as well as how she continues to adapt and approach her current battle with cancer.

In this episode, I sit down with Olympic gold medal winning gymnast and youngest member of the Magnificant Seven, Dominique Moceanu. Dominique was born to Romanian immigrants and after showing promise as a gymnast from a young age her family moved to Houston, TX so that she could train with renowned coaches Béla and Márta Károlyi. She went on to have an incredible career ultimately achieving her dream of becoming an Olympic champion in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta with her team. Despite her success, she endured tremendous instability and abuse in both her training and home environments throughout her career. She eventually sought emancipation from her parents to recover lost earnings from her career as an elite gymnast, and it wasn't until her relationship with her now-husband Dr. Mike Canales developed that she started to process the mistreatment she had endured and begin the path to healing. Another surprise came in 2007 with the discovery of her long-lost sister Jen Bricker who was born with no legs and who her father had given up for adoption after her birth. Today, Dominique lives in Cleveland with her husband Mike and their two children Carmen and Vincent. She reconciled with her father prior to his passing, and she works to catalyze change in gymnastics so that future generations will experience a training environment that is both safe and healthy. I was lucky to work with Dominique and Mike on my gymnastics and get to know both of them while training for the 2014 CrossFit Games, and I spoke with Mike in Episode 2 of Pursuing Health shortly after he repaired the torn Achilles tendon I sustained at the 2015 CrossFit Games Regionals. I've heard various aspects of Dominique's story from her over the past few years and read her memoir, and each time I am blown away by the strength and resilience she displayed from such a young age. I was so excited to finally sit down with her to share some of her story with you, and also to hear her shed some light on the recent 2016 Olympics and how gymnastics has evolved over the past 20-plus years from her vantage point.

In this episode, I sit down with Olympic gold medal winning gymnast and youngest member of the Magnificant Seven, Dominique Moceanu. Dominique was born to Romanian immigrants and after showing promise as a gymnast from a young age her family moved to Houston, TX so that she could train with renowned coaches Béla and Márta Károlyi. She went on to have an incredible career ultimately achieving her dream of becoming an Olympic champion in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta with her team. Despite her success, she endured tremendous instability and abuse in both her training and home environments throughout her career. She eventually sought emancipation from her parents to recover lost earnings from her career as an elite gymnast, and it wasn't until her relationship with her now-husband Dr. Mike Canales developed that she started to process the mistreatment she had endured and begin the path to healing. Another surprise came in 2007 with the discovery of her long-lost sister Jen Bricker who was born with no legs and who her father had given up for adoption after her birth. Today, Dominique lives in Cleveland with her husband Mike and their two children Carmen and Vincent. She reconciled with her father prior to his passing, and she works to catalyze change in gymnastics so that future generations will experience a training environment that is both safe and healthy. I was lucky to work with Dominique and Mike on my gymnastics and get to know both of them while training for the 2014 CrossFit Games, and I spoke with Mike in Episode 2 of Pursuing Health shortly after he repaired the torn Achilles tendon I sustained at the 2015 CrossFit Games Regionals. I've heard various aspects of Dominique's story from her over the past few years and read her memoir, and each time I am blown away by the strength and resilience she displayed from such a young age. I was so excited to finally sit down with her to share some of her story with you, and also to hear her shed some light on the recent 2016 Olympics and how gymnastics has evolved over the past 20-plus years from her vantage point.

Beginning his career as a trainer in 1974, Coach Greg Glassman redefined fitness with CrossFit, otherwise known as constantly varied, high intensity, functional movement. After being kicked out of several globo gyms he finally opened the first CrossFit gym in Santa Cruz, CA in 1995. Currently there are more than 12,000 affiliates worldwide, and we've witnessed the exponential growth of the CrossFit Games, the ultimate proving grounds for fitness which identifies the Fittest Man and Woman on Earth each year from a pool of hundreds of thousands of athletes across the globe. We've also witnessed incredible stories of transformation in the affiliates, with participants losing weight, gaining confidence, and ridding themselves of chronic disease. I recently sat down with Coach to discuss the role of CrossFit and the affiliates in health, his new model "The 5 Buckets of Death," and how he is working to address the burden of chronic disease in the United States and the world.