Athlete of the Month
CLIENT HIGHLIGHTS | JUNE 2022
This month, Vilita and KT are recognizing two strong women, Caitlin Simpson and Rachelle Oribio. Both athletes experienced set backs in their fitness due to the COVID pandemic, and both were ready to level up their training and start feeling like themselves again.
These years have been tough, but Caitlin and Rachelle show how returning to fitness with a smart program and a solid support system can be rewarding and fun!
ASF South: Caitlin Simpson
From Caitlin’s trainer, Vilita Cruz:
Caitlin originally came to me with a rotator cuff injury and a desire to work out. With the plan of having surgery in a year, I knew I had to carefully design her programming to deliver a good workout while simultaneously keeping her rotator cuff safe. We have had great success giving her fun and functional workouts for months.
As of late, Caitlin wanted to take her training up a notch. Her goal: to feel and look amazing in her bikini on her one year anniversary in Turks and Caicos. Caitlin had an amazing time on her anniversary trip. She was able to spend her days in her bikini enjoying quality time with her husband. It’s a great gift to help someone develop their confidence so they can enjoy their vacation, live in the moment and not worry about how they look.
Caitlin gives a 100% in each session. She always shows up with a smile and a positive attitude, and as a trainer this makes the session run smooth. Her fun personality makes me look forward to our sessions.
The exercises I give her are challenging, making her sweat and her muscles sore. I appreciate the trust she puts in me for designing the program that’s going to get her the results she wants and most importantly trusting the process! Because let’s face it, the results we desire don’t appear overnight. It takes hard work, dedication and consistency!
Caitlin has held up her end of the bargain and look at her now!
Caitlin told us about training with Vilita:
What do you enjoy most about training with your trainer/at ASF? I think it’s the atmosphere, for one. It’s never judge-y or uncomfortable, everyone is so fun and friendly, and there’s always such a great range of exercises so I’m never bored or on repeat (thanks V!)!
What have you been most proud of since you started training? When I went to Turks and Caicos, I wanted to feel really comfortable in a bikini. The COVID weight combined with working from home really had me feeling squishy and out of shape. I wanted to get back to not feeling like I needed to cover up at the beach and be happy with how I looked and felt. V really helped me get there physically and mentally! It was such a great trip and I felt super sexy in my bikini the entire time 🙂
What are you looking forward to? Getting stronger! I’m really proud of the changes I can see in my body. I also feel a hundred times better after I work out and I look forward to that every day I come in…. even when the assault bike is involved lol!
ASF Central: Rachelle Oribio
From Rachelle’s trainer, KT Stemper:
Rachelle was a referral from Dana Wildeboer. When we did our initial evaluation, COVID had taken her from being a yogi and Crossfitter to not being able to clean the house without laying down to recover. Through our time together she has been so patient with her progression and has returned to running, rowing, and heavy weightlifting, and she just got back from a vacation where she walked 30k steps in one day without any physical repercussions. She is as ambitious in the gym as she is in her professional life and has moved to training with Niamh McWalter in order to progress toward the Olympic lifts.
Here’s what Rachelle had to say about her training:
What do you enjoy most about training at ASF? I enjoy how compassionate people are. That was so important, especially early on in my training when it was devastating not to be able to do simple, every day activities. You all have taught me that going easier on, listening to, and being patient with my body is more productive than trying to push myself all the time or comparing my present state to PRs.
What have you been most proud of since you started training? I’m proud of recovering from total body muscle atrophy and a freak scorpion attack. When I first came to ASF I thought I may never work or live a normal life ever again. It took a lot of patience and hard work, but after 2 years and 3 months after disability from COVID, I finally feel like I can trust my body not to break at the drop of a hat. That’s a lot of worry off my shoulders.
What are you looking forward to? I’m looking forward to doing more of the activities I love (trail running, kayaking, climbing, yoga, etc.) without pain or fear of injury. There’s a lot to do before I can olympic lift again, but I’m hopeful we’ll get there.
