Hello, nice to meet you! I’m Cheyma, 31 years old, and I come from quite a distance… I’m a social worker by education and profession. I’m also a huge animal lover. I can talk for hours about cats and I enjoy reading about people and psychology. I get a lot of energy from solving puzzles, cases, and questions. But what does that have to do with CrossFit?

Aside from some cardio and fitness on the sidelines, sports never really played a major role in my life. Yet, I always believed I could do more. There was optimism in me, a drive for discipline and consistency, which drove me to choose myself again and again.

I still remember how my first trial class felt. It was winter and freezing, but I was mostly shaking with nerves. My partner (Ilias, now also a member of CrossFit Moves), our two cats Bainappuruu and Jerry, and I moved to the chilly IJzerlaan, which is anything but chilly now, since I discovered Moves ❤️. Anyway, I felt it was time to start exercising again.

No lame New Year’s resolution, but real change at CrossFit Moves!

Not a lame New Year’s resolution for two weeks, but real change! My health wasn’t ideal, I was struggling with weight, so I started looking for a gym. In the end, I just had to cross the street to CrossFit Moves.

I signed up for a trial class with great trepidation. Alone, unsure, and lacking confidence. But I did it anyway. When I started, I wasn’t feeling well mentally. Physically it was a challenge and I especially needed trust and understanding. During a conversation with Marlies from Eatgoodfeelgood, the in-house nutrition and lifestyle coach, I discovered The Reset. I thought to myself, “Okay, I’m going to try this!” As it turns out, this is exactly what I needed to really get started.

Anyone who has ever almost lost all courage within themselves knows how difficult it is to break this vicious circle. You not only break with bad habits, lack of exercise and unhealthy food, but also with your old self.

CrossFit Moves has not only made me stronger and healthier, but above all, it has helped me regain my self-confidence.

I now treat myself to more, set clear boundaries and continue to build a stronger version of myself every day. Meanwhile, I’ve lost a significant amount of fat, almost 20 kilograms. And I have gained a lot of muscle mass, which means I burn a lot more calories at rest than before. My transformation is so noticeable that people often think I’m my sister. And honestly: almost every week I have to get new pants because my old ones get too big.

A few more fun facts about my CrossFit adventure so far:

• After my third early-bird WOD, I discovered I actually love morning workouts… Huh, me a morning person? Who would have thought!
• Where I used to shy away from weekend WODs, I now can’t live without them.
• While performing a cossack squat, I once slipped and suddenly pretended to do a split, but it failed painfully.

My favorite exercises for training are the deadlift, push press, push-ups, running, and rowing, or together: The Cheyma WOD. I’m currently working hard on my pull-ups. I can now do banded pull-ups, even though I couldn’t even hang from a bar before. That feels like a small victory for me.

Today it’s almost crazy to say that my level ranges from intermediate to RX. I really enjoy the weekend WODs and the members here. Each and every one of them are great people. I truly feel at home at CrossFit Moves and I’m grateful to have been chosen as member of the month. The coaches are all top-notch, each with their own unique approach that makes me stronger during the WODs. And now? On to my second participation in The Hunk Project!