Cross-fit for Fitness and Success - Summer Peterson

"Worrying won't do you any good, it doesn't allow you to achieve for that day" - Te Kura Student and Champion Cross-fit Athlete Summer Peterson

Hi Summer, thanks heaps for agreeing to do this interview with us and to talk about your passion for Cross-fit. So, what got you interested in Cross-fit?

Five years ago I was on YouTube and I watched a video of the Cross-fit Games and all the super strong women and I just thought that's cool and I was already into fitness and was quite strong so thought that would be so much fun. I thought I'd like to go to that big competition one day and do that. Then my dad found a Cross-fit gym and I just started going and now I do it 3-4 hours a day.

What was it about the sport that got you hooked?

I get better but it never gets easier! If you get stronger you add more weights or fitter you just go faster in workouts. You never reach your full potential I guess. You're always challenging yourself and there's so much to learn and the gym community is cool - you can just be yourself.

Has the sport helped you personally?

I didn't realise that I was becoming more confident. It becomes like an escape and I miss it on my off days because it helps to keep my mind busy and relaxed from troubles. There's a real sense of freedom when I do fitness.

What would you suggest to another young person who wasn't at your fitness level but had struggles with confidence or anxiety?

I would suggest finding some sort of fitness. Find something that you're interested in so that it takes your mind off your troubles. It actually helps to relax you.

When you first went to Cross-fit were you a bit nervous?

Yes!

So how did you get through this nervousness?

By enjoying what I was doing. I didn't let people around me affect what I really wanted to do. Also - my advice for if you're feeling nervous is to team up with someone else like a fitness buddy so you can support each other. It makes it fun as well.

Cross-fit required you to start getting up early in the morning - did you find this hard?

Yes - it was overwhelming! I can see the whole week/ month of training and I just think - oh my gosh I don't know how I'm going to do this! But now I just focus on being present and in the day. Sometimes I feel like I don't have enough time but I just let it all roll and it works out.

So your advice is don't over complicate things but rather break things down?

Yes - worrying won't do you any good, it doesn't allow you to achieve for that day. Have a clear purpose for the day and block out the clutter and go for it. And another thing - fitness does help because it helps you to be motivated - even if it doesn't feel like it at the start you just have to stick with it.

Te Kura Student and budding Reporter Ella Long - Summer, what do you actually do for your trainings?

Cross-fit is like fitness, weightlifting and gymnastics combined. And with competitions is changes all the time so they'll release the format beforehand and you just have to go hard and train for these events which could be focused on general fitness or heaps of weights or gymnastics. At training I work on all of these areas and my coach has specific plans for me to work on to improve and prepare for competitions.

What was the reaction from your parents when you told them you wanted to leave mainstream and join Te Kura and train fulltime?

I first told my mum to, soften things up! Mum responded by saying - "I don't want to be your teacher!" But, they're supportive and said if you believe you can do it then we'll back you. My coach also said that is I want to go far in the sport then I need to train longer hours each day so it all just made sense to join Te Kura and my parents see that...now! At this stage I'm ahead of my mainstream peers and will start Level 2 earlier!

How old were you when you completed your first competition?

I was 12 and it was an inter-house (gym) competition. I'm normally the youngest competing alongside adults. I've done about 5 local comps and then the bigger one was the Torian Pro in Brisbane.

What age group were you entered into for the Torian Pro?

14-15 year old girls. I was nervous but also excited. I placed 4th but the best thing was connecting with the other girls' and encouraging each other. It was a great experience and also seeing the elite athletes was also inspiring.

Ella - Have you had some placings in these comps?

4th in Oceana and 2nd in New Zealand and right now I'm doing the National Qualifiers and at the moment I'm sitting in 1st place.

So Summer, what's next for you?

Still training for Nationals so working on getting stronger and faster.

How hard is it seeing your friends and family eat anything they want but you have to be mindful of nutrition and training?

Its hard, really hard but then I think - its not going to help me. You'd be surprised though - Cross-fit people can eat a lot of junk food! One of the top male athletes eats snickers bars and drinks raro but, I guess because we burn energy so quickly we need quick foods.

If you could fast track 5 years into the future what would you like to be doing?

I would want to be competing in the big comps overseas like in America and be sponsored by big companies. I have some small sponsors at the moment but, bug ones would be great! Competing against the top athletes would be super cool. The Cross-fit games in America would be the best.

Does the sponsorship you have now help?

Yip - I get clothes, bags, gym gear, weights etc. Although if I put any photos from the gym on my Instagram account I can't show the brand of weights because my sponsors give me different brands to use an support!

Serious stuff Summer!

Yip - and if I'm at Nationals and I wear my sponsors clothing then I get some money from doing that. Its super cool!

Final comments?

I'm thankful to my parents for all they do, driving me everywhere and supporting me - it does help a lot.

Well Summer thanks for letting us interview you and for sharing with us your love of Cross-fit. Here at Te Kura we are proud of you and look forward to hearing more about your successes in the near future.

If anyone would like to follow Summer on Instagram and encourage her go to: https://www.instagram.com/summerp.crossfit/