Friday 4.22.2022

Hi Sandy!
We are so happy you’ve agreed to be our April Member of the Month and share your deepest darkest secrets. 😊 Let’s jump right in.

Tell us a little about yourself. What brought you to Vegas, Hubby, Kids, Job… You know. The uzsh
Let’s see, I’m a mama of two little girls and a sweet labradoodle and I’m married to a photographer. We’re a vegan family and my two favorite things are plants and books. I came to Vegas after graduating from San Francisco State University and landing an internship at the Las Vegas Review-Journal. I worked as a professional journalist for five years and now I’m in communications.

What was your favorite part of life when you were growing up.
My favorite part of life growing up in SoCal was going to punk rock shows and skateboarding. I loved going through the mosh pit to get to the front of the stage and scream my little heart out. It’s a good way to get out your teenage aggression, haha. I also loved late night phone calls and AIM chats (remember those?) about philosophy, life and death, the universe and souls. Deep conversations are my favorite!

You are a very kind and soft spoken person. Do you ever get mad? Describe for us, how that even happens and what it looks like. 😊
Haha, I showed this to my husband and he started laughing! I definitely value being a good person and I believe that kindness is not just an action, but also a reflection of one’s soul. However, I will not tolerate mean people or bullies and I am not scared to speak up. I’m actually very confrontational when I need to be. My husband has heard me give people a piece of my mind and, well, it’s not pretty. I try not to hurt people by putting them down because I hate talking badly about others, but, for example, if they’re passive aggressive, I will call them out on their shiz.

You’ve been a member of Apollo for over a year now. What advice would you give to someone who is new or a little nervous about trying CrossFit?
CrossFit can definitely be intimidating and scary for anyone, but especially for someone like me who is neither competitive nor necessarily athletic, but I think it’s so important to give it a try if you’re curious about it. The reason why I joined Apollo (aka the best gym in the world) is because I wanted to get fit, healthy and strong. It’s takes a while to get a routine going and become addicted to exercising, but once you develop that routine, working out becomes one of the best highs you can experience. There’s nothing like seeing yourself get fitter and realizing that your mind (and body) are stronger than you give yourself credit for.

What is something about you that most of your good friends would be very surprised to learn?
I’ve struggled with PTSD and anxiety for years due to past experiences, but it’s been a blessing in disguise. I think I’m a more empathetic person because of that, and while I was self-destructive for some time in the beginning, I’m at a point where I’m able to (mostly) forgive the actions of others and accept and appreciate the person who I am today. I also have to credit CrossFit for being the best form of therapy for me. It’s helped me tremendously with body acceptance and self-esteem.