S03E114: Special Guest Sasha Rhee - CrossFit as an Early Catalyst

You know what they say, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger." Sasha, our young adult guest today, would certainly agree. After starting with CrossFit Kids as a pre-teen, Sasha continued to progress during her teenage years, pushing her boundaries and embracing discomfort along the way.

Coaches David Syvertsen @davesy85 and Sam Rhee @bergencosmetic delve into body awareness and mechanics in young athletes, discussing with Sasha what her experience was like transitioning to adult classes. They discuss how the lessons learned from CrossFit - connecting with people of all ages, focusing on self-improvement and staying in your lane - have helped Sasha, who ultimately wrote about her CrossFit journey as part of her college applications.

So whether you're an athlete, a parent, or a student, tune in for a fun and honest conversation about the challenges and rewards of fitnessing at any age!

@crossfitbison @crossfittraining @crossfit @crossfitgames #crossfit #sports #exercise #health #movement #crossfitcoach #agoq #clean #fitness #ItAllStartsHere #CrossFitOpen #CrossFit #CrossFitCommunity @CrossFitAffiliates #supportyourlocalbox #crossfitaffiliate #personalizedfitness

00:00:00 CrossFit's Impact on College Applications

00:06:12 Interview With Sasha and Sam

00:09:17 Kids Benefit From CrossFit Involvement

00:17:08 Parental Involvement in Sports and CrossFit

00:22:51 CrossFit Experience and Parental Accommodation

00:32:30 Early Training and Mechanics in Fitness

00:36:04 Parenting and Lessons Learned From CrossFit

00:48:58 Start Healthy Lifestyle Early

00:52:27 Discussion About Crossfit and Staying Connected

S03E114 Special Guest Sasha Rhee

[00:00:00] David Syvertsen: All right. Welcome back to the Herd Fit Podcast. I am Coach Davidson. I'm here with my co-host, Dr. And coach Sam Rhee. We have a very special guest today, Sasha. I do your do your thing. Let's start off with what you have in front of you right now and read it to the crowd.

[00:00:17] Sasha Rhee: 13 was a strange time looking in the mirror.

My body didn't look right to me. I felt that I had to look one way, but then I stepped into my first adult CrossFit class and my beauty expectations were shattered. There were women of all shapes and sizes lifting different yet equally impressive amounts of weight. I owe much of my self confidence today to them.

As I went to more classes, the woman could tell that I was worried about my shape. Many of them being former athletes and current mothers told me, it's not about how you look, it's about how you feel. I couldn't grasp this concept at the beginning, but I started to work out more and it stopped letting the number on the scale determine my mood.

These women went through the same struggle that every girl goes through, but they made sure I didn't fall into the same hole because of them. I smile when I look in the mirror. While my battle with self-image was a conventional problem that teenagers face, CrossFit introduced a new mental challenge.

Life is made up of experiences that naturally cause you to compare yourself to others in school, it's about who gets the highest grades. In soccer, it's about who plays the best. I carry this mindset into my first CrossFit classes, which meant that mentally I competed with the other adults during workouts.

These negative emotions permeated my mind until one of the CrossFit coaches taught me to stay in your lane. I have learned that my lane is made up of my past progress and future goals and does not involve anyone else. When I started adult classes at the gym, I moved up to the A team from my town soccer team and started playing for a club team as well.

I was playing with experienced players and this jump in in competition worried me that I would bring my teams down. As a center midfielder, my individual performance carried a lot of weight in my eyes, one wrong move and I could put my team in a dangerous situation. However, as I heard the phrase stay in your lane more, I realized that bettering my performance and feeling optimistic about my role in the team was crucial.

Instead of thinking that I needed to be better so that I didn't bring my team down, I started to say that I needed to be better to help my teammates. The individualistic side of CrossFit and its emphasis on self-focus to reach self-improvement gave me a healthier way to approach my soccer goals. I carried this message as I began to shape my playing style.

While many center midfielders dribble to attack the defense alone, my first instinct is to make a pass to put my teammate in scoring position while I technically lift alone during a workout. I never wanna be an island. CrossFit is known for its grueling and heavy program, but its post and pre-workout conversations are what I'll always cherish.

As a 13 year old, I was prepared to just go into the gym, sweat and leave. As a now 18 year old, I know that it's not all that I enter. Knowing that I'll have at least three conversations before I touch the barbell and I look forward to them. Learning about what people have done and plan to do is one way that I've gained the most insight about life because everyone has a different path and lessons to share.

Every day I leave the gym a better person than when I entered. I know that my personal journey at the gym will follow me and that the lessons I have learned will continue to shape my life with or without a barbell in my hands.

[00:03:28] David Syvertsen: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. So, Sasha, that is, Was your college essay? Yes, it was.

That you used to apply to some fairly good schools around the country. Where are you headed in just

[00:03:43] Sasha Rhee: a couple weeks. Uh, in two weeks I'll be moving into Duke University. Let's go down in Durham. Let's go. Yeah. Sam and Sasha show

[00:03:49] David Syvertsen: your shirts to our, to our two crowd prepping. Um, just once again, congrats on that major achievement and I'm really excited for you.

Very upset to see you go. Thank you. This is one thing that I. Selfishly and very, uh, sad about when we have high schoolers as members at the gym that, you know, at some point a lot of them are, are gonna be leaving at some point. Luke Fisher is one of 'em. Um, I remember Sydney Cher, she was one of 'em. And we have a few that are, that are coming up.

That are, that are heading to college. And, uh, it, it's gonna be sad to see you go, but at the same time, I'm really happy that you achieved the major goal of yours. Thank you. And really excited to see what you're gonna be doing with your life in the next few years. Uh, but that was, that's how I wanted to start off this podcast was that was Sasha's college essay.

And for those that used to apply to college back way back when, if you remember what your college essay was all about and what you had to put in there, um, I would, I would venture to say that's probably one of the best ones I've ever seen. And maybe a key part as to why you are heading to where you are with with school, among other things.

What made you want to talk about CrossFit? Body, image, fitness, community? Of all the things that you've been through in your life, and you're very intelligent, you're very smart, you're very mature beyond your years. Why did you pick that? To talk about in relation to you applying for a college.

[00:05:10] Sasha Rhee: So if you're applying to college now, or you have in recent years, you know that there is seven prompts mm-hmm.

That you get on the application website. And the first one is, what's something that is not shown anywhere else in your application that you still wanna share with the colleges? Um, so, you know, there's an activity section. I talked about all my academic stuff, my sports, but CrossFit has just been such a big.

Part of my teenage years and has had such an impact on me as a person. And I think it's really hard to show who you are as a person in just 10 activities in a list. And so for me, I wanted to talk about CrossFit because I was like, I think this gives the colleges a really good insight into who I am and something that's such a big part of my life.

Mm-hmm. And 'cause I couldn't really put it as an activity. Right. Um, so that's why I really wanted to talk about it. I mean, it's just, it's such a big part of my family as well, and just where I come from that I really just wanted to kind of build a bigger picture for my, for the colleges of

[00:06:10] David Syvertsen: myself. Great.

Now this, this episode is obviously interviewing Sasha, but I'm also interviewing Sam. So I know Sam is one of the co-hosts of the Herd Fit Podcast. But today, We're kind of keeping him out of like the questioning and as you know, the analysis PO side of it, uh, sorry, the analysis side of it. And I want to interview him as well because there's two perspectives here that I think are really interesting to me to listen to.

But also a lot of you guys out there, because you're gonna be in these shoes at some point, a lot of you, and let's rewind a little bit. You know, Sasha, your experience with CrossFit started with a spectator as a young child watching mom and dad go to the gym, do you have memories of nine years ago, 10 years ago when they came in of like, wait, where are my parents going?

Why do they come in limping up and down the stairs every single time? Do you remember those early days of not necessarily you doing it, yes. Sasha, but your parents when they started? What are your early memories there?

[00:07:05] Sasha Rhee: Well, I remember I would like Nick and I would have to wake ourselves up for school when we were younger.

Mm-hmm. Because my mom would be like, okay. We're gonna go somewhere for an hour and when we come back, we expect you guys to be awake because they would come back as we were supposed to be getting ready for school. Right. And I was eight at when they started, which was 10 years ago. And so Nick was six.

Wow. Yeah. And my dad, obviously, he like, has made a lot of progress. He didn't look like this when he started confirmed, but I would also remember like hearing them talk about, they would throw on all these names, Dave and Liz and Ash. Mm-hmm. And. I would just listen, but I didn't know exactly why they talked about these people.

Right. Or this place so much. Right. Um, and then sometimes they would bring Nick and I in when they did like big workouts or competitions. Mm-hmm. And then that's when I started getting a little bit more insight. But I remember just hearing a lot about it between the two of them. Yeah.

[00:07:58] David Syvertsen: You know, the rule about it being a CrossFitter is you have to talk about CrossFit when you're at the gym, Sam.

Rewind our, let's stay in that rewind mode. Back to those early days of bison, like your personal early days of doing CrossFit. Uh, we introduced that CrossFit Kids program done by Terry Did a really good job. Did you have, was this something that you immediately trusted enough to throw your your children into because you had only been doing CrossFit for.

About a year before you said like, okay, cool, my kids will do CrossFit kids. Do you, can you remind, remember any of the thought process that you had, any hesitations of getting your kids involved? Or are you kind of like in that Kool-Aid mode right away? Like, Hey, this is something I want my kids to do?

[00:08:39] Sam Rhee: Uh, I knew Terry and she was, she moved.

Great. Yep. She was a really smart athlete. Mm-hmm. Uh, there was no hesitation for me in terms of. Having my kids do it. I, and that was just all based on trusting Terry. Mm-hmm. And as you know, she knocked it outta the park at that time. She did. She

[00:08:56] David Syvertsen: really did. Yeah. Good. I like that. So we just got done watching my three year old jump up and down on boxes and stuff and we're like, we were just had like a little quick side conversation, like this is what you want your kids doing when they're young.

Like play and run and jump and fall and, and have fun while doing it. And be around people that are having fun doing this and try to get this into their mindset. Um, were you going into your kids getting involved in CrossFits with the mindset of. Hey, I want them to start developing a, a desire for fitness, a fun for fitness, understanding their body and everything.

Or was it like, Hey, I need my kids to do something for an hour. You know? What, what was your mindset of really getting them into that thing other than trusting Terry knowing that it was gonna work out

[00:09:37] Sam Rhee: more? The latter. Uh, in retrospect now and. It's so funny when we do see Brock and just by the way, uh, this was your idea to have Sasha guess

[00:09:46] David Syvertsen: not mine.

Yes, yes. I will put that out there. I'll confirm that. So this was 1000%

[00:09:51] Sam Rhee: my idea. I was very surprised when Sasha told me, Hey, guess what Dave said. I, he invited me to be on the podcast. I was like, what? Uh, and um, We're having Brock next week, by the way. Yeah, Todd.

[00:10:03] David Syvertsen: That'll be entertaining. Uh, so,

[00:10:06] Sam Rhee: um, no, I, you know, I think, and most people who have young kids, you're just trying to occupy their time, right?

You're trying to find stuff where they're just not sitting, like watching something on the iPad. Right. Or, you know, whatever. And, uh, but now in retrospect, when I look at young families, Especially at our gym. Mm-hmm. I do feel like they have a very great approach, including you and Ash, in terms of just getting your kids involved in moving mm-hmm.

For fun. Right. And we see that before and after workouts or on the weekends when kids bring, uh, families come with their kids. Mike's kids. Yeah. Mike's kids. Yeah. Like they're just always moving and they're playing. Um, Dave Bo's kids. Mm-hmm. Like. Some of them are better on the rings than like half our athletes.

And, and so when you introduce that kind of play with kids, it, it is natural. It's with your parents and it just foundationally makes it normal for them to be physical. Right. And. Had I sort of thought of it more back then, I would've even leaned into it a little bit more. Mm-hmm. But at the time it was just, oh, this is a good class.

Like, let's sign 'em up. Yeah, let's just sign 'em up

[00:11:19] David Syvertsen: with it. Another connection that I feel that might be a little off the radar. But I think it's really important for parents and kids to have things in common. And you're not thinking about that as an eight yearold Sasha, like I, but there is like, you know, when you're a kid, I can remember my father playing in a basketball league and Aaron and I would go watch his men's league basketball games, like as if we were courtside at Madison Square Garden.

Like it was the coolest thing. Mm-hmm. And we would talk about the game with him after. And I remember as we got older, like in our teenage years, we got to play in some of these games with him. And that was a really cool thing that you felt like you were playing with like your idol almost. Right? There is a really interesting development in a child when they are at the gym and they're just watching.

Like every now and then I'll look in that glass room that we have our lobby and the kids are just staring at their parents, like suffer through a workout and some of 'em have a con look of concern on their face, but others, I just feel like the more you put that in front of them, the more likely as they.

Mentally mature and start to figure things out. They're like, that's something that they're just automatically gonna wanna do because there's a connection. Now Sasha, you went from CrossFit kids into, you did not go into the adult classes right away. No. Let's discuss what Sam and I talked about last week on the episode with Should your kids Start, how Young Is too young and the resolution ended up being every kid is different.

Um, But we said like the best avenue would be to get some more personal type attention, whether it's personal training, very small group training. What was your stage in between CrossFit kids and adult classes?

[00:12:58] Sasha Rhee: So after CrossFit Kids, I did that for two years, so I was 10 and then I at age 11, that was when.

I think working out in fitness became more about helping me with sports. Right. Because I was getting really into soccer and lacrosse. Mm-hmm. So my dad recommended, oh, well, you know, like Liz can do private training. Like, why don't you do that with her for, you know, as long as you want. And so I got into private training with Liz at 11 at the old gym.

Yep. Yeah. A long

[00:13:24] David Syvertsen: time ago. And that was, and that was you and a couple other

[00:13:26] Sasha Rhee: girls, right? Yeah. So originally it was just me. Okay. And then I brought three of my lacrosse friends with me and they did it for about a year. Mm-hmm. Um, and we kind of, and that was at the time when you were with Owen and his guys?

Yeah. Uh oh,

[00:13:37] David Syvertsen: that's right. Yeah. I had my boys, Owen and Joe Ross and uh, Phelps. Phelps. Yeah.

[00:13:42] Sasha Rhee: Yeah, yeah. Yeah. That was really fun. Um, and then didn't we compete against each other one time? Yeah. I would, I would like throw an Owen on Instagram and be like, look at us. '

[00:13:50] David Syvertsen: cause I think you guys, the advantage that you guys had back then was that you started a little prior to them.

Yes. If I remember correctly. Yeah. And so they were still kind of playing a little catch up on how to do things. Mm-hmm. And they would come into the gym and you guys were already cleaning like 35, 45 pounds. And I have like PVCs in their hands and that probably hurt their ego a little bit. Um, but that was, yeah.

I remember those days very well.

[00:14:09] Sasha Rhee: Yeah. And. Uh, so then the girls. I think it's different when your parent is there. None of their parents did it. So they kind of did private training for a year with Liz, with me, but then they decided to focus more on lacrosse. Mm-hmm. So they went back to the field and I stayed with Liz for another year.

So I did it from 11 to 13. Mm-hmm. And I think that was the best decision that. Like we ever made with my parents and I mm-hmm. In terms of CrossFit, because when Liz is just such a good teacher mm-hmm. And she's really good with kids and the way that she helped me like learn, okay. Like, like she pointed out the flaws in my lifting.

So my form today I would say is pretty good just because I really had that one-on-one attention and she could really help me focus on my strengths and weaknesses because I feel like being thrown into a class and having to learn. To kind of lift in a big class 20 people is very different from learning one-on-one.

[00:15:01] David Syvertsen: Absolutely. Yeah. Or even just having like three or four of you with, with a coach. Mm-hmm. It's, it's a much more, uh, teach friendly type environment. Sam, at this stage, you know, you go from CrossFit kids fill their time, play around the boxes and cones and with, you know, the CrossFit kids games and all, you know, they're not training hand cleans and snatches there.

Right. They are doing fitness and fun, you know. Would, did you have any hesitations? On programming. Like what, what did you want Sasha to learn and not learn? Were there, you know, we, we talk about this often, um, in like coaches circles, how functional is. A squat snatch, um, how, you know, I'm training a lacrosse player this fall, like that's not on our list.

Like, we're not going to be snatching. Right. Did you have, this is something that I want parents to hear, you know, did you have any sort of template or was this like another, Hey, let's trust bison and, and Liz and, you know, the programming that her and I had discussed, or did you had come in with, you know, Hey, I don't want this, but I wanna make sure we do this.

Considering her sport background and the financial commitment that you were making at that point.

[00:16:04] Sam Rhee: I mean, I. I wasn't a CrossFit coach at that time. Right. And I honestly would not have known enough to comment on what her training was. Right. I am not a great sports parent in general, and I could tell

[00:16:18] David Syvertsen: you a lot of stories.

What do you, what do you mean by that? Um, well, I

[00:16:20] Sam Rhee: think in North Jersey there's a wide range of parents Yes. In terms of sports

[00:16:25] David Syvertsen: and their children. Now, when you say, but when you say not a great sports parent, does that mean like, don't. Because I've seen you at these games. You're yelling like not even. No, no, no.

It's not even yelling it. You're like the photographer. You're the videographer. Oh yeah. You're like, you're everything you do. I've told you this before, like you do it at a high level. It's never like you never jog through anything. But what do you mean by not a good sports parent?

[00:16:45] Sam Rhee: Well, you know why I do that?

It's so that I. Keep busy and not get like, involved into the sport. Okay,

[00:16:52] David Syvertsen: so that's what you mean by the sport? Yeah. So

[00:16:54] Sam Rhee: just for example, this was early when, uh, I, I got the coach a red card. Oh.

[00:17:00] Sasha Rhee: And I cried in the car on the way. And she,

[00:17:01] Sam Rhee: so this is where this, this might have been one of those pivotal moments as a sports parent actually.

So like, uh, so she's playing club and, uh, I can't remember. Maybe in seventh grade, maybe. Yeah, I think I,

[00:17:12] Sasha Rhee: I just started, so I was

[00:17:13] Sam Rhee: in seventh. Yeah. Yeah. You were with Carl, who's this like, Big British. British dude. Yeah. And so they're at a game and. The ref, I mean, I'm biased obviously, was just truly awful.

He's one of those European guys, uh, really sensitive and the parents me start, you know, riding him and he gets mad and he starts like intentionally not calling stuff on our team because of it. And it's just

[00:17:40] David Syvertsen: a totally vendetta Yeah,

[00:17:41] Sam Rhee: huge mistake on, on my, my part. And at the end of the game blows the whistle game's over and I was like, nice game.

Ref you suck. Like I yelled at as loud as I possibly could, and he runs over on the field and he's like, who said that? Who said that? And, uh, and, uh,

[00:18:00] David Syvertsen: said, takes off his shirt, right? Me, bro?

[00:18:03] Sam Rhee: I said, I said, uh, I said, nothing unfortunately. I really should have stood up. But he was like, Fine. So he runs over to the coach and he red cards the coach.

And it's like, is that even possible after, after the game? Like what does that mean? I don't know. Okay. So he just does, and then Carl comes over and is like, whoever said that, uh, thank you. I just got red carded and I'm now thrown out for the next game. The next game. Thank you very much. Uh, you know, and he is really mad.

Yeah. And this was, uh, and Susan was even there. She was outta town. Yeah. She wasn't even there.

[00:18:31] David Syvertsen: So, no. So

[00:18:32] Sam Rhee: I, um, I obviously feel really badly. I, I, I grab SS and she's crying and I, and I, I, Dr. I come over to Carl and I'm like, it was me. You're going on the window. Yeah. Yeah. And I'm like, I'm really sorry. That was my fault.

It was me. Um, I'm the problem. And so he, uh, he was, he was okay with, he was okay with it. He was. And, um, And so we're driving home and Sasha's like calling Sue like, oh, dad,

[00:18:57] David Syvertsen: that got a red card,

[00:18:59] Sam Rhee: got Carl a red card. And at that point I did promise you, I said, you know what, I'm never going to do that. I won't.

And I got so much better. I wouldn't say perfect. No,

[00:19:09] Sasha Rhee: you got really good though. Yeah, you

[00:19:10] Sam Rhee: got better at that. And so, you know when you kind of get involved, overly involved and overly invested in your kids, and I think. That that's a problem. That's, that's so hard. And I, and I've learned, but the other thing is, and I will say this about CrossFit for me as a parent, is that when you see these parents out there yelling at their kids, like, can't you run any faster?

Like, why don't you go to that ball? Right. I'm like, first of all, let's see you go out there and run for 40 minutes. Yeah, yeah. You could probably run a hundred meters and then die. Yeah. I don't see you. I look at you. You don't look like you could do Jack. Right. So who are you to yell at your daughter? And the second thing is, is that this is really hard out there.

Mm-hmm. It's really hard. Mm-hmm. And so, unless it's pretty clear that they're not putting in an effort like. You can't say those things. Mm-hmm. And I know because I've been in those workouts where, and I've recorded myself, I look like I could go faster. I look like I could do more and I don't. And why don't I?

'cause there's a million different reasons I don't. Yeah. Right. So why am I gonna yell at somebody else when I am not even doing what I should be doing most days? Right. And so, um, I try to keep that perspective as a parent. I'm not perfect. Right. I'm certainly not perfect. Absolutely. And,

[00:20:25] David Syvertsen: um, I think the awareness of what you're talking about though is, is crucial.

Mm-hmm. Like humility is such a big part of parenting to me. And just knowing that you're not perfect and you can actually acknowledge it and say it, and that you can acknowledge mistakes is a big, big

[00:20:37] Sam Rhee: deal. I have seen parents just literally suck the joy out of their kids by like, after the game talking and talking to them like, wow, why didn't you do this?

And, you know, like just. Just hanging on their ear and, you know,

[00:20:50] David Syvertsen: this is a, a cool thing to talk about in relation to crosses because, you know, you would never act like that to Sasha at the gym like today. By the way, Sasha just did Nancy, uh, about a half hour ago, and she crushed it moved really well. She took a zone right by the garage door.

I mean, I might as well, I gave it, I might as well just put the barbell outside for you.

[00:21:07] Sam Rhee: That's, uh, five rounds. The, uh, 15 overhead squats, 400 meter run.

[00:21:11] David Syvertsen: Yeah. Yep. So, and, and she did very well and, You would never go up to her after that workout and say like, why did, why weren't your splits this? Why did you break up the barbell?

Because there's a connection between you two. You've been in those shoes before. You've done, you've done the workout, right? Mm-hmm. Um, you've done a lot of workouts like that where you can connect, you've been through it and where a soccer parent football, parent baseball, basketball, whatever, it's been 30 years since you guys were on that field.

Like there's, there's not a connection there. And it's really hard for a kid to. Not think that way. It's like you can't even run up and down the field, mom and dad, like, why are you telling me to run faster? So I think that's a really cool thing that CrossFit can bring to you guys. Mm-hmm. That again, there's a bond that is created for anyone that CrossFits together the community.

Part of what Sasha's essay was about three conversations between, uh, before picking up the barbell. Like I love that part of, of the essay. Um, And that's more like, you know, interpersonal friends. But I think there's an even deeper connection when you do it with someone in your family because you can really relate to each other.

Like no one would come up to you and say, I can't believe your splits were this Sasha. I can't believe you broke up the squads because you know, Sam or Susan, they do the same thing, you know? Um, so you are now out of CrossFit kids, you trained with Liz. At what stage for a couple years, at what stage did you start to realize like, wow, I am doing things pretty different than my peers and friends, like your friends were there for a little bit, but they were kind of touch and go inconsistent.

Where was that the stage where you're like, you know what? I'm kind of getting ahead of the curve here slash maybe I am just different in terms of how I'm viewing fitness. I'm not viewing it as a liability. I'm viewing it as an asset.

[00:22:50] Sasha Rhee: Well, I think there was one moment, and I know Liz remembers this, I, there was a workout with running in it at the old gym and you know how in the old, the old gym you run, you know, behind the gym?

Yeah. I ate pineapple before. Oh no. One of my sessions with Liz, like right before it's always the teens. Yes. And there's running, and I think I'm like, I think I'm a year into it. So my friends had just like stopped uh, doing private training and it's just me and Liz was like, okay, let's go. Like now you gotta go run.

So I'm going running. I do I think a 200, it's not even a four, it's 200. And I come back and I'm like, Liz, I'm gonna throw up. I was like, Liz, I don't feel good. And she put me. You know, the train track, she's like, that's what everyone throws up. She's like, just go there. And I think the moment for me was right after that when I'm like, I threw up like I am sitting on the side, like outside, like catching my breath and I'm like, oh my God.

I just threw up after a cross a workout and I still wanted to come back. Nice. That's awesome. And continued doing it. I think if I was any other kid, I think I would've been mortified. Like I don't ever wanna come back. But that actually made me like wanna come back. Mm-hmm. For some reason. And it motivated me.

And I think that was the moment where I was like, this is a little bit different. Like my, and you're different. Yeah. And I was like, I think I have a deeper connection, as you said to this mm-hmm. Sport than other kids my age. Even just weightlifting and you know, the type of workouts that we do at CrossFit.

Right. I was like, I think that I have a different connection with it than other kids. Yeah. We

[00:24:11] David Syvertsen: talked about this recently. It was either last week or two weeks ago. It might have been that programming one that CrossFitters. One of the traits that I feel like makes a successful CrossFitter is that you do like pain and not injury.

Pain, just discomfort. Because you know that on the other side of that discomfort, a, you're gonna be okay, and b, you know that you made yourself better. You know, you go out for a workout, throw up by the railroad tracks where the rest of the dead bodies are, and your, your thought wasn't. This is too hard.

But I'll tell you what, how many adults would come here, Sam, and throw up in a workout and either be too embarrassed or like this is. It's too much. I got too much going on in my life right now. I don't need to be trying so hard in a workout to throw up. I mean, yeah. I don't want you throwing up in workouts either that, you know, I think that is a sta uh, um, don't eat a

[00:24:57] Sasha Rhee: pineapple

[00:24:57] David Syvertsen: before you wake up.

Yeah, don't eat right before you out. But also just a sign like maybe you did push the boundary a little bit, but. I don't people ever want people to be afraid of, of pushing a boundary. And because I think that's really where, if you're always afraid of pushing the boundary, I feel like you just, you can very slowly start going backwards.

So that was a trait, Sasha, that kind of proved to yourself, and maybe even prove to us slash Liz, that you are in this, you, you are gonna get a lot outta this because you are not afraid of discomfort. If anything, you kind of welcomed it, right? Like you took a, a throw up session head on, ran into that storm and said, I'm coming back.

And I think that's something that, a trait that can be developed in CrossFit that can really help you outside of the gym as well. So you are now 13, 14 years old. This is the stage where you start to get into the adult classes. Mm-hmm. And we were a little careful with like what classes you came into.

Yeah. What movements you were doing. The loads we never really let you go. Even on heavy days like ev ever close to a max. What was that transition like? You know, this is like, kind of like the perfect progression. Kids private training, adult classes as a 14 year old. What were those early CLA classes

[00:26:04] Sasha Rhee: like?

So I was not allowed to go alone. Yeah. So either my mom or my dad would go with me and I would usually mess up their routine and make them go later. Sam, touch on that real quick

[00:26:14] David Syvertsen: in the evening with me. Uh, so you, you've always been a morning guy. Yeah. You've been like the o the OG six Amer. Yeah. Right.

Yeah. Uh, the mayor of, of the, of the morning classes when there were like three people, if, if that, yeah. That was the big class. Yeah. Did you No. Part of being a parent, humble humility and selflessness, you switched up your team multiple times to make sure that she can get her workout in. What was that like?

Uh,

[00:26:37] Sam Rhee: I would honestly say Susan was more accommodating than I was. Yeah. Uh, but we tried, and I think as a parent, you try to accommodate as, as best you can. Mm-hmm. I think no kid ever. We'll come to an early morning class. It's just the way they're built.

[00:26:56] Sasha Rhee: I will, I will next week for my last workout. Oh, that's good.

6:00 AM My dad's class is gonna be my last one here on Thursday. Yep. Very excited.

[00:27:02] David Syvertsen: So interesting. Wait, when

[00:27:04] Sasha Rhee: do you leave again? The 17th. Um. Oh, are you not coaching that day? No,

[00:27:09] David Syvertsen: no, no. He, no, he is the 17th. You leave. Oh, okay. No, no. 'cause I have something else planned for you that I haven't told about you yet.

So, but that, that's, that's prior to that. So don't worry. That's

[00:27:18] Sam Rhee: okay. Keep going. And, and I think the other thing is, is that it really depends on the kid. So, you know, if you are a high level, high school athlete and we have. A lot of families who have very high level, they're playing D one lacrosse, like swimming Owen, or swimming like Megan and or rowing like, um, Jordan.

Yeah. These are kids where CrossFit is gonna be on the periphery if that, like they, you know, and, and they're really deep into their sport. And if, if you really love a sport, You can do that. You are a good soccer player, but I wasn't going D one, you're going D one. You're not a D one soccer player. Mm-hmm.

Uh, and so the ability to sort of move into CrossFit classes and not have it interfere with some major aspect of your life mm-hmm. Is. Is helpful. And I think for most kids, if you're not going to be a high level athlete, then, and I, we see a lot of kids who do some sports, like Steve Rice kids, he, he plays football, but he comes in, um, when he can in the off season, stuff like that.

It, it's super helpful. Like you didn't come while you were like, in the middle of your season, right? Yeah, yeah.

[00:28:25] David Syvertsen: Touching a little

[00:28:25] Sam Rhee: bit. Yeah. It'd be on the shoulders or, you know, off season usually. Yeah.

[00:28:29] Sasha Rhee: And it was nice having. My mom there. 'cause again, like she would come with me a little bit. Yes. More, right?

'cause she would work from home. And so that was. Really helpful. 'cause I don't think I had the social aspect. Yeah. Completely down yet as a 13, 14 year old like, like I said, my essay, like I was ready to just go in and do a workout and leave and I would be like, mom, why are you talking to so many

[00:28:49] Sam Rhee: people?

And we see that a lot. I would say. I mean, actually Jamie's one of the few kids who comes in early in the morning. Good for him. Yeah. Good for Jamie with Jamie's awesome. Yeah. With Mandy or Hoig and or the Harrington's, like there is something special when your kid is a preteen or in that age and you bring them into class.

Mm-hmm. Like, Uh, yeah, I, I remember those classes. Well, those were, were nice. We did a couple Saturdays to Yes, we did Saturdays together, and that was one of my first few early Instagram posts. We were doing these, uh, Backrack lunges. Yeah, Backrack lunges. And you were moving very well. And I was like, Sasha crushes lunges.

Yeah. I, I, and so as a parent, you're right, those can be very special right when you start, uh, working out with your kid who's pre-adolescent or early adolescence and really start moving well, yeah.

[00:29:33] David Syvertsen: Did this add. Something to your personal quest for fitness and health, because did this make you. Hey, my daughter's watching me now.

We're now in the same, do I need to move a certain way, scale workouts, don't be an idiot in the middle of a workout. Um, listen to my body when I'm banged up. Did this add like another, another level of responsibility to you as a CrossFit athlete, not necessarily a parent?

[00:29:58] Sam Rhee: Uh, yeah. I think you wanna move well, If you don't look like you're moving well yeah, that would be awful.

Right. Um, in front of her especially. Yeah. And uh, I mean, I think it's different for your parent. It's depends on your parent kid relationship. Like I see Talton with his kids mm-hmm. And his kids are always chasing him, like Yeah. Big time with the numbers and the weights. So it can be fun. Um, I am more of a, yeah.

Like if she's with me, I wanna do everything by the book. Yeah. I want us to be. Great athletes. Be respectful of the coach. I want us to like warm up. Well, yeah. All those things, like, to me that, that is the most important thing when I'm with my kids in class, like be the model, um, person in that class.

[00:30:41] David Syvertsen: Now, we always say it's hard to coach a spouse, right.

A lot of our coaches have always said that it's hard. It, it can be hard to coach a spouse. Did you, when Sasha started to get, becoming like a real, like full-time member, Did you guys have a lot of interactions at home about how do I do this? What's this movement? What way should I do? Or did you really, Sasha, leave that up to the co?

Like, did you wanna hear it from your parents? That's what I, something I'm like really unsure about with Brock. Like, I'm a coach here and I plan on being a coach here when he starts doing CrossFit, should I be the one that's really guiding him, or I wanna let him get those opinions from other coaches that we also

[00:31:17] Sasha Rhee: trust?

Yeah, I think with my parents, like we said with the sports it's different 'cause your parents haven't done it in a really long time. If they ever played the sport. Yeah. Like my dad, like neither of my parents played soccer or lacrosse when they were younger. Right. So I think for that I really didn't like hearing it, but it was a different change.

When I got into CrossFit, I actually found myself like asking them or reaching out. Okay. For coaching. A lot of the time. Like even coached me this morning with the, with Nancy, I asked, I saw that, yeah. He was coaching me on like what weight to do and my form and making sure it was okay. Awesome. And I think.

Because they have been CrossFitting a lot longer than I have, and I have seen the progress that they have made throughout the years. I kind of yearn for that. Mm-hmm. Advice because I know what they're talking about. You know, I've seen my dad go through like both his certifications. Mm-hmm. And I have seen him coach and things like that.

And so for that I really trust their opinions and it's, I think, easier to ask them for help than other coaches at the gym just because they are. My parents. I really, I really did appreciate having them there for especially the early years because like I knew that they knew what they were talking about.

Absolutely.

[00:32:24] David Syvertsen: Yeah.

[00:32:26] Sam Rhee: I mean, again, it depends on the kid. Like it's the coachability, right. And, you know, there's so, so many ranges in terms of coachability for kids. Yeah. Uh, and obviously Sasha takes instruction really well. Uh, I mean, when I'm like, you need to move forward as a center mid to get into position better, she's not gonna listen to me there.

Right. You're, and she's right. Uh, but certainly. During cross, and again, it helped that we have a garage gym. And, and having those things at home does make a difference. Like she does workouts at home. She, uh, works out with Susan, like they'll do stuff all the time. And, and including Nick. Um, I think the fact that she just moved, well, based on her early training made such a difference.

Mm-hmm. The fundamentals cannot be, Un uh, overstated. I just saw you at the Bison bowl this past year, and I, and I did record you, uh, your kleger? My split, yeah. My split chair. And I was like, she's so fast under the bar. Mm-hmm. I mean, I don't care about the weight. Right. Like, I don't care. Yeah. But the fact that you move so quickly under the bar, I was like, That's Liz.

That's, yeah,

[00:33:37] David Syvertsen: that is Liz.

[00:33:38] Sam Rhee: That's Liz in a heartbeat right there. Mm-hmm. And the fact that you picked that up early, it's like languages, like you can get some of these techniques early into these kids. Yep. Like it's, it's there for, for life mechanics first. Yep. And so, you know, especially, I mean, and we've talked about the coachability of men versus women.

Yeah. Boys, girls, like, It's not the same like it is, it's, yeah, it's different. It is very different. And so if you can get the boys to get the technique down and have them understand that, I mean, then the sky's the limit. Mm-hmm. But dude, we can't even get our adult men

[00:34:18] David Syvertsen: to, to lift without ego in mind. Right.

Yeah. Technique first. Yeah. I mean, we just did

[00:34:23] 2023_0806_0908: a

[00:34:23] Sam Rhee: snatch cycle and how many. Press out, like Yeah, like pressing outs did I see? Right. And but,

[00:34:30] David Syvertsen: and then adding weight to the next bar, and they kept

[00:34:32] Sam Rhee: going. Yeah. Right. And I'm just like, dude, you need to drop like 80 pounds and, and work on getting under the bar and locking out.

That's, I mean,

[00:34:39] David Syvertsen: it's really hard teaching kids versus adults. I mean, just the. And the ability to take information in and apply it, it's really hard to do it at, with older, older men. Yeah.

[00:34:49] Sam Rhee: And and the kinesthetic awareness and the body awareness. Yeah. Like, so that's why I would say as a parent, if you can get it into your kids early, like it's like skiing or golf or, right, yeah.

Or throwing a baseball like. It's, it's so valuable to have that information and that learning, uh, I mean, honestly before you're

[00:35:12] David Syvertsen: 18, before the performance component, but also the health component, like the safety component. Absolutely, yes. Like I, it's, you know, every, every, like a lot of, especially like keep the discussion on boys and teenagers, right?

Like they develop at different stages. Like some are really early, like 12, 13, 14, others not till 16, 17, 18, some even older. And no matter what, and you can't really control that. Like there's a lot of factors that go into it. But what you can control is, is teaching 'em how to do it well with the P V C pipe, empty barbell, and that can keep them safe.

So you hate to hear someone that. You know, they're 21 year old and they have, you know, three bulging discs in their basket, in their back, you know, and, and because they don't lift correctly or they don't even run correctly, there's a lot to it that, that goes

[00:35:49] Sam Rhee: into it. I mean, and it is individual to the kid, like training Sasha versus training Nick are totally my younger son.

Totally different kid. Yeah, completely. So, you know, Some of it is really intrinsic to the kid. If you're a parent, you know, no matter what you do, your kid is an individual, you're like, how did your kid become so great or not so great? It's like you can't really take credit right for so much of it because the kid is.

Their own person. Absolutely. And a kid can make you look like a superstar as a parent, or they could make you look like the worst parent in the

[00:36:23] Sasha Rhee: world. I've seen, yeah. So many Facebook comments. I wanna purchase the re-parenting book. Yeah. Let me know. Like, and it's

[00:36:29] Sam Rhee: like, dude, that's not us. Okay. Like, so, um, You know, I think it's you, it's a challenge as a parent to try to figure out how to approach if your kid is on the spectrum, a more difficult to be coachable or you know, to either not suck the life out of doing it or to, you know, and I think one of the things we did do is not push too hard.

Yeah. And not make it all about us. Mm-hmm. Or you know, and that's why I think having personal training was such a key difference. Mm-hmm. Also, 'cause Nick didn't have as much, so you can sort of see that, right? Yeah. Um, he's getting there, but it's just, it's different. It is different. And I think, um, uh, and then just sort of integrating it, With, you know, when we did it with you, it wasn't ever like, you're coming with us and you have to do this.

It was always you walking,

[00:37:19] David Syvertsen: kicking and screaming. Yeah. I'm like, don't take that out. I don't wanna do Fran. Right. No. So don't make me do

[00:37:25] Sam Rhee: it. Right. Like, I, you told me today you wanted to come in and do and do it. And I was like, that's awesome. But, um, but you didn't push me into No, I didn't. Yeah. And I didn't say like, okay, I'm gonna do it with you or any of that.

Like you Yeah. Like, I think. A certain amount of independence and finding that looseness is, it's hard, but it's, it's helpful. Yeah. You always wanna

[00:37:45] David Syvertsen: massage that and just kind of always be aware that, just always, it's a balance of dependence versus independence, right? Yeah. Especially with kids as they grow up.

Sasha, what are a couple of things that you're gonna take from CrossFit into your future? You know, you're, you know, you have a huge, huge jump coming up in a couple weeks, you know, different life coming up. What are some things that you learned from CrossFit, whether it's your training, the community, um, that you're gonna take to college with you?

[00:38:09] Sasha Rhee: Well, one is that, like I said, like conversations and talking to people older than you is just. One of the best parts of life that I don't think I would've ever realized if it wasn't for CrossFit. Ivan was listening to the podcast 'cause I was doing my prep, um, with the episode, um, with Adam Hawkinson and I worked out with Hawk a few times.

Mm-hmm. He's a great athlete. Mm-hmm. It's amazing to watch him lift and the warmup that he does mm-hmm. Before the workouts even. Mm-hmm. Very dedicated, but it's like those types of stories with his military background, things like that, that I have been able to, you know, Learn. I've been able to learn those backgrounds and about from people's lives, like what they've learned even just before working out or after.

And you know, that was a skill that I had to learn. Like if you reach out, you'll learn a lot. And being able to talk to. Adult is a really important skill that the gym really like instilled in me and taught me. And now I love it. Like I like reach out. I'm like, Hey Kelly, how you know? And I'm, how's your work?

Yeah, yeah. And it's just like, how's your kids? Like how are they doing? And it's just, that's something that I don't think I ever would've been comfortable with. That's a good point. If it wasn't for the gym. And then I think the second biggest lesson, It's, I talk about a little, my essay, like the progress.

Yeah. And knowing like staying in your lane, like not comparing yourself to others, whether it's body image or fitness or just kind of anything in your life. Like everyone is at a different place. And I think the gym is the most perfect example of it. You know, you watch like no one's doing the same workout really.

Right. And like you That's very true. Yeah. And it's super.

[00:39:43] David Syvertsen: And everyone has like a different mindset and goal Yes. For that workout too. Like some people are like, no, I'm gonna get my best possible score. Or some people are like, I just don't wanna get hurt, you know? But they're all in there together doing the same thing.

Yes. This college application process is pretty ruthless. It's every now and I talk to you about it. I talk to Susan about

[00:39:59] Sam Rhee: it a few times. I feel for any parent who has to go through that. With your

[00:40:02] David Syvertsen: kid, it's, and it's unbelievably competitive. Yeah. And you did everything you could to do like, and you know you really wanted to go to Duke, but you didn't know if you, like you did everything you could, but there's only so many spots.

Yes. And there's so many impressive kids around the world that want to go there. Did that factor in at all, this whole stay your lane, do everything, stay under control with everything that you can control and let the chips fall. Did that help with this application process at all? Yes,

[00:40:29] Sasha Rhee: I think it did. A lot just because since I had like seen it at the gym, I was like, you know what, like.

Well, like I did everything I could. Like I also don't know the full story behind, you know, for example, my peers at my school that might be applying to the same school. Right? I realized like I don't know the full story. I don't know where they are in their life. I don't know what their application looked like, and that's okay.

And there's no point in worrying about it when I could just focus on myself and making my applica like application as perfect as I want it to be. So I think that. Like I say, like the self focus into self-improvement was really helpful. And I like looking back, I'm like, that was a really big part of why I was able to stay so mentally healthy throughout the process.

I know a lot of my friends, you know, had a really hard time. They kept talking about other people and other people and even I even, I wasn't perfect. I did it a couple times too. Mm-hmm. But that's what

[00:41:19] David Syvertsen: we as, I mean, on a lesser scale, much lesser scale. CrossFitters do the same thing. Yes, absolutely. You

[00:41:24] Sam Rhee: know, all the time.

[00:41:25] Sasha Rhee: Yep. Yeah. And so I think. Like I came outta the process, not just happy 'cause I'm gonna Duke, but just happy with like the fact that I was able to, you know, learn also a lot about myself throughout it and you know, push myself to really focus inward instead of outward. Mm-hmm. And the gym, just having that was.

Like really great prep almost for the process. And then also being able to work out. And that's a really great stress reliever as well. It's, it is. Um, so that was another like, really helpful physical aspect from the

[00:41:54] David Syvertsen: gym. That's awesome. That was a great answer. Now both you, Sam, two, one question, two questions for both of you.

Sam will go first. Sasha, Sasha will let you think about a little bit more. Is there anything that you would've done differently? You know, this is a, a 10 year process now, so was there anything in there that, and again, you could view this as. You know, if I ever do this again, people listening, some advice you can give them, anything you would've done differently.

And then also, is there one thing that we haven't talked about that you just want others to hear about this whole process from Sasha doing cross the kids at age eight to here? She is going to Duke, uh, duke University in a couple weeks and a awesome CrossFitter that I hope really keeps it up when she gets down there.

Uh,

[00:42:37] Sam Rhee: uh, I am in the process with our second kid now too. Yep. And so I think the first thing I realize is that, again, it is so different, uh, depending on the individual kid. Okay. So there's no template. There's no, absolutely not. Yeah. And, um, I mean, Sasha took everything that we did and offered to her and ran with it.

And I think watching her. In CrossFit, it played to skills that I think a lot of kids should learn or know. And the first one is, um, is speaking with adults. Yeah. Like Sasha's naturally very good at engaging adults and I've had several adults at the gym come up to me and say, I just talked to Sasha and she's such a great person to talk to that, like one of the most mature kids I've ever talked to.

And that's just 'cause she, she had, she's always sort of had that skill. Mm-hmm. Um, And, uh, if your kid does not have that, it, trying to instill that or, or emphasize that, and I don't even know how to do that. Mm-hmm. But there's no doubt having that soft skill of being able to, to relate to adults early, you know, and talking to them and, and like you said, like.

Just engaging them. Mm-hmm. Boy, that's gonna get you really far. That's a big life skill. I'm just like, I see you like doing that, Sasha. And I'm like, holy cow. I wish I did. I, I couldn't talk to an adult until I was Yeah. An adult. Yeah. But being a young adult and being able to do that, I mean, I know anyone in business will set, will tell you those soft skills in terms of engaging people, so valuable.

Right. And a CrossFit gym is actually, if you're a young adult, um, or an adolescent, Probably one of the easiest, best ways of doing it. You guys are, it's just like anyone else. You're on the floor, you're, you're dying. Everyone is just post wa and just like talking about the workout. You have something in common to talk about.

Yep. There's so much you can connect with. Huge connecting. Yeah. And so. If you're a, if you want to sort of figure some of that out, like it may, maybe you're naturally not socially outgoing, that's probably a really good way to start actually connecting with people is, is in a, in a more friendly environment like that.

Mm-hmm. I love that. The, the second thing is, is that I think some of it is that you start, really started to lean into it when you st as an adolescent. When you started seeing how it made you look better. Yeah. So a like, we know it, but not everyone knows it. CrossFit works. Like if you do CrossFit yeah, you're going to be healthier.

And if you're an especially an adolescent and you do it well, you're going to look better, you're going to be more fit. You're, you're going to shape your body not bulky or, or like ginormous or whatever. You're going to be the best version of that body that you can be. And I remember 'cause you weren't really loving, I mean, listen, kids, especially girls, let's face it, the self-esteem and the way you look is a big deal.

Huge. Mm-hmm. Huge. Like. I have seen you on vacation. Take 50 selfies. Yeah. And choose one. Forge none.

[00:45:37] Sasha Rhee: Or make my mom take like a hundred. 'cause like they

[00:45:39] Sam Rhee: all look horrible. I'm like, what? They all look fine to me. Yeah. What's the pro, I don't understand. Like, like the, the demands that. Our A, our gener like this generation puts on themselves in terms of appearance, social media.

That's tough, right? Yep.

[00:45:52] David Syvertsen: Next episode, yeah, yeah. Is just,

[00:45:54] Sam Rhee: is huge. And so I think if you can get the kid to see, Hey, listen, if I do these things, I will look better. I will. Um, start to shape my body now. Um, that's very powerful. I think I, and, and I think that's one of the biggest motivators for Nick, actually.

Yes. Is that as he's starting to work out, uh, well, not just like horrible deadlifts at Fitness 19 or like overdoing like bad back squats or something like, but really mixing it up in a, in a, in a really functionally fit way. He's starting to see. Huge changes. That's awesome. And that, that drives it. So if you can get your kid to buy in on that level mm-hmm.

Forget about Oh, you know, working out with your parents Yeah. Or spending time with them. Right. Or, or the things that they may or may not like doing. Yeah. But if they can actually, if you can get them to see those changes, like, you know, they're, they'll be. Highly, highly motivated.

[00:46:47] David Syvertsen: Yeah. I think that's a huge part of working out, especially starting off, whether you're a kid or adult.

If you start to see changes in your body and you know that it's only gonna get better, how many

[00:46:55] Sam Rhee: it gets addicting. There are at least 10 people I can think of off the top of my head who started in the past like two years, who look

[00:47:02] David Syvertsen: completely different. Oh my God. They like, they're probably the best they've ever looked.

Like better than when they were in college. Yeah. And post-college,

[00:47:09] Sam Rhee: you know, and I'm afraid to name names because I know I'm gonna miss a bunch of people. Yeah, yeah. But I can tell you right off the top of head, I'm just like, dude, you look different. She like, yeah, you guys look outstanding. Outstanding.

Like, yeah. And they know it. Yeah. And so I just really find that that's very applicable. Adults, kids like CrossFit works and if you can get them to do it and they really, um, are like, they buy into it. It, it. It just reinforces it. Love that.

[00:47:37] David Syvertsen: Ss, anything you would've done differently over the past 10 years?

And the answer? If the answer's no, then that's fine 'cause I think it's worked out very well for you. And then also just a couple pieces of advice or a piece of advice for anyone that's in your shoes, uh, teenager or pre-teen that's wants to really kind of get the most outta this over the next five to

[00:47:52] Sam Rhee: 10 years.

Uh,

[00:47:54] Sasha Rhee: 10 years long time. It's, um, I think something I would've done differently is, actually I wish I bought into it a little bit earlier, going off on my dad said there was a period in my life. With my relationship with CrossFit, I think I was 14 or 15 maybe, maybe I think 15, 16 when I was going into the adult classes alone.

I like lost a lot of motivation. Mm-hmm. And I, you know, my mom and I would fight about it. And was that right around Covid time or It was a little bit, was it? I think it might've been right before. Okay. And, I was really sensitive to what she would say. Mm-hmm. And I still am a sensitive person, but I was too sensitive at the time.

And she'd be like, Hey, like she was suggest like, oh, like you wanna come to me? I'm like, are you calling me fat? Like, are you kidding me? Right. And then like, and I would just be super sensitive to it because I was also really insecure. I It was in your head already? Yes, and it was already in my head. And you know, that actually made me like avoid the gym for a little bit.

And I didn't go as much as I do now. Especially like that summer, I think, of 2019 just because. I didn't buy into it. I, I kept thinking like, oh, like am I doing this for me? Am I doing for my parents? And I was really insecure at the time. Mm-hmm. And looking now, like this summer, I've been going a lot more than I did last summer.

And then, like, I, I've been going more and more each summer as I got older. Yeah. Just because I kept buying into it. And I would say, like right now I'm in the best shape that I've been in the past five years. And I love it. Like I'm. Eating like more healthy, like I'm snacking less just because I am now buying.

I'm seeing like the results and I'm really happy with where I'm going. It's a lifestyle. It really, it truly is. Yeah. And I just wish that I had bought into it earlier 'cause that was a really like hard part of my life mentally with the insecurities. Mm-hmm. And for my mom and I too, like she could tell that I was kind of losing like where I was with the gym and I was, I think.

Something that I probably would've changed. Okay.

[00:49:48] David Syvertsen: I like, yeah, that's, those are, thanks for sharing that and being vulnerable and opening up like that. And I'll tell you what, we have 30, 40, 50, 60 year olds that said we wish we started this a little earlier too. Yeah. So you're, you're like big picture, you're starting it plenty early enough.

You're buying into it plenty early enough. Yes. And your best results, you know, your best days are, are yet to come. They're, they're still in your future. So, yeah. Um. And just what's, what, A couple piece, one piece of advice you would have to someone that's kind of in your shoes or about to be in your

[00:50:15] Sasha Rhee: shoes.

Um, I would say don't get caught up in the, what everyone else is doing around you. I think that's a lesson I've, I learned very quickly, which I loved just because again, like Liz, shout to Liz, my, one of my most favorite people ever, I owe her. So like she's just the best. And because, because it was just me and her to start off.

She really instilled like, you know, you guys talked about program like the RX scaled. She really instilled in me that. Like it's okay to do scale because it's based on where you are in your own fitness journey. So I know a lot of adults when they join, they see the RX and they like, if they don't do the rx, they get really, really upset.

Mm-hmm. That's something that I never actually had to go through, just because being younger than everyone else. I didn't use it as an excuse, but I kind of saw like, hey, like I'm in a, like, it's, it's very obvious. I'm in a, I'm in a very different place in my life than everyone that I'm working next, working out next to.

So for everyone, like that's my age that's doing it. It's like you don't have to, like, don't get caught up in, you know, the numbers you're doing, your times or things like that. Like as long as you go in and do what's good for you and you work out at a weight, for example, that you know will push you and you feel like good after the workout, then that's the most.

Important thing. Like I love, like I love scaling workouts. You know, I love being able to choose a weight that I know will push me, um, that might not be written on the whiteboard. And that's just something that I'm really grateful that was instilled in me so early by Liz, because it's just made. My workout's a better experience for me.

Mm-hmm. And safer.

[00:51:46] David Syvertsen: Yeah. All right. Well that was awesome, sash. I, I truly am upset that you're gonna be leaving here in a couple weeks, but I am truly happy for you that you get to go to your dream school. Thank you. And whatever you plan on doing there, I know you're gonna accomplish. And it's just, it's just who you are and it's in your blood.

Um, more, more Susan's blood, but the, but Sam, that's, that's, I know that was also, thank you for, You know, letting me talk, ask you questions about the experience. And again, I know the whole, it could have been a little awkward, but I think you guys both did really well and just gave a lot of good insight to everyone that's listening.

And I hope that you guys got a lot outta that. And if you see Sasha over the next week or two, just give her an extra fist pound. What's your luck? Um, she's definitely not gonna need it. And Sasha, we better see you here when you're home for whatever holidays that are coming up. Of course. So, Let us know where you're gonna be.

CrossFitting down there. If you're gonna be CrossFitting, are you gonna be CrossFitting

[00:52:37] Sasha Rhee: down there? Um, it's really hard to get off campus. I don't even know if there's a box at Durham. You wouldn't know. That was like 40 years ago.

[00:52:43] David Syvertsen: CrossFit, CrossFit

[00:52:44] Sasha Rhee: re let's do it. Yeah. But I will be doing like, I think I'm gonna be doing a lot of the programming on my own.

'cause there is a gym. Yeah. Where I'm living, so That's awesome. I'll be following along on the Facebook. I downloaded Facebook just for B years ago, so. I'll be, I'll be keeping up with it and do the open in my own way

[00:53:00] David Syvertsen: in February. Awesome. Yeah. Good. We'll let you be on the open roster. Thank you. All right.

Thank you guys. We'll see you next week.