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Amanda Allen (AA): Wow. It’s quite ridiculous as I sit back and reflect on the massive journey I've had in the past 12 months.
AA: Such a difficult question to answer. I think the final event, the blood, the trauma, the unknown, the struggle to find a way to do another Bar Muscle Up with butchered hands - I managed to finish and hold on to first place by just 2 points, after going into the final day with 100 points between me and second place...that final event symbolized the journey of my last year...nail biting, brutal, traumatic, uncertain and miraculous. In that event I completely surrendered the outcome. And that has been my approach all year! Turn up, do work, surrender…
AA:
AA: OMG Wow. What a question. Just thinking about answering it is overwhelming, how I manage to live it on a daily basis is a bit mind boggling!
Firstly I don’t do any of it alone. That being said it’s taken a long time and a lot of trial and error to find the right people to make up my precious and trusted support team!
I’m not an expert anything, but I am willing to try and learn and fail and grow - and that seems to keep me moving forward.
My life is my work. I love it, so every moment of everyday at some level, is working. I’m able to do the majority of my work on my iPhone, so that means between sets whilst training, at the puppy park, waiting in line at the shops, phone calls and Skype meetings with international clients - these are all useful opportunities for me to get work done. And somehow it all gets done.
AA: I have my priorities and values in order. And I live by them. First and foremost is my health and well-being. After dealing with alcoholism, suicidal depression, and my major health scare and surgery to remove 4kgs of tumours this last year I find it very easy to stay 100% committed to my priorities- I never want to go back to my past life and struggles. And when I focus on my health and well-being I end up being a world champion! Balancing it all is a major priority, and although my version of balance wouldn’t suit most people, it damn well works for me... on top of that I am a work in progress, always tweaking and improving the things in my life!
AA: This year was a very different story. Coming out of a cancer scare, multiple trips to emergency, major surgery, being cut open the length of my torso and 4kgs of tumours removed… I never expected to compete, or even participate for 6 months...so this year has been a miracle in action! An opportunity fir me to apply everything I’ve ever learned - it’s when the shit hits the fan that you find out what you’re truly made of. And I found out… I am solid and my mental, emotional, physical and spiritual fortitude and resilience runs deep. Winning showed others that anything is possible despite all evidence to the contrary.
AA: Integrity. Authenticity. Discipline. Professionalism. Genuine Goodness. A product of true value. You can’t hide these qualities and you can’t fabricate them, they are evident in your every offering and interaction.
AA: WODHOPPER have been so supportive of me in this journey to the 2018 CrossFit Games. I literally don’t think I could have made it without their support. I have loved every interaction I have had with WODHOPPER since taking over CrossFit Byron Bay 2 years ago. They make me feel like I am their most important client, in fact the service and support and friendliness makes me feel like I am their only client! It has never mattered what my request, nothing has been too much. They have made everything easy and simple. I’m not brilliant with technology, and it hasn’t mattered, WODHOPPER have made my life as a gym owner so easy!
AA: This sport is going crazy, we’ve seen extraordinary improvements in and increasing demands on athletic performance, we’ve seen the numbers of participants increasing exponentially every month, boxes are popping up in every corner of the globe...it’s a constantly and rapidly evolving landscape... you cannot ever rest, constant improvement and trying to stay ahead of the curve is paramount... this is true for being an athlete and running a business! I love that about CrossFit. I just keep trying, keep being inspired, keep trying new things, keep forging new frontiers as a way of life and business!
AA: It’s such a huge task. There’s more to the challenge than you can possibly imagine. You cannot do everything yourself. You must have a tight, trustworthy reliable team around you. You must have systems in place to make the day to day running of the business simple and easy. Managing members is like herding cats... anything that can help you navigate that task is your best friend!
AA: I’ll have 4 weeks off of training, everyone needs a mental, physical, emotional break. When I go back I must go back hungry. When I go back, I go with the intention of qualifying for my 6th Pacific Regionals (at almost 49 years young) and hitting PRs in my Olympic Lifts and Gymnastics movements... apart from that I am writhing 2 new books, embarking on my ‘Alchemy of Performance’ seminar tour, and spending as much time as possible with my puppies and laughing through life!
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