Have YOU still found yourself wanting to get in better shape and try CrossFit, but not doing so for one reason or another? Have you waited for some kind of inspiration to find you first? Well, WAIT NO LONGER! Perhaps, our October member of the month, Marissa Treece, can inspire all of us to personally succeed even when life tends to get in the way.
From Michigan farm girl to Division 1 athlete for the University of Notre Dame, we learn something from tree forts to teletransit, and almost everything else in-between.
Member of the Month: Marissa Treece
Can you tell us a bit about your childhood, and where you grew up?
I grew up on a farm in Northern Michigan and was always outside, doing “kid” stuff, which was probably the start to my interest in physical activity. That, and my older brother always set me up to lose when I played video games with him; so, I guess I can thank him for my interest in EVERYthing else. Growing up, my parents always kept me playing some sort of sport…starting with soccer at age 5. Outside of athletics, I grew up riding horses, building tree forts, and raising cattle and pigs for 4-H.
Was there a particular life experience that you found, would set you forth on the demanding path of fitness that you pursue today?
I’m an incredibly competitive person, so I think athletics was just a natural path for me. Even when I was just a kid, I can remember a ridiculous drive to win a race on the playground, jump farther off the swing set, clean my room faster than my brother (yes…..you can see where my parents used this to their advantage as well!) When I was in 5th grade, I convinced my parents to let me play Pop-Warner football with all the boys; making a boy cry was what I considered a successful day at practice.
My path from playing sports to actually competing came during my freshman year in high school. My high school was very small and didn’t have a soccer team (which is what I was originally naively convinced I was going to go pro in), so I joined the track team. With relatively minimal training, I won the State Championships in the 1600m and 3200m. At this point, I thought I might actually have a shot at being a real athlete, if I dedicated myself to sports. The real focus on my track and field endeavors came during my junior year, when I lost my first two state championships to the same girl by less than a second combined. At this point, I decided I needed to focus on my training, if I wanted to pursue a collegiate or professional career. This is where things really clicked for me. Again,…losing isn’t really my thing.
While studying at the University of Notre Dame and competing in Cross Country running, you have accrued many noteworthy achievements and awards. Is there a favorite amongst them, and why?
In 2008, I competed in the Cross Country Junior Nationals and placed 4th, earning a spot to represent the United States at the World Junior Cross Country Championships in Edinburgh, Scotland. This is one of my favorite achievements because: (1) it was an experience that was unprecedented by anyone that I knew on my team; 2) it was my first opportunity to race abroad; and,(3) while I didn’t perform well at Worlds, I was able to perform when I needed to in order to qualify for a, what I would later realize, once in a lifetime experience.
Despite your other pursuits, you maintain a professional career as a Director of Design at Digital Firefly Marketing. Do you find that your commitment to such intense athletic endeavors make your professional life easier or more difficult?
Fortunately, I have an amazing boss who understands athletic drive and dedication. He was a world champion rower and Olympic hopeful in the 90s! Obviously, I would love to dedicate more of my day to moving from a CrossFit hopeful to a (semi) professional CrossFit athlete, but I consider myself fortunate for having such a flexible schedule. I do think having a professional career helps me maintain a good life-balance, and honestly, I really love what I do. It also helps me to not take my training for granted and allows me to continuously look forward to the gym.
What is an example of a workout routine you feel would challenge you most? Why?
In terms of a CrossFit workout… you’ll always hear people talking about “working your weakness” and the more serious I dive into it as a sport, the more weaknesses I find. I would say my biggest weaknesses are anything overhead and my gymnastic abilities. I was involved in gymnastics as a kid, but I think I’ve lost EVERY ounce of that training 😉
Many people speak of you as an instructor at Crossfit Pipeworks, and how you inspire them to be better at their sports. Do you have any motivational advice for them?
Honestly, I’m humbled to hear people are inspired by my involvement at Crossfit Pipeworks. I LOVE helping people, especially women, reach their potential. I think much confidence can be cultivated from a consistent positive workout routine. When people see gains in their fitness or perform at a level that surpasses their own expectations, that confidence affects not only their workouts but so many other areas of their lives.
To actually answer the question: I’ve done just about every fitness routine there is…from running, cycling, yoga, (a bit of zumba) CrossFit etc. My advice is to find something that works for you and matches up with your fitness goals. If you think running sucks, DON’T BE A RUNNER! Once you’ve found what you like, it is significantly easier to dedicate yourself.
The second thing is, find a reason to do it. This is different for everyone, for instance, I CrossFit because I want to do well at competitions. Some people do it because they’ve developed a good group of friends who also do it. The good thing about our Box is that we have a very energetic group of coaches and members, so if you immerse yourself in our culture, it’s hard to stay away.
Although you have only done Crossfit for a nominal amount of time, you recently placed first in the Bat Cave games at Crossfit Natomas. From the sound of it, you crushed lots of other tough competitors. Can you tell us more about this proud win?
I had an amazing time at the Bat Cave Games and had a HUGE group of CFPW supporters who came to watch. It was the first time I had competed in the sport, and the first time since college that I had done any sort of competition at all.
I think it was a great way to get back into “the game”; my competitiveness just sort of takes over when I compete. I think there is a level of pain ignorance that occurs and I can just shut that part of my brain off when I compete. But the competition was great! It was a great opportunity to represent Pipeworks and our coaching/programming abilities, and I look forward to MANY more comps in the future–namely, the CF Roseville Women’s Gauntlett on Nov. 1, with my teammate Abbie Crews.
As our facility at Sacramento Pipeworks grows in the next couple of months, what can we expect to see happen to the Crossfit space? Will there be any differences in the program once the box gets larger?
Well, I’d expect to see a huge space and expect some growing pains. I think it will take a few months to settle in, but a lot of positive growth in the long run. I doubt we’ll see a direct change in the programming, but we will have some additional space to use some of equipment we aren’t optimized for right now. What I hope to see is more inspiration! With one of the largest facilities in the area, I hope people continue to explore the possibilities CrossFit Pipeworks can provide for them.
When you are not busy with your professional life and athletic career, how do you utilize your free time? Do you have any other hobbies that you enjoy?
I dabble in a bunch of things. I had mentioned “life-balance” earlier, and over the years, I’ve found it to be essential in my life, so I try to make sure I stay involved in other activities.
First of all, I have a dog who LOVES to fetch and swim, so we kinda like to spend a lot of time at the river in the summer. Collan and I have recently re-discovered mountain biking, which serves as the perfect amount of adrenaline and “active recovery.” I’ve been known to slackline a bit, although I’m still pretty bad at it. I really enjoy cooking (and eating), and lately have been really into this traveling thing.
If you could possess one superpower that is not considered to be of natural means, what would it be, and how would you use it?
Teletransit…for three reasons.
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Cars are eliminated. Zero Carbon Emissions (plus I have serious motion sickness issues).
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I’m forgetful. Like when I forget my keys at the gym and have already ridden my bike ALL THE WAY HOME. I never have to double check for anything.
- When you get home at 8:30 and you’re starving but don’t want to cook. And the good Taqueria is on the other side of town. Problem solved.
