CrossFit Athletic Group

A quick Site Search for "beast mode shakes" returns 99 results, which is probably a third of what she deserves on up to this point in her 9-year CrossFit career.

I touched on it when writing Elizabeth Banet's AOTS Feature, but I often find myself getting to the point with some of our people where things go so well for so long that it takes so much more for them to stand out. When I talk about who's the fittest girl in the gym, Shakes's name often gets left out because she uses guys' weights.

Then this winter she experienced her first legit setback in the form of a knee-shattering ski accident, and in the matter of two days a 300-lb. deadlift turned into a hip extension hold, and Filthy Fifty turned into a random assortment of modifications and Go Occupy Yourself With These Sit-ups While The Rest Of Us Do The Real Thing. For some athletes, working around an injury is routine and seen as an opportunity to improve something else. But Shakes has, from my recollection, never had anything more than softball bruises; I was curious to see how she would follow up.

If there was any kind of frustration, doubt, quitting, or compaining, I never saw it. Not once. Every modification, every scale down, every substititon, every odd-man out was met with the same Katie Shakes we've been seeing since she started coming here. Slowly, static holds showed more range of motion, weighted movements creeped back, speed was reintroduced, intensity doses were given, and finally full 400-m runs at speed in last week's run/ring dip couplet. And yesterday was time to put everything to the test: a 5k race up and down some serious hills. 29 minutes and change later - with no pain - we can proudly say Katie Shakes is back!

Proud of you kiddo!